Unparalleled: Why tennis players are the best athletes in the world and there is no debate

Andy Roddick recently reignited a timeless debate on his podcast Served: which athletes in professional sports are truly the best? While many perspectives exist—often shaped by subjectivity or creativity—an objective, fact-based lens narrows the field dramatically. In reality, no other athletes compare to professional tennis players in terms of overall athleticism. Period.

As a loyal listener and fan of Andy’s podcast, I admire his authenticity and insight. He’s refreshingly honest and deeply knowledgeable about the game. That said, I found his take on the “best athlete” discussion a bit too diplomatic. He agrees tennis players are at the top, but stops short of making the definitive case. I won’t be as cautious. I’ll break down every aspect of what defines an elite athlete and explain why tennis players meet—and exceed—those standards like no others.

So let’s explore, with data and logic, why the debate over the world’s best athletes isn’t even close.

The Physical Tale of the Tape

Speed

If you can’t reach the ball, you can’t play the game. It’s that simple. Speed, quickness, and balance are foundational to tennis. Players must move laterally and vertically with explosive agility over a 78-foot-long and 27-foot-wide (singles) court. The short-burst speed required is unmatched in other sports. Tennis demands the acceleration of a sprinter and the control of a gymnast—all while striking a ball with precision.

Power

Tennis players routinely generate serves upwards of 130 MPH and groundstrokes over 100 MPH. This takes significant strength from both the upper and lower body. Without elite-level power, players simply cannot compete at the highest level.

Hand-Eye Coordination

Hitting a baseball is often cited as the hardest skill in sports. But tennis players face comparable challenges—reacting to serves and shots with a similar velocity, but with greater variability in spin, trajectory, and location. A returner must adjust to an ever-changing “strike zone,” move their feet accordingly, and still execute a perfect shot. Add volleys, drop shots, and passing shots to the mix, and it’s clear: hand-eye coordination in tennis is second to none.

Agility

Tennis players must start, stop, pivot, and sprint in multiple directions—often within the same point. Navigating tight angles and explosive recovery steps, their footwork is a masterclass in athletic adaptability.

Endurance

There is no game clock in tennis. Matches can stretch well beyond five hours. At Grand Slam tournaments, men must win seven best-of-five-set matches to lift the trophy, often logging 50+ miles of running across two weeks—while playing solo, in extreme conditions, without timeouts, on-court coaching, or substitutions. No breaks. No relief. Just you and your body, round after round.

Recovery

Tennis players serve over 150 times in a single match—comparable in motion and force to a baseball pitch. Yet, unlike pitchers, they don’t rest for five days. They also run 4–7 miles, return another 150+ serves, and hit 250+ high-velocity groundstrokes—all within the same match. Then they repeat it 24–48 hours later. There’s no sport with a shorter physical recovery window for such sustained intensity.

Balance & Flexibility

Tennis requires full-body coordination. Players must remain balanced through awkward positions, lunges, and rotational movements, often while absorbing or generating explosive force. Injuries like torn ACLs or rotator cuffs—common in other sports—are rare in tennis. That’s not luck; that’s elite conditioning and body awareness.

Aerobic & Anaerobic Fitness

Tennis demands a rare combination of aerobic stamina and anaerobic explosiveness. Players sprint for short bursts dozens of times per point—then do it again, and again, for hours. With only 25 seconds between points and no substitutions, tennis players must regulate heart rate, control breathing, and maintain energy output like no one else in sport.

Mental and Emotional Hurdles

Emotional Regulation

Tennis is emotionally brutal. You’re expected to keep your composure, even when things spiral. Lose your cool, and you’re penalized. There are no teammates to vent to, no huddles to regroup. You must manage frustration, pressure, and nerves in real time for 3–5 hours. That kind of emotional control is extraordinarily rare.

