Development of Youth Tennis Players: A Study Based on the Ranking History of Top ATP/WTA Players Worldwide, and a Comparison with Elite Chinese Players

Abstract

Background The top 100 ATP/WTA ranking points are a crucial indicator of entry into the high-level world of tennis players, and the number of players from a nation in this ranking reflects the overall level of their tennis. This study aims to examine the historical career ranking changes of Elite players and provide valuable insights for aspiring young players looking to achieve success in the sport.Methods In this study, data on the rankings of 202 players were analyzed. Spearman and Pearson correlations were employed to investigate the association between ranking and time-use patterns. Additionally, the variance test was utilized to compare disparities in time characteristics of the rankings, with a statistical significance level of p < 0.05.Results The study found that the majority of top tennis players are from Europe and America. There was a significant correlation between the time of entering the professional tournament ranking system and the ranking, top 100 time, top 100 age, and age of starting training. Top 50 ATP players started training, achieved their ranking, reached the top 100, and reached their top 100 age earlier than the players ranked 51–100.There was a significant difference between the age of starting training and the time to top 10 among the ATP and WTA players.Chinese female players showed no significant differences compared to their global Top 10 counterparts in terms of time-to-success characteristics, although they did take longer to move up from the 600 − 400 ranking range.Conclusions The study findings indicate that elite tennis players who achieve success typically start playing and competing in the sport at a young age, with professional competition often commencing around 18 years of age. Notably, these players frequently attain high rankings before reaching the age of 20. Furthermore, top 10 ATP male players tend to start training at an earlier age and require a shorter time to achieve a top 10 ranking compared with WTA female players. It is recommended that practitioners working with tennis players should strive to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to player success and develop more effective training programs to help players realize their full potential.