Psychophysiological responses and heart rate variability in competitive tennis: a case study

This study aimed to monitor an elite tennis athlete during the National Tennis Championships by characterizing matches physiological, psychological, and observational variables, including heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), perceived exertion (RPE), and assessments at morning rest. Differences were found between the four matches' in-game characteristics and HR, and between service and return games' in-game characteristics and HR except for game 3. Statistically significant correlations were found between the variable’s duration of points and recovery time between points for match 2 (r = 0.349, p < 0.01), match 3 (r = 0.230, p < 0.03), and match 4 (r = 0.241, p < 0.01). We found a correlation between match duration and effective playing time (r = -0.930, p < 0.05); between match duration and RPE (r = 0.916, p < 0.05), and between RPE and effective playing time (r = -0.977, p < 0.05). Time spent on the >85% HRmax was 0; 8; 9.2 and 42.7% for matches 1, 2, 3, and 4. Differences in HR before the start of match 4 (the final match) and the previous matches were found. In the sitting recovery periods of match 4, SNSIndex decreased in the last two periods, unlike HR, which continued to increase slightly.