Professional Tennis Players’ perceptions of spectator behaviour

Abstract

This study aims to examine how professional tennis players perceive spectator behaviours. For this purpose, a questionnaire with the title “Perceptions of Tennis Players Regarding Spectator Behaviours”, developed by the researchers was administered to 165 athletes, and statistical analyses were conducted using independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and LSD tests. Results showed that male players scored significantly higher regarding contexts involving large crowds, vocal spectator reactions, and perceived impact of the spectator on match outcomes, and consideration of receiving support from the opposite gender (p<0.05, p<0.001). Female players were found to be significantly more affected than male players by negative vocal reactions from the spectator, disputes among spectators, perceived pressure from the crowd, and situations in which their opponent received applause (p<0.05, p<0.001). Players who had national team experience showed significantly higher scores in terms of positive effects of spectator behaviour (p<0.05). As a conclusion; the findings indicate that tennis players’ perceptions of spectator behaviour vary significantly depending on variables such as gender and being in the national team. Specifically, male players were found to be more responsive to positive stimuli, while female players were more sensitive to negative spectator behaviours. To enhance athletes' psychological resilience during tennis matches, psychological skills training aimed at managing the influence of spectators should be implemented. Furthermore, to improve spectator culture, awareness-raising seminars targeting various age groups and social segments should be organized.