Examining The Relative Age Effect On Physical Fitness And Tennis Performance In Competitive Tennis Players
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17700099Keywords:
Relative Age Effect, Tennis Performance, Hewitt Test, Hit and Turn TestAbstract
The purpose of this study was to examine whether the physical characteristics, motor performance, and perceived exertion levels of licensed tennis players aged 10–11 differ according to birth quarters, and to determine the influence of the Relative Age Effect (RAE) on tennis performance. The study focused on how biological maturity differences between early- and late-born athletes are reflected in agility, technical skill, and endurance.
Height, body weight, and body mass index were measured, and motor performance was assessed using the Hewitt Test and the Hit and Turn Test. Perceived exertion was evaluated with the Borg Scale. Anthropometric data were classified according to World Health Organization percentile standards. After confirming normality and homogeneity, independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA (Tukey post-hoc), and multiple regression analyses were conducted. Birth quarter was treated as the independent variable, and performance measures as dependent variables.
Results showed that athletes born in earlier quarters performed significantly better, especially in agility-based tasks, while those born in later quarters exhibited lower performance and higher perceived exertion. Regression analyses supported these findings. Overall, the study demonstrates that RAE significantly affects tennis performance both physically and perceptually, highlighting the importance of considering developmental differences in training and talent selection.
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