When it comes to major sports in America, the first few that pop into your mind are probably football, basketball or baseball, not tennis. Tennis is a unique sport that people seem to confuse with an activity or a minor sport that holds little to no importance. The misconceptions about tennis are all fairly common amongst non-players, so here are a few of these debunked.
Is tennis really a sport?
First of all, tennis is easily one of the most popular sports in the world. Some of the most famous athletes of all time, such as Serena and Venus Williams, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, are all tennis players and make just as much money as the popular professional athletes in America. Secondly, tennis is unique because of all the variables tennis players have to face: weather conditions, speed of the court, the weight of the ball, racquet and string choice and mentality. Unlike many sports, tennis is a lonely game where coaching is prohibited, forcing these athletes to develop a stronger mentality for the sport than other sports that allow constant coaching.
Why is it important to be quiet during the points?
As previously mentioned, tennis requires a level of mental strength that other sports do not require, so during points players need to concentrate on the variables that are being thrown at them all at once. Making noise during points creates a hindrance, which is easily one of the most annoying scenarios to happen to a tennis player.
Why do tennis players grunt?
As true as this is, not every tennis player grunts. However, every tennis player exhales when they hit the ball, some just happen to exhale a lot louder than others. This allows for a better stroke and leads to better concentration when playing the game. Typically, whenever the grunt becomes louder, players are pushing themselves even harder during the point.
Is there a lot of running in tennis?
The majority of this sport is sprinting. Players will sprint from one end of the court to another in a matter of seconds. The court itself does not look that big, but the amount of back and forth and side-to-side running that is involved in this sport is beyond expectations. The entire game of tennis is a matter of millimeters, so it’s important to get from one end of the court to another as quickly as possible in order to recover for whatever shot the opponent will hit next.