Original scientific paper

The aim was to ascertain whether any differences in the performance indicators could be discerned when the indicators of the matches played in the year 2010 were compared with the matches played in 2011 at each of the three greatest Grand Slam tournaments ‒ Roland-Garros (R-G), Wimbledon and US Open. The sample of entities consisted of 1524 game statistics records of 127 men single matches played within the main draw of each of the three tournaments in each of the two observed years. The basic central and dispersive parameters were calculated, and independent samples t-test was used to establish differences between the explored years (significance level p<.05). The smallest number of differences were determined for the R-G tournament. Generally, at all the three tournaments speed deceleration of the 1st and 2nd serve was obvious in 2011, probably indicating the shift of players ’ focus on serve features other than power used for the active entrance into points. The number of unforced errors increased at R-G in 2011, whereas on the fast, grass, courts of Wimbledon and hard courts of US Open it was decreased, as well as the number of winners. The findings suggest that tennis play styles on fast courts tend to a safer play with lower risks in the starting and middle phases of a point, whereas on slow courts play styles are characterized with a more aggressive play in the middle phase of a point