Contribution of Tennis Involvement to Successful Aging: The Case of Masters Tennis Players

One of the most prominent topics in contemporary research is how individuals can adopt behaviors and attitudes that support successful aging (SA) throughout their life course. Participation in sport is widely regarded as an important behavioral strategy that contributes to physical, psychological, and social resources relevant to SA. This study examined the association between Tennis Involvement (TI) and orientations toward successful aging in a sample of 224 masters tennis players with a mean age of approximately 51 years. Data was collected using the Tennis Involvement Scale and the Successful Aging Scale, which was applied to assess strategies and predispositions related to successful aging rather than aging outcomes. A structural model was tested using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The hypotheses assumed that all factors of tennis involvement would be positively correlated with SA, "tackling problems-TP", and "healthy lifestyle-HL". However, the SEM analysis results provided partial support for hypotheses H1a and H1c. Only the "social bonding" factor showed a significant and positive correlation. Remarkably, however, the "centrality" factor showed a negative trend, contrary to expectations, and statistically significant correlations were found. No significant correlations were identified between age, TI, and SA. However, there were positive and significant correlations between players' weekly tennis playing time (both in days and hours) and SA, TP, and HL. In conclusion, the results indicate that, among middle-aged masters tennis players, tennis involvement is associated with both positive and negative aspects of successful aging, and longer tennis playing duration is associated with more favorable successful aging strategies.