KNLBT
Sophiahemmet University
Tennis Research and Performance Group is based at and hosted by Sophiahemmet University, Stockholm, Sweden. It is a subgroup to the overall research group MUSIC (Musculoskeletal & Sports Injury Epidemiology Center) directed by professor Eva Skillgate.
Background
The sport of tennis develops in many ways, most of them very positive. However, along with the development of early specialization in tennis the need for a uniform way of protecting players health, development and performance becomes more important. This statement is not only important when the players eventually reach the WTA or ATP level since those players might be the premium selection and “survivors of the fittest”. Therefore, we need to establish this from the level of Tennis Europe (under 14) and ITF Junior level (under 18) in order to improve the situation.
Aim
Therefore, the aim within our group is to:
(1) Establish long-term research programs on injury and disease prevention including studies on basic epidemiology, risk factors, injury mechanisms and high performance,
(2) Fostering collaborative relationships with individuals, institutions and organizations to improve tennis players’ health.
DIRECTOR OF STMS CoE
Fredrik Johansson (PhD) is Associate Professor at Sophiahemmet University in Stockholm, Sweden, and has served as President of the Society for Tennis Medicine and Science (STMS) since 2023. In 2020, he founded the Tennis Research and Performance group and is currently the Head of Athletic Performance at the STMS Center of Excellence in Stockholm. At the university level, he teaches various courses on return to play, sports injuries, and the young athlete.
In 2017, he earned his PhD from Ghent University in Belgium, with a focus on tennis shoulder issues in his thesis titled “Adaptation or abnormality.” Between 2007 and 2019, he led a longitudinal study with the Swedish Tennis Association, testing over 200 young players, creating a database of 15,000+ data points on strength and conditioning to establish benchmarks for sustainable athlete development.
With over 25 years of experience in clinical sports medicine and manual therapy (naprapathy), and a background in tennis coaching, he combines evidence-based knowledge with practical insights to enhance high performance in tennis.
CoE Members
Associate Director
Eva Skillgate
I am a professor of Health Care Science and Epidemiology with focus on musculoskeletal problems. I am also the Director of Doctoral Education. I teach regularly at courses on bachelor, master, and doctoral levels, mainly in research methods with focus on clinical epidemiology and interventional studies.
In my research group Musculoskeletal and Sports Injury Epidemiology Center (MUSIC), we perform clinically relevant research about long-lasting pain conditions in the musculoskeletal system (including back and neck), mental problems, and sports medicine. Our research is based mainly on our extensive cohort studies and randomized controlled studies. The research group include multi-professional competences such as: epidemiology, biostatistics, naprapathy, physiotherapy, psychology, chiropractic, public health, odontology and nutrition.
OPEN-ACCESS TENNIS MEDICINE RESOURCES FROM SOPHIAHEMMET
The Shoulder in the Elite Adolescent Tennis Player: Exploration of Structural and Functional Sport Specific Adaptations
Association Between Spikes in External Training Load and Shoulder Injuries in Competitive Adolescent Tennis Players: The SMASH Cohort Study
