The behavior of the serve, return of serve, and third action in male young athletes from the Brazilian national padel team

The objective of this study was to investigate the initial actions' behavior in Padel (serve, service return, and third action) among young athletes from the Brazilian national team. The sample consisted of a total of 1547 points from 52 matches, involving 32 athletes from the youth category of the Brazilian male national team. A Chi-square test was conducted to verify associations, along with descriptive analysis of variables related to the serve (first or second serve, direction, and effectiveness), service return (type of shot, direction, and effectiveness), and third action (type of action, effectiveness, and player executing it). The results revealed that most serves were directed towards the glass (50.2%), and service returns were predominantly executed with flat shots towards the net (55.1%) to the player positioned diagonally (53.9%), who predominantly performed the third action through volleys (50.3%) and lobs (28.5%). However, a statistically significant relationship was not found in the studied model. These findings contribute to a more targeted training planning for such competitive demands and provide insights for coaches aiming at the long-term development of youth athletes.