Are Tennis Players Underrated In Terms Of Athleticism?

[Vragrant]

Its not exactly a niche sport, very popular worldwide, but you never really hear them mentioned among great athletes compared to other sports.

I was watching the Australian Open, and the speed/agility/hand eye coordination demands are truly intense.

Also you have to have an unreal anaerobic capacity. Some of these guys are out there playing high intensity for more than 3 hours! Over 3 hours running diving jumping serving and returning 100 mile/hr grenades.

[eriX]

is Federer not considered one of the greats in sport?

[B-Low]

Serena Williams is one of the more famous individual athletes in America (or at least she was at her peak). She's always in Gatorade commercials, on magazine covers, has millions upon millions in endorsements, and I'm pretty sure she's been nominated for/won Female Athlete of the Year multiple times

The big-named tennis players are always considered great athletes. Problem is tennis just isn't that popular so there's only a few that get mainstream attention

[mr.big35]

I have played tennis it takes a toll on your body especially on your fore arms.

[KevinNYC]

Its not exactly a niche sport, very popular worldwide, but you never really hear them mentioned among great athletes compared to other sports.

I was watching the Australian Open, and the speed/agility/hand eye coordination demands are truly intense.

Also you have to have an unreal anaerobic capacity. Some of these guys are out there playing high intensity for more than 3 hours! Over 3 hours running diving jumping serving and returning 100 mile/hr grenades.

The issue is agility and hand-eye coordination are vastly under-appreciated when people talk about athleticism. People talk about Wayne Gretzky as an amazing hockey player, but how many people talk about him as one of the most elite athletes ever.

[B-Easy8]

Pretty sure throughout the majority of the world people know that tennis players are elite athletes.

Some matches go upwards of 5 hours. To do that and still hit the ball that hard is ridiculous.

[sundizz]

Well, I think it is because their athleticism is not as important as their skill.

A very skilled tennis player will almost always put a beat down on an athletically superior opponent.

Basketball: 5'7 pretty skilled and normal athleticism vs. 6'5 barely any skills but athletic.

In a game of 5 on 5 (in an intramural leage) most times the 6'5 guy would be as useful if not more than the 5'7 guy. He could rebound, etc etc. As long as he is decent his athleticism and size completely negates the skill (up to some level).

In tennis any 5'7 guy with good skills would put a beat down on almost any less skilled opponent. As long as you can make it through the match without dying (you need endurance) it's your skill that usually sets you apart. Serve speed is as much about technique as it is any other physical skill.

[ArbitraryWater]

Rafa and Nole are easily two of the greatest, most well conditioned and fit athletes in sports...

[alenleomessi]

http://www.rogerfedererfans.com/forum/uploads/monthly_04_2013/post-25-0-05226000-1366537979.jpg

[Andrei89]

In terms of Stamina, Tennis players are the most elite athletes in the world. 5 hours of Sprints...

[mr.big35]

In terms of Stamina, Tennis players are the most elite athletes in the world. 5 hours of Sprints...
they would make good soccer players.

[Budadiiii]

In terms of Stamina, Tennis players are the most elite athletes in the world. 5 hours of Sprints...
That's a laughable statement... tennis players are no where near being the most 'elite athletes in the world' ...

[Andrei89]

That's a laughable statement... tennis players are no where near being the most 'elite athletes in the world' ...


The fk would you know about it...

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

[Budadiiii]

The fk would you know about it...

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:
Exactly what I thought... you just talking out of your ass per usual.

No one on planet earth thinks Tennis players have the best stamina of all athletes. :roll:

You've clearly never played sports.. have you? Or understand the dynamics of them.

Tennis players have the most stamina of all athletes. :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

****ing comedian you are guy.

[mr.big35]

That's a laughable statement... tennis players are no where near being the most 'elite athletes in the world' ...

can you play 5 hour long tennis match

[Budadiiii]

can you play 5 hour long tennis match
Herp derp can you run a marathon?

Herp derp can you cycle in the tour de france?

Why ask such a stupid question that gets you no where? And yes... I play tennis regularly... no where near as demanding as soccer, rugby, wrestling, running, swimming, cycling, etc..

Hell I have a tougher time playing pick up basketball games than I do competitive tennis matches.

If you think Nadal or Djoke are even close to being in the discussion of "most conditioned in the world" then you clearly don't have a clue what the **** you're talking about.

:facepalm

[Andrei89]

Exactly what I thought... you just talking out of your ass per usual.

No one on planet earth thinks Tennis players have the best stamina of all athletes. :roll:

You've clearly never played sports.. have you? Or understand the dynamics of them.

Tennis players have the most stamina of all athletes. :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

****ing comedian you are guy.

How can that be a laughable statement?

