MEASURES OF ANXIETY AMONG TENNIS PLAYERS IN SINGLES AND DOUBLES MATCHES

Male and female tennis players (N=100) completed the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 about 1 hr. before playing singles and doubles ma tches. Multivariate analysis of variance of anxiety and self-confidenc e responses by match result indicated that winners of singles matches had significantly lower scores on Cognitive Anxiety and higher ones on Self-confidence than losers. Winners of doubles matches had significa ntly higher Self-confidence scores than losers. Discriminant function analysis indicated that 72% of results for singles matches and 70% of results for doubles matches could be correctly classified from respons es to the precompetition measures. A comparison of anxiety responses b y playing condition indicated that, ir respective of the match outcome , scores on Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety were higher and scores on Se lf-confidence were lower before playing singles than before playing do ubles. The findings suggest that precompetition scores on measures of anxiety provide significant indicators of performance in tennis but th at responses vary for singles and doubles play.