Home advantage can be significant if the player/team has the skill to win the match in the first place. For example, in NBA, Golden State Warriors were ranked #1 during the regular season & the Philadelphia 76ers were dead last. While the 76ers were far less talented, they still had respectable amount of skill to compete in the league & made games very interesting in their home court. They failed to beat the Warriors, but the match was decided in the last minute. Away from home, the 76ers got completely obliterated. So to conclude, home advantage can be a powerful thing, but the athletes competing still have to have the skill/drive needed to overcome other obstacles.