The effect of varying rest periods between sets on some func-tional indicators of the decisive serve performance in tennis players

Abstract

The importance of studying the effect of varying rest periods between sets on functional indicators related to the performance of the cutter serve lies in providing coaches with scientific information that helps them develop effective training methods and adjust the components of the training load to ensure the restoration of functional systems to their ability to perform and achieve the best levels of athletic achievement. Hence, the idea arose to study the effect of varying rest periods between sets (the legal rest period of 1.30 minutes compared to the proposed 2 minutes) on some functional indicators related to the performance of the cutter serve. This aims to determine the most suitable period that helps the functional systems to restore their ability, delays the onset of fatigue, and achieves optimal performance of the cutter serve, thus contributing to raising the technical level and athletic achievement of tennis players. The study also aims to reveal the extent to which different rest periods affect the quality of execution of the cutter serve, as it is one of the most important offensive skills in tennis. The researchers adopted the experimental method as it is the most suitable for achieving the study's objectives and reaching reliable scientific results. The study sample consisted of (8) players representing the Iraqi national tennis team for the (2025-2026) season, officially registered with the Iraqi Central Tennis Federation. The most important conclusions showed that the period The legal rest period (two minutes) between sets allows for greater recovery of functional systems compared to the standard rest period (1.5 minutes). A key recommendation is to submit a proposal to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to adopt a two-minute rest period between sets, given its role in promoting muscle recovery and delaying the onset of fatigue.