A Retrospective Weekly Rating of Perceived Exertion Measure May Assist Training Load Monitoring in Professional Tennis Players

Abstract

The session rating of perceived exertion (s-RPE) is a validated tool for monitoring subjective training intensity across various sports. We aimed to assess the association between s-RPE recorded within 30 min post-training and a single retrospective weekly RPE (wRPE) reported at the end of the week. We tracked the training loads (TLs) of eight professional tennis players over one season and analyzed the association among three parameters: the weekly average of session-specific RPE (mRPE) vs. wRPE; weekly TL (s-RPE × duration) derived from both mRPE and wRPE; and week-to-week percentage changes in TL. We employed a nested model and a Bland–Altman analysis to evaluate association, bias, and limits of agreement. Our analysis revealed very large associations between mRPE and wRPE (r = 0.804) and between week-to-week TL progressions (r = 0.885). The association between TL measures themselves was nearly perfect (r = 0.974). Bland–Altman plots demonstrated superior agreement at lower loads, whereas higher loads were associated with greater variability. We conclude that a single self-reported measure at the end of the week was strongly associated with session-derived RPE, TL, and weekly TL progression in professional tennis players. Nevertheless, these two approaches are not interchangeable, and consistency in the chosen method is key for reliable TL monitoring in professional tennis players.