Resilience under pressure: a systematic review of psychological coping and endurance mechanisms among collegiate tennis athletes in higher education

Abstract

Objective: This systematic review aimed to synthesize empirical evidence on psychological resilience as a protective and adaptive mechanism for managing stress, anxiety, and mental fatigue among collegiate tennis athletes. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 and PICOS frameworks, literature was retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ERIC, SPORTDiscus, and CNKI databases. Eligibility criteria included studies published between 2010 and 2025 focusing on college-level tennis players. The review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD4202554321). Quality assessment was conducted using MMAT (2018). Results: Fifteen studies met inclusion criteria. Resilience significantly moderated the relationship between stress and fatigue, mediated anxiety through coping strategies, and predicted higher performance consistency. Conclusion: Resilience training and coping-skill interventions are essential for collegiate athletes’ psychological well-being and performance stability.