Introduction: This research investigates the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation, in one or more sessions, on the executive functions of novice tennis players.

Methods: 27 novice male tennis players (mean age 20.29 ± 0.29) were randomly and double-blindly divided into three groups: experimental group 1 (5 sessions of anodal stimulation), experimental group 2 (1 session of anodal stimulation), and control group (no anodal stimulation). Stimulation was applied for 20 minutes at an intensity of 2 mA in the M1 and DLPFC regions. Indicators of selective attention, working memory, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility were measured before (pre-test), after 5 sessions (post-test) and 2 weeks after the intervention (retention). For statistical analysis, a repeated measures ANOVA test (3x3 factorial design) was used.

Results: The results showed that there was no significant difference between the intervention groups in the indicators of selective attention and working memory in any of the evaluation stages (P> 0.05). However, experimental group 1 showed a more significant improvement in response inhibition (p= 0.018) and cognitive flexibility (p= 0.14) indices in the retention test compared to the control group, while no significant difference was observed between the other groups (P> 0.05). Both experimental groups showed significant improvement in all indicators in the post-test and retention. Notably, experimental group 1 showed a significant improvement in all indicators from post-test to retention (P<0.05).

Conclusion: In conclusion, both single-session and multi-session tDCS enhance executive functions in novice tennis players, with repeated stimulation yielding more durable cognitive benefits.