The IOC has recently proposed standard methods for recording and reporting data for injury and illness in sport (1). The authors of the IOC consensus statement anticipated that sport-specific statements would provide further recommendations. We have now led the development of a tennis-specific extension of the IOC statement.
In collaboration with selected external experts, the International Tennis Federation Sports Science and Medicine Committee met in June 2019 to consider athlete health monitoring issues specific to tennis. Once the IOC consensus statement was finalised, the tennis-specific consensus was drafted and agreed on by the members over three iterations. Compared with the IOC consensus statement, the tennis consensus contains tennis-specific information on:
injury mechanism
mode of onset
injury classification
injury duration
capturing and reporting exposure
reporting risk
study population
Our recommendations apply to able-bodied as well as wheelchair tennis players. Where applicable, specific recommendations are made for wheelchair tennis.
The full paper can be accessed here (open access)
E. Verhagen, B. Clarsen, J. Capel-Davies, C. Collins, W. Derman, D. de Winter, et al. Tennis-specific extension of the International Olympic Committee consensus statement: methods for recording and reporting of epidemiological data on injury and illness in sport 2020. Br J Sports Med 2021 Vol. 55 Issue 1 Page 9-13
(1) R. Bahr, B. Clarsen, W. Derman, J. Dvorak, C. A. Emery, C. F. Finch, et al. International Olympic Committee consensus statement: methods for recording and reporting of epidemiological data on injury and illness in sport 2020 (including STROBE Extension for Sport Injury and Illness Surveillance (STROBE-SIIS))Br J Sports Med 2020 Vol. 54 Issue 7 Pages 372-389