: Research published in Journal of Sports Science & Medicine notes that while first-serve effectiveness varies by surface ( on clay vs.
This study analyzed over 28,000 points from the 2016 Wimbledon tournament to investigate how mental stress at "big points"—specifically break points (BP)—impacts performance compared to regular points (RP). Key Findings from the Research
A key academic paper on this topic is by researchers from the University of Vienna and University of Munich.
: A critical difference between winning and losing players is their success rate on second serves . Winning players are often able to maintain or even improve their point-win percentage on second serves during break points, while losing players cannot maintain their level.
: Players typically win significantly fewer points on their first serve during break points ( ) compared to regular points (
: Despite trying to play safer, players produce double faults twice as often at break points ( ) compared to regular points ( Other Notable Research Perspectives
: A study in Frontiers in Psychology explores the "return of serve" as a qualitative framework, detailing how elite players use kinematic (body movement) and contextual information to break an opponent's serve.