Differences in performance parameters between winning and losing pairs in men's and women's professional padel

Abstract

The study aims to analyze the differences between winning and losing pairs depending on the sex and the round of the tournament in professional padel. A total of 814 matches (438 men and 376 women) from the draw rounds of eight World Padel Tour Open and Master tournaments played during the 2022 season were analyzed by systematic observation. The results indicate that the winning pair obtains more points won (p < 0.001), more break balls (p < 0.001), breaks (p < 0.001), golden points won (p < 0.001), and golden points won to the return (p < 0.001) compared to the losing pair, regardless of sex (p < 0.05) and round. Regarding the differences in both sexes, men players obtained more points won (p = 0.025) and golden points won on serve (p = 0.032), while women players obtained more breaks (p = 0.004), with differences in the winning pairs (p < 0.001). Concerning the round, it only influences the golden points won to the return in men's padel (p = 0.037), with a greater difference in the final than in the other rounds. In conclusion, these differences show key game variables that affect the final score, differentiating between sex and establishing game tactics in competition to optimize the players’ performance.