Every week, Tennis Analytics dives deep into the data, bringing you a stat of the week to help you understand tennis better and become a little smarter on court.
Stat of the Week: 67%
All points end in either a winner or an error.
At the very highest levels, there are fewer errors and more winners than the lower levels of play. But, the game is still ruled by errors.
At the men’s 2021 Australian Open, we looked at matches from the R16 to finals and found that errors outnumbered winners by just over 2 to 1. That is, over 67% of points ended in an error.
Interesting facts:
- One in every ten 2nd serves was a double fault.
- Almost 4 aces were hit for every double fault.
- Aces accounted for the highest contribution to Winners
- Of all returns hit, one in four are errors, while only 1 in 50 is a winner.
Point of the Week
Rather than looking to increase the number of winners they hit, great players look to instill discomfort on the opposite side of the net to draw opponent errors.
To do this, they control:
- Consistency
- Placement (angle, depth)
- Pace
- Spin
- Time (e.g. limit opponent reaction time by taking the ball early or approaching the net)
- Targets (close the opponent’s placement angles)
How effective are you in these areas?
Purchase a Player Package to Find Out
Photo of the Week
Novak Djokovic’s forehand contact.
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