| Summary: | The purpose of this study was to investigate and establish a comparison of Big Five personality traits between elite and non-elite tennis players in Malaysia. A comparison between gender had also been investigated. One hundred ten (N=110) Malaysian tennis players (male = 66, female = 44) within the age range of 12 to 25 years old participated in this study. These players were identified and selected based on their active participation in the national tournaments. Elite tennis players are those who have at least represented their state in any national games competition while non-elite players are those who are active participating in tournaments but never been selected to represent their state in any national competitions. Big Five Personality Traits Scale questionnaire was administered in this study and was distributed online to all participants with the assistance of their coaches from respective states. The Big Five Personality consists of Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neurotic and Openness. Descriptive statistics was used to determine the dominant personality between the elite and non-elite tennis players while an independent t-test was used to determine the differences of Big Five personality factors between them, as well as the factors that were associated with the largest gender difference in personality. The findings show that there is no significant difference in Big Five personality between both elite and non-elite groups. The study also shows that the dominant personality in both groups of elite and non-elites tennis players is Agreeableness which indicates that this type of personality is usually concern for social harmony and is good in getting along with others. However, the result between gender shows that female tennis players are found to be dominant in Neuroticism personality trait and there is no difference in other traits between the two genders. It can be concluded that Big Five Personality may have a significant influence in tennis players performance by providing better understanding and effective communication between coaches and their athletes. © 2022, Editura Universitatii din Pitesti. All rights reserved.
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