Effects of Caffeine on Tennis Serve Accuracy

This study examined the effects of caffeine on tennis serve accuracy. Division II tennis athletes (n = 10) completed two serve trials (double-blind, counterbalanced) following ingestion of 6 mg/kg of caffeine or matched placebo an hour prior to data collection. During each tennis serve trial, participants completed 48 non-fault serves divided into 3 sets with 2 serves per 8 different targets. Following each 2 serves per target format, participants completed a shuttle run sprint. Separate 2 (trial) × 8 (targets) repeated measures analysis of variances (ANOVAs) were used for distances from the target center "delta", and necessary tries for each of the 3 sets. A 2 (treatment) × 3 (set) repeated measures ANOVA was used for shuttle run times. While results were not significant, the treatment main effect approached significance (p = 0.07) in set 2 for the delta of distances when comparing caffeine (96.2 cm ± 19.8) versus placebo (107.1 cm ± 16.3). While there was no significance in sprint times, each sprint was consistently faster following caffeine consumption. Post-trial surveys revealed subjective responses approached significance with greater feelings of stomach distress (p = 0.08) and nervousness (p = 0.13) following caffeine and elevated feeling of fatigue (p = 0.19) following placebo. Therefore, with no impairment in serve accuracy coupled with some evidence of reduced fatigue, results suggest caffeine may benefit tennis athletes. Extending the understanding of the effects of caffeine on tennis serve accuracy and performance could benefit overall match performance, with the potential of improving the match outcome in extended playtime.