Tennis Serve Biomechanics, Joint Load Mechanics and Overuse Injuries: A Narrative Review

Area of Science:

• Sports Biomechanics
• Injury Prevention
• Tennis Science

Background:

• The tennis serve is crucial but generates high joint mechanical loads.
• These loads can cause injuries (shoulder, elbow, wrist, lower back) irrespective of player characteristics.
• Understanding factors influencing these loads is key to injury prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review scientific literature on factors affecting joint mechanical loadings during the tennis serve.
• To explore the association between these loadings and overuse injuries in tennis players.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of major scientific databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, etc.).
• Inclusion of studies using 3D biomechanical motion capture or video analysis of tennis serves.
• Analysis of factors influencing joint loads and injury risk.

Main Results:

• Skill level, energy transfer, serve technique, kinematics, fatigue, and racket properties influence joint loadings.
• Specific serve types (kick, slice, flat), leg drive, and backswing style effects on joint loads are not well-understood.
• Most existing research focuses on expert male players and the flat first serve.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing serving technique, equipment, and training can reduce joint forces and injury risk.
• Further research is essential, particularly for under-represented tennis player populations (females, juniors, wheelchair athletes).