Tennis players are confronted with a crucial problem : how being more efficient by increasing serve’s ball velocity and limiting risks of overuse injuries ? The aim of this work is to analyze, identify and understand the biomechanical determinants of the tennis serve responsible for the performance’s enhancement and the arrival of overuse upper limb joint injuries. From motion captures in professional tennis players, the first study aims to analyze the relationships between segmental angular momentum values and serve’s ball velocity. By coupling motion capture with a prospective registration of injuries, the second study investigates the influence of two different levels of expertise on upper limb joint kinetics during thetennis serve and on the occurrence of overuse upper limb joint injuries. The third study aims to identify pathomechanical factors during the tennis serve by comparing injured and non-injured tennis players. The purpose of the fourth study is to investigate the relationships between the mechanical energy flow, the ball velocity and the peaks of upper limb joint kinetics. Finally, the last study evaluates the effects of muscular fatigue on serve biomechanics, upper limb injury risks and serve performance during a prolonged tennis match. These works imply that using proper mechanics during the tennis serve can enhance serve performance and possibly decrease injury risks
