Humans participate in sports activities for various reasons. In general, four primary purposes underpin individuals' participation in sports: recreation, education, therapy, and achievement (Bailey, 2017; Harris et al., 2017). Recreation refers to engaging in sports as a form of entertainment or stress relief, emphasizing enjoyment, relaxation, and leisure. Educationally, sports are incorporated into school and university settings to instill values such as discipline, cooperation, sportsmanship, and to develop motor skills. Therapeutically, some individuals participate in sports as part of a healing or rehabilitation process, aimed at improving both physical and mental recovery. In terms of achievement, sports are pursued to reach specific performance goals, requiring a deep understanding and application of disciplines such as physiology, psychology, biomechanics, and nutrition to optimize the athlete's potential and achieve the best results(Martín-Rodríguez et al., 2024; Samandar, 2023).

In Indonesia, the development of sports continues to progress, primarily due to the active participation and increasing public awareness of the importance of sports(Ma’mun et al., 2022; Rahadian et al., 2021). To achieve optimal performance in sports, talent development must begin at a young age. This aligns with the Republic of Indonesia Law No. 11 of 2022 concerning the National Sports System, Chapter VI, Article 22 Paragraph 4, which states: "The development and cultivation of sports shall be carried out systematically through stages of introduction, monitoring, guidance, continuous talent development, and achievement enhancement(Pemuda dan Olahraga, 2022).

Sports are structured physical activities performed regularly to improve health and physical fitness (Nurul Musfira A et al., 2025; Ozemek et al., 2018) . Engaging in sports not only benefits physical well-being but also has a positive impact on mental health, including reducing stress and anxiety (Vella et al., 2023; Zekioğlu et al., 2024). Moreover, sports contribute significantly to character building, discipline, and teamwork(Rian Andriansyah et al., 2025; Rusdin et al., 2023). Various types of sports are now being implemented across educational levels to support the development of healthy and active student profiles (Pradana, 2021). Higher education institutions are increasingly expected to produce young athletes with strong physical, technical, and psychological qualities (Rusandi et al., 2025).

Table tennis is a competitive sport contested at various regional, national, and even international levels(Islamy, 2017; Y. Zhang & Breedlove, 2021). As a racket sport, table tennis requires quick reflexes, high precision, and tactical thinking within a short timeframe (S. Zhang et al., 2023). The sport is challenging not only in terms of technical and physical aspects but also psychologically, as competitive pressure can arise from the preparation phase to the critical moments during matches (Raab et al., 2005). In the context of collegiate or national-level competitions, table tennis athletes face challenges such as intense competition, high expectations from coaches, and academic demands, all of which can impact their mental focus

Anxiety is an emotional response that arises when individuals face situations perceived as threatening or highly stressful, either physically or psychologically (Aris Mahfud et al., 2025; Ayu Agustini et al., 2024; Bondarchuk et al., 2024). In the context of sports, anxiety is a critical issue because it can significantly impact an athlete's performance, particularly in competitive situations such as matches or team selections(Charles D. Spielberger, 2021; Prasetya et al., 2024) . Sport-related anxiety is generally classified into two types: cognitive anxiety, which involves worry and negative thoughts, and somatic anxiety, which is characterized by physiological symptoms such as increased heart rate and muscle tension (Kemarat et al., 2022). Research indicates that cognitive anxiety tends to disrupt concentration and decision-making, while somatic anxiety more directly affects motor control and physical coordination during competition.(Mercader-Rubio, Gutiérrez Ángel, et al., 2023).

International research has consistently shown that performance anxiety in sports negatively impacts athletes' concentration, decision-making, and motor coordination (Charles D. Spielberger, 2021; Ren et al., 2022)cognitive anxiety consistently showed negative relationships with performance, while somatic anxiety effects varied depending on sport type and skill level. Cognitive anxiety, in particular, is strongly associated with reduced accuracy in decision-making, while somatic anxiety tends to disrupt motor execution and physiological readiness during competition (Mercader-Rubio, Ángel, et al., 2023)

Table tennis, characterized by its rapid pace and demand for split-second decision-making, creates a unique environment where performance anxiety can be particularly detrimental(Bondarchuk et al., 2024) Re Research from Indonesia revealed that a 60-minute Tai Chi Quan training session significantly reduced cognitive anxiety by 18.6% and somatic anxiety by 27.6% among junior table tennis athletes, while also enhancing their self-confidence (Abdulaziz et al., 2024). In the context of young professional athletes, stress and coping strategies have been found to influence burnout symptoms, which are closely associated with prolonged anxiety (Garinger et al., 2018).

Studies on anxiety also highlight table tennis players because this sport demands a very high level of coordination, reaction speed, and precision (Lee et al., 2025; Rice et al., 2019). In particular, pre-competition anxiety is often experienced by young athletes and students, especially those who are new to competition at a higher level. This condition has the potential to disrupt the psychological performance of athletes in general (Anwari et al., 2025). It should be noted that this anxiety can be triggered by a series of internal and external factors.

Various factors influence athletes' anxiety. Internal factors include aspects such as self-confidence; here, a lack of self-confidence has been shown to have a negative correlation with increased competitive anxiety (Triana et al., 2020; Trpkovici et al., 2023). Meanwhile, external factors involve environmental elements, such as social support, pressure from coaches or parents, and high expectations for match results (Kamal Ariffin et al., 2025). Both internal and external factors play a crucial role in determining an athlete's overall performance (Ikhram et al., 2020; Pradnyaswari & Budisetyani, 2018). Therefore, it is very important for student athletes to thoroughly understand the level of anxiety they feel so that they can reach their full potential in competition.

