Strength and conditioning practices and perceptions in tennis: A survey of Brazilian strength and conditioning coaches

The benefits of strength and conditioning (S&C) for improving tennis performance and reducing injuries have been widely recognized. However, the S&C practices employed and perspectives held by those delivering S&C in tennis remain underexplored. Therefore, this study investigated the S&C practices and perspectives of Brazilian tennis S&C coaches. Thirty-four coaches completed an online survey comprising six sections: (a) written informed consent; (b) background information; (c) education, qualifications, and prescription; (d) views on S&C; (e) exercise selection; and (f) issues and improvements. Frequency analysis was used to report responses to fixed-response questions, and thematic analysis was used for open-ended questions. The main results indicated that S&C coaches were primarily responsible for delivering S&C programs (100%), and that S&C information was predominantly sourced from S&C coaches (48%) and the scientific literature (58%). Strength and conditioning were deemed very important for key tennis skills, including serve, forehand, backhand, volleys, smash, and court movement (60–75%). Similarly, S&C was considered very important for the development of strength, speed, power, agility, and injury prevention (70–85%). Novel findings included prioritizing tennis-specific exercises and integrating physical preparation directly into on-court training. Furthermore, results highlight potential gaps between recommended guidelines and real-world application, supporting the development of research-informed and sport-specific programs.