Relative age effect on elite tennis strategy for players born before and after 1 January 1985

Relative age influences participation in professional tennis. The purpose of the current investigation was to compare the %net points played between players born in the first 6 months of the calendar year (H1 players) and players born in the second 6 months (H2 players). There were 116 players included in the current investigation because net statistics were provided for at least 6 of their matches in the 2011 to 2013 US Opens and the 2012 to 2014 Australian Opens. Players were also classified by generation; born before 1st January 1985 or after due to the introduction of surface grading in 2002. The %net points for male players was significantly influenced by generation (p = 0.041) and the interaction of generation and half year of birth (p = 0.040). The 17 H1 male players born in 1985 or later played 12.1±2.5% net points compared with 10.4±2.8% for the 16 H2 male players born in 1985 or later. The H1 players may have developed a greater tendency to go to the net as junior players with a relative age advantage. These players have continued to play more net points as seniors even though they no longer have a relative age advantage.