:lol :lol

They sprint around the court 5 hours long.

You are an idiot man.:oldlol: :oldlol:

[mr.big35]

How can that be a laughable statement?

:lol :lol

They sprint around the court 5 hours long.

You are an idiot man.:oldlol: :oldlol:

Also they have return more than 100 mph serve

[kentatm]

The big-named tennis players are always considered great athletes. Problem is tennis just isn't that popular so there's only a few that get mainstream attention


tennis is very popular

there are just no big time US born mens players right now.

get a couple of those and it will suddenly be on Sportscenter again.



Exactly what I thought... you just talking out of your ass per usual.

No one on planet earth thinks Tennis players have the best stamina of all athletes. :roll:

You've clearly never played sports.. have you? Or understand the dynamics of them.

Tennis players have the most stamina of all athletes. :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

****ing comedian you are guy.

Well I've played tennis, football, soccer, baseball, and cross country in competitive settings. Tennis requires a ton of endurance when you play somebody worth a shit. Only cross country and to a lesser degree soccer (depends on position) really compare in my experience.

[MavsSuperFan]

Back when American males dominated tennis, it used to be a bigger sport in the states. But American males have sucked in recent years.

[PistonsFan#21]

How can that be a laughable statement?

:lol :lol

They sprint around the court 5 hours long.

You are an idiot man.:oldlol: :oldlol:

except that they dont actually sprint for 5 hours...no one does.
A tennis match that goes 5 hours long is in the record range for longest tennis matches of all time. And im pretty sure that includes the breaks or time they take to switch sides, pick the ball, taking a breather while asking for ball boys to get their towel, etc.

Also a lot of points is just a back and forth exchange with someone committing a mistake. Having done boxing, soccer, basketball and tennis i can honestly say that tennis is amiong the one requiring the less stamina.

heres an example of a rally in tennis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLDm254jtZA

[bdreason]

They are elite athletes, and considered so worldwide. It's true the sport isn't exploding in the States, for obvious reasons, but worldwide it's extremely popular.

I'm not sure about calling the sport elite in regards to stamina. I played when I was younger and it was nothing compared to something like BJJ or Wrestling. I'm not sure it's even on par with Basketball if we're talking strictly a competitive environment. I never played Football or Hockey, but I've heard Hockey (skating) is actually the most demanding of the major sports.

[stevieming]

Personally tennis is above all - in my opinion technique and mental strength....

I would be interested if someone measured speed, acceleration, change of direction, strength and explosiveness, stamina amongst the top 50 in mens game to see what the differences are..I bet there wouldn't be a huge variance between the top 20-50, maybe not even that much between the top 10. (I know people bang on about Novak and rafa, but outside of those two....every player seems to be fit, well fit enough to hit a ball)

The mental game and aura a player can have over another is a huge part of tennis....Fed is suppose to be GOAT, but Rafa just owns him......much like Fed use to own Roddick....

Plus, it's one v one...the pressure to close out is immense, there's no clock to win the game for you, you have to beat your opponent...Lebron with his mental make up would be a piss poor player (2011 finals lebron), where Kobe with all his selfish flaws would probably be great...

Then the technique aspect, if you practice with the slightest incorrect swing, then all it will do is make it worse....there's more of a variance for technique in basketball or football....

[PistonsFan#21]

Personally tennis is above all - in my opinion technique and mental strength....

I would be interested if someone measured speed, acceleration, change of direction, strength and explosiveness, stamina amongst the top 50 in mens game to see what the differences are..I bet there wouldn't be a huge variance between the top 20-50, maybe not even that much between the top 10. (I know people bang on about Novak and rafa, but outside of those two....every player seems to be fit, well fit enough to hit a ball)

The mental game and aura a player can have over another is a huge part of tennis....Fed is suppose to be GOAT, but Rafa just owns him......much like Fed use to own Roddick....

Plus, it's one v one...the pressure to close out is immense, there's no clock to win the game for you, you have to beat your opponent...Lebron with his mental make up would be a piss poor player (2011 finals lebron), where Kobe with all his selfish flaws would probably be great...

Then the technique aspect, if you practice with the slightest incorrect swing, then all it will do is make it worse....there's more of a variance for technique in basketball or football....

Maybe im different but i always felt like you get less pressure in individual sports as opposed to team sports. If you fail in a tennis match it only hurts you. In basketball or any other team sport missing a shot hurts not only you but also all your teammates. Theres way more pressure to perform well in a team environnement, especially if you're an all star player.

Would you rather miss a game winning smash to win the wimbledon or miss the game winning free throw in game 7 of the NBA finals?

[Akrazotile]

They are not underrated as athletes.

The average tennis player is extremely athletic, and I think most people recognize that.

