Athletic performance, training characteristics, and orthopedic indications in junior tennis Davis Cup players

Our study aimed to examine athletics, training characteristics, and prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms of male junior tennis Davis Cup players (DC) in comparison with their regional counterparts, as well as to evaluate the impact of age and performance level on training characteristics. Twelve junior DC (male) and two samples of regional squad players (RS1 n = 60 males, n = 47 females; RS2 n = 59 males) participated in a physical testing, an interview for data evaluation on training characteristics, and a questionnaire survey of orthopedic injury frequency. Results indicate higher physical performance levels (effect size (ES) 0.75–1.26) and training volumes in DC (ES 1.23–1.66). In DC, significant relationships were found between total training volume and tennis ranking (r = −0.78), age and physical training volume (r = 0.82), and age and total training volume (r = 0.62). Injury frequencies showed moderate to high prevalence with no differences (p > 0.05) between DC and RS. Given the demands of elite tennis and the important role of service in the modern game, more efforts are necessary to develop training prescription for both performance enhancement and prevention strategies.