Next Article in Journal
Experimental Investigation of Acoustic Signal Characteristics of Blockages in Highway Tunnel Drainage Pipelines Using Distributed Acoustic Sensing
Next Article in Special Issue
Design and Implementation of a Low-Cost Dual-Structure Laser Shooting System with Physical and Web-Based Targets for School Physical Education
Previous Article in Journal
Plant-Derived Biostimulants and Liposomal Formulations in Sustainable Crop Protection and Stress Tolerance
Previous Article in Special Issue
Exploring the Effect of Blood Flow Restriction Training on Lower-Limb Muscle Activation in CrossFit Athletes: A Pilot Crossover Trial
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Applied Sciences
Volume 16
Issue 1
10.3390/app16010492
applsci-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

External Load in High-Level Tennis Training: Influence of Game-Specific Drills in Junior and Professional Players Across Playing Situations

by
Francisco José Penalva-Salmerón
1,*,
Miguel Crespo
2,
Rafael Martínez-Gallego
3,
Jesús Ramón-Llin
3 and
José Francisco Guzmán
3
1
Academia de Tenis Juan Carlos Ferrero, 03400 Villena, Spain
2
Development Department, International Tennis Federation Bank Lane, Roehampton, London SW15 5XZ, UK
3
Research Group on Sports Technique and Tactics, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(1), 492; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16010492
Submission received: 21 October 2025 / Revised: 13 December 2025 / Accepted: 29 December 2025 / Published: 4 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technologies in Sports and Physical Activity)
Browse Figure
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

This study explored the influence of game-specific on-court drills on external load in junior and professional male tennis players. Using wearable inertial technology, a total of 345 drills performed during a training microcycle were analyzed. Drills were classified according to the usual tennis game situations (i.e., serve, return, baseline, net play, and all-court), and load was quantified through distance covered, explosive distance, accelerations, decelerations, and Player Load. Significant differences were found in load across playing situations, with baseline and all-court drills producing the highest demands, especially in distance and Player Load. Serve drills consistently showed the lowest external load, while acceleration and deceleration values remained stable. Age group comparisons revealed that juniors covered more distance and experienced higher overall load in return and baseline situations, while professionals showed greater acceleration and deceleration values. These findings highlight the relevance of adapting training load to the specific demands of the game situations, the developmental stage, and the skill level of players. Coaches and sports scientists can use these insights to better plan, monitor, and individualize training programs for injury prevention and performance optimization in high-performance tennis.
Keywords: racket sports; performance; training intensity; conditioning; monitoring racket sports; performance; training intensity; conditioning; monitoring

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Penalva-Salmerón, F.J.; Crespo, M.; Martínez-Gallego, R.; Ramón-Llin, J.; Guzmán, J.F. External Load in High-Level Tennis Training: Influence of Game-Specific Drills in Junior and Professional Players Across Playing Situations. Appl. Sci. 2026, 16, 492. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16010492

AMA Style

Penalva-Salmerón FJ, Crespo M, Martínez-Gallego R, Ramón-Llin J, Guzmán JF. External Load in High-Level Tennis Training: Influence of Game-Specific Drills in Junior and Professional Players Across Playing Situations. Applied Sciences. 2026; 16(1):492. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16010492

Chicago/Turabian Style

Penalva-Salmerón, Francisco José, Miguel Crespo, Rafael Martínez-Gallego, Jesús Ramón-Llin, and José Francisco Guzmán. 2026. "External Load in High-Level Tennis Training: Influence of Game-Specific Drills in Junior and Professional Players Across Playing Situations" Applied Sciences 16, no. 1: 492. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16010492

APA Style

Penalva-Salmerón, F. J., Crespo, M., Martínez-Gallego, R., Ramón-Llin, J., & Guzmán, J. F. (2026). External Load in High-Level Tennis Training: Influence of Game-Specific Drills in Junior and Professional Players Across Playing Situations. Applied Sciences, 16(1), 492. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16010492

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop