Comparison of laboratory and on-court testing of aerobic fitness in tennis players

The modern game of tennis is characterized by 200-600 explosive efforts over a match that may last up to six hours (Richers, 1995), utilizing specific movement patterns which differ depending on the tactical situation and court surface. It is clear that the player must be conditioned to meet the specific aerobic, strength and power demands of these matches in order to maintain the required work rate over such an extended period. Davey et al. (2003) has also indicated that in conditions of fatigue, hitting accuracy decreases by as much as 81 per cent, further illustrating the importance of the physical requirements of the game on the potential match outcome.