In-Match Strategy and Problem Solving

Tennis is like chess played at 100 MPH. Players constantly analyze their opponents’ weaknesses, adjust strategies, and tweak patterns—all without a coach in their ear. There are no play calls from the sideline. You draw the play, execute it, evaluate, and repeat. The mental burden is staggering.

High-Stakes Moments

Every point in tennis could be decisive. Momentum swings rapidly, and players must reset mentally in under 20 seconds—hundreds of times per match. Unlike other sports, there’s no break between plays to regroup. Players face pressure situations repeatedly, with only themselves to rely on.

Only in Tennis

Individual Sport Challenges

In team sports, there’s shared responsibility—and fallback options. In tennis, it’s one-on-one. There’s no hiding. No deferring to teammates. If you’re off, tired, or injured—too bad. Figure it out, or you’re out. Mental toughness is not optional; it’s mandatory.

No Offseason

Most pro athletes get 3–6 months off. Tennis players don’t. The sport runs year-round, with majors in January, May, July, and September, plus year-end championships and team events. There’s no “get back in shape” period. You stay ready, always.

No Physical Teammates

If you’re not at your best on match day, you still have to compete. There are no pinch-hitters, relievers, or backups. No substitutions. You’re expected to win—or go home.

Changing Surfaces

Grass. Clay. Hard court. Each surface demands different footwork, timing, and strategy. No other athletes adapt their style of play so drastically week to week. It’s like a football team changing playbooks every Sunday. Only golfers face similar course variability—but let’s be honest, golfers aren’t running 7 miles or hitting 100 MPH backhands.

No Time Limit

Football: 60 minutes. Basketball: 48 minutes. Soccer: 90 minutes. Tennis? No limit. Matches can go as long as it takes. You can’t run out the clock. You must win the final point. That constant pressure—both physical and mental—is a unique hallmark of the sport.

No Halftime or Timeouts

Other sports offer scheduled rest, recovery, and coaching. Tennis players must solve problems mid-point, mid-set, mid-match—with no help. You don’t get 30 minutes to regroup at halftime or a timeout to stop momentum. Adapt or lose.

Conclusion

I have immense respect for Andy Roddick—both as a player and as a podcast host. He’s sharp, honest, and endlessly entertaining. His humility and sense of humor make Served one of the best listens in sports media. That said, I believe he was overly generous to other athletes in his “best athlete” debate. There really is no debate.

If you want even a glimpse of what it takes to compete in world-class tennis, go watch the final set of the 2024 French Open men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. It was the fifth set — that’s after four grueling hours of elite-level play.

Now, look closely.

Watch their serves — still clocking elite speeds. Watch their footwork — still razor-sharp. These two were essentially running a triathlon, except it was one-on-one combat. No teammates, no timeouts, just pure physical and mental warfare, all while executing some of the most complex hand-eye coordination challenges in sports history.

That right there tells you everything you need to know.

Still not convinced? Then follow Deion “Prime Time” Sanders. Next to Bo Jackson, he’s arguably one of the greatest athletes of all time. He recently picked up tennis. Ask him how easy it is. Ask him how it compares to football and baseball — two sports he dominated. You might be surprised by his answer.

Bottom line: this isn’t up for debate. But if any former or current athletes from other sports want to challenge this take, let’s do it. We can settle it on Served or the Florida Tennis Podcast — live, unfiltered, and face to face.

Tennis players aren’t just great athletes—they are the best athletes. In every measurable category: physical, mental, emotional, and strategic. No sport demands more across more disciplines, and no athletes deliver more consistently without the benefits of teammates, timeouts, or time limits.

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About the Author: David Weiss is a former Division I college tennis player (University of Connecticut) and a former participant on the ITF Satellite Tour. Following his collegiate and professional playing career, David spent 25 years as a senior executive in the sports media industry, holding leadership positions at SchoolSports Inc., ESPN, USA TODAY Sports, and live sports streaming provider FloSports. [Photo credit (top): Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour.]