To compare technical and physiological responses between junior and professional female players during an incremental field test to exhaustion specific to tennis.
Twenty-seven female players (n = 14 and 13 for juniors and professionals, respectively) completed an incremental field test to exhaustion specific to tennis, which consisted of hitting alternatively forehand and backhand strokes at increasing ball frequency (ball machine) every minute. Ball accuracy and ball velocity were determined by radar and video analysis for each stroke, in addition to cardiorespiratory responses (portable gas analyzer).
The stage corresponding to the second ventilatory threshold (+20.0%, P = 0.027), time to exhaustion (+18.9%, P = 0.002) and maximum oxygen uptake (+12.4%, P = 0.007) were higher in professionals than in juniors. The relative percentage of maximal HR was lower at both the first (-4.7%, P = 0.014) and the second (-1.3%, P = 0.018) ventilatory thresholds in professionals. Backhand ball velocity was the only technical parameter that displayed larger (+7.1%, P = 0.016) values in professionals.
Compared with juniors, female professional tennis players possess higher exercise capacity, maximal and submaximal aerobic attributes along with faster backhand stroke velocities during an incremental field test specific to tennis.