The debate over the “hardest sport in the world” often sparks intense discussion, with many athletes choosing to tread carefully. However, Frances Tiafoe took a bold stance. In a video from five months ago, he unequivocally asserted that tennis is, without a doubt, the toughest sport. He backed up his claim with compelling reasons, making a strong case for his position.
“A 100%. Tennis is the hardest sport in the world.”
Tiafoe explained that tennis is all about constant movement and unpredictable timing. There’s no clock to manage, no timeouts to lean on. You’ve got to be on your toes at every moment, reacting to fast serves, tricky spins, and whatever your opponent throws at you.
One moment you’re returning a blistering serve, and the next, you’re chasing down a delicate drop shot. It’s this continuous unpredictability, the need for split-second making, and endless rallies that are what, in his eyes, make tennis so grueling.
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Tiafoe also pointed out that sometimes, it’s even the chair umpire’s calls that throw the players over the line and affect their game badly.
There’s no doubt that every athlete at the top level will think their sport is the hardest. When you’re competing at such a high level with the best of the best, countless challenges get thrown your way. All sports have their unique challenges.
However, as Tiafoe mentioned in the interview with Tennis TV, there is no time clock. A match could take hours to finish, as we have seen numerous times before. The longest match in tennis history has been 11 hours and 5 minutes. So, there’s a genuine reason why Tiafoe thought tennis was the hardest sport in the world.
Backing him up, fellow American, Ben Shelton jumped in with his thoughts.
Ben Shelton Agrees With Frances’ Take
American favorite Shelton highlighted the challenge of dealing with serves coming at you in all directions—a 147 mph flat rocket one moment, and then an 85 mph kick serve jumping high the next. It’s the type of challenge that makes tennis unique in its difficulty.
It’s not just about the speed of the serve though. Players have to go through a very jam-packed schedule before the Grand Slams which they all dream to win. The back-to-back tours, traveling needing to rest but also wanting to practice takes a toll on them.
Recently, Iga Swiatek blamed her Wimbledon loss on fatigue too. After her win at The French Open, she believes that she did not get enough time to rest and fully recover, which affected her performance at Wimbledon. She also added,
“My tank of really pushing myself to the limits became suddenly empty. I was kind of surprised. But I know what I did wrong after Roland Garros. I didn’t really rest properly. I need to recover better after the clay-court season, both physically and mentally. Maybe next year I’m going to take a vacation and literally just do nothing.”
This makes us realize how mentally and physically taxing a sport can get and how recharging themselves is just as important as practice.
Shelton’s take adds weight to Tiafoe’s argument, showing how even the top pros struggle with tennis’s unique challenges. The different surfaces, constant changes in pace, and mental warfare with your opponent are what make the sport a true grind from start to finish.