[Akrazotile]

Would you rather miss a game winning smash to win the wimbledon or miss the game winning free throw in game 7 of the NBA finals?



An alpha is more disappointed when he lets down himself than when he carries a bunch of scrubs to the very end but then can't manage to close it out "for them."

That's what an alpha do.

[PistonsFan#21]

An alpha is more disappointed when he lets down himself than when he carries a bunch of scrubs to the very end but then can't manage to close it out "for them."

That's what an alpha do.

so missing free throws isnt letting himself down? and closing out for who? you act as if the player isnt part of the team. Also theres no mention of scrubs anywhere in my post.

[Akrazotile]

so missing free throws isnt letting himself down? and closing out for who? you act as if the player isnt part of the team. Also theres no mention of scrubs anywhere in my post.


I was being half-facetious, but you mentioned an all-star feeling more pressure because his team is counting on him. If he's carrying them in the first place, he has no reason to feel bad if he falters other than the disappointment he'd feel in himself for not finishing the job. But he'd feel that whether it's an individual sport or a team sport.

He's disappointed in himself for not succeeding, not embarrassed because he didn't live up to the expectations of others. DATS ALPHA

[hateraid]

I played tennis and badminton all the way through highschool and it's definitely helped with my lateral speed in basketball.
Tennis requires great footwork, great flexibility, acceleration, endurance, and arm strength. It's a tough sport. I challenge any of you basketball players who think you got cardio for days to play more than 2 sets of tennis with a novice player.

[yobore]

Some top tennis players would have been near the top at any sports IMO. It's an interesting sport because it takes a ton of athleticism + high IQ + psychological endurance, and if you are missing any of them you will never be elite. Most tennis players are pretty well-rounded as far as athleticism goes.

In particular, I would have loved to see what Monfils could do as a basketball player seeing how he's got the crazy speed/agility/creativity combination. I've read that he would have been an Olympic 100m finalist-level type if he'd stuck with track. He's certainly got the showboating down.

As far as endurance goes it doesn't compare to running/cycling/etc. physically, but it's very different from other sports psychologically because it's 1v1 for 3-5 hours and if you lapse mentally you will lose fast. to the previous poster, on the lower levels of tennis it is not exhausting to play 2 or 3 sets. For most moderately conditioned people who have played a little tennis it's not too tiring. I mean there's 60 year olds everywhere who will play 5 matches in a weekend if there's a tournament. Of course the pros go at it 100% for the whole match so it's a different story.

[outbreak]

I'm still not really a fan but this year I've come around and I must say I was underrating them badly in terms of skills and athleticism. The length of play and the stop start change direction style of running takes it's toll. Really is an endurance sport

[Milbuck]

Tennis is ridiculously demanding at the pro level. Rafa and Novak have played a 6 ****ing hour match during one of the hottest times in Australia. And they weren't just running around, they were constantly hitting 90-100mph shots and 120+mph serves...for 6 hours. People like to ignore how incredible of athletes tennis players are because they're not beefed up like NFL players. If you've seen Nadal, Djokovic, or Monfils play live, their athleticism is just unreal.

[Myth]

Misread as "Are Tennis Players Underrated In Terms Of Atheism?"

Wouldn't have surprised me on ISH.

[imdaman99]

Would you rather miss a game winning smash to win the wimbledon or miss the game winning free throw in game 7 of the NBA finals?
That's crazy man. Depending on how good you are. If you're a scrub who knows that's the only time you will get back there, than that individual Wimbledon will do more for you than say a missed FT. Kawhi Leonard missed a FT in game 6 to clinch the series. He is young, he is on a good team, he could be back because he has great players on his team. Let's say Wawrinka missed the game winning smash, do you think he heals from that and gets another chance to win a prestigious Grand Slam that could net him up to 30 mill in winnings + millions in endorsements? I doubt it. More pressure to win an individual accomplishment, because he missed netting all that money + the prestige.

Andy Murray won Wimbledon last year and he's considered a god in the UK now. Sure it has something to do with him winning for England in general, but he will never have to pay for his own drink again.

I'd say they are crazy underrated. Nadal + Djokovic played a classic almost 6 hour match 2 years back :bowdown:

[dude77]

they are definitely underrated .. like someone else mentioned .. the 2012 aussie open final .. 6 hrs .. the two top players in the world smashing 100+ mph precision forehand winners, serves at each other for 6 hrs while running constantly back and forth, stop and go .. insane because it's not just the conditioning .. it's your mental strength .. keeping yourself focused and on point for that long while doing all that .. elite athletes either way you look at it ..

and for those who say .. well all matches aren't 6 hrs .. no they're not .. but any top level player is easily capable of going 5-6 hrs