Student Activity Units (UKM) are a place for students to develop their interests and talents outside of academic activities, including in sports such as table tennis (Abidin et al., 2022). Student athletes at Universitas PGRI Semarang are part of a group that actively competes at various levels, both internally on campus and externally. The burden of training, match schedules, and academic demands make them vulnerable to high mental stress. This can affect their emotional balance and mental readiness when competing (Dwi Pramesti et al., 2022).

This study focuses on measuring and analyzing the anxiety levels experienced by table tennis athletes at the Universitas PGRI Semarang. This study also aims to determine the dominance of anxiety between internal and external factors.

Through a better understanding of the psychological condition of athletes, it is hoped that the results of this study can be used as a basis for designing a more comprehensive athlete training program. This approach not only emphasizes technical and physical mastery, but also strengthens mental aspects to improve the overall performance and well-being of athletes (Ihsan et al., 2024).

Note. CI = confidence interval; Min = minimum score; Max = maximum score

The Shapiro-Wilk test was conducted to assess whether performance scores in each group were drawn from normally distributed populations. Results indicated that both groups met the normality assumption (Table 2). For the internal evaluator group, W = 0.953, p = 0.181, and for the external evaluator group, W = 0.947, p = 0.207. Since all p-values exceeded 0.05, the null hypothesis of normality was retained, indicating that parametric testing was appropriate.

Note. df = 25 for both groups. Normality assumption satisfied if p > 0.05.

Levene's test for equality of variances was conducted to determine whether the assumption of homogeneity of variances was met. The test yielded F(1, 48) = 1.099, p = 0.300, indicating that variances were not significantly different between groups (Table 3). This result confirmed that the homogeneity assumption required for ANOVA was satisfied.

A one-way between-subjects ANOVA was conducted to examine the effect of evaluator source on performance scores. The ANOVA revealed a statistically significant difference between groups, F(1, 48) = 4.917, p = 0.031, η² = 0.093 (Table 4).

Note. η² = eta squared (proportion of variance explained).

These results indicate that assessment factors have an influence on the scores obtained, with groups assessed based on internal factors having different average scores compared to external groups. This difference reflects that the source of assessment can influence the final results, which is important to note in evaluating individual performance or achievements.

This study investigates the effect of anxiety on performance appraisal in the Student Activity Unit at PGRI University Semarang. The results show a significant difference between internal and external factors, with internal factors yielding much higher performance scores than external factors. These results, supported by a medium to large effect size (η² = 0.093; d = 0.66), indicate that anxiety plays a significant role in shaping athletes' performance.

The anxiety experienced by student athletes is largely driven by internal factors such as academic demands (academic stress), heavy workloads, and deficits in time management skills. These findings are consistent with other studies examining the impact of academic stress on the mental health of the student population. (Amira et al., 2021; Fina Khilyatu Zahwa & Ma’mun Hanif, 2024). Based on previous research, internal aspects such as low self-confidence, minimal self-efficacy, and limitations in self-control are significant contributors to the high levels of anxiety experienced by individuals (Izza & Lailiyah, 2024a).

Conversely, anxiety is not only triggered by internal factors. External factors such as faculty guidance, social support, and family pressure have been shown to have a significant impact, particularly in relation to students' academic pressure (Amrina & Pertiwi, 2022; Fauzi Abubakar, 2015). Furthermore, in the field of sports, athletes' anxiety levels are influenced by a range of other external factors, including pressure from coaches, social support, expectations of results, the significance of the opponents they face, and their physical condition and readiness to compete (Izza & Lailiyah, 2024b).

The results of this study indicate that athletes' anxiety levels are more influenced by internal aspects than external ones. This conclusion is in line with research conducted by (Permana et al., 2022), which highlights that although differences in anxiety levels among athletes are normal, self-confidence is the most significant variable affecting competitive performance. Furthermore, other studies (Wohon & Ediati, 2019) also support that there is an inverse relationship between self-efficacy and anxiety, where an increase in self-efficacy leads to a decrease in competition anxiety.

The anxiety experienced by student athletes highlights the complexity of the interaction between academic pressure and the demands inherent in their athletic performance (Pristiwa & Nuqul, 2018). This condition is consistent with findings that high academic pressure can increase anxiety in students, a condition that is exacerbated when they have to maintain athletic performance (Hazlinda & Salim, 2023). Therefore, these findings underscore the need for a holistic approach to support the well-being of student-athletes, given that stress from the academic domain can negatively impact the athletic domain, and vice versa (Amaranto Jeniffer L & Amaranto Jeff C, 2025).

This study concludes that anxiety affects the performance of table tennis athletes in the Student Activity Unit (UKM) at Universitas PGRI Semarang. Specifically, internal factors such as self-confidence and perfectionism have been proven to have a greater impact than external factors. However, external factors, especially academic pressure and the quality of social support, also have a significant influence. It should be noted that this study has limitations, namely an insufficient sample size and a lack of in-depth data exploration to identify specific triggers of anxiety in athletes, a shortcoming that was also found in previous similar studies.

The authors gratefully acknowledge the valuable support and contributions of all parties involved in the development and publication of this manuscript.

All data supporting the findings of this study are included in the article and its supplementary materials. Additional datasets are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

This research received no external funding.

The authors hereby declare that this research is free from any conflict of interest with any party.