Are serve velocity and ground reaction forces altered following prolonged tennis?

Abstract

Serving performance is likely to deteriorate when players become fatigued, and since fatigue induces a decrease in leg muscle strength, the contribution of the lower limbs to the stroke may be affected. This study aimed to examine this effect by investigating the impact of prolonged tennis playing on stroke velocity and peak vertical forces during first (flat and slice) and second (topspin) serves. Results are discussed and suggestions are offered for training players to cope with effects of fatigue