Why do people like watching tennis?

Question

Tennis does not require even close to as much athleticism and does not test all your athletic abilites as much as other sports like baketball, baseball, soccer, hockey, gymnastics, american football and rugby. The matches are way to long and really boring because all you are seeing is the same thing over and over again as the players hit a ball back and fourth versus in other sports you can see many different things happen ie in basketball a slam dunk, a jump shot, a cool dribble ect. Also in team sports many things are happening at once but in tennis only one thing happens at a time. You dont get to see really amazing shows of incredible athleticism like a slam dunk or homerun only something anyone can do hit a ball with a racket.

Answer 1

you need to go watch a professional tennis match in person sometime. trust me. you will not believe how hard they hit the ball, how scorchingly fast it travels across the net, how quick and athletic the players have to be just to get it back. the other thing you can't appreciate until you've seen some pro tennis live is how much spin they put on the ball and how much this truly outrageous amount of spin changes its flight path. so you have this blazing back and forth battle going on for dominant court position, the whole thing hingeing on split second decisions and quick hands and instinct. sadly, much of this is lost in tv viewing, so i think you ask a valid question. but once you've seen it live, and understand the pure velocity and power of the game, you will never watch tv tennis the same again.

Answer 2

Why would you ask this? Do you like altercations or are you really inquiring? If you really are that small minded, what's great about tennis is the different shots and angles you can make. It also does take athleticism, because you need to run, and run fast in order to have a decent defense. If you just want to say that tennis is just a ball going back and forth, so is soccer, it's just kicking a ball up and down grass trying to kick it in an oversized net. Baseball is the boringest thing ever since you have nine innings of pure nothing. Tennis just isn't interesting to you, but it is to others.

Answer 3

Im sorry but I disagree with you. tennis is an extremely physically demanding sport. I know because I've done gymnastics for the same amount if time as tennis and I find tennis the harder sport.
you need to have a lot of endurance for tennis. in soccer and basketball..etc there is a time limit and they know that they only have to go for 90 minutes but in tennis it could last up to 5/6 hours. it requires a lot of agility to run around that tennis court and A LOT of skill. and when you know all the rules of tennis...you find it far more interesting. I used to think tennis was boring as well until I actually watched it one day and started to learn the rules. you should do the same. you're insulting a lot of people by saying that it requires no athleticism.

Answer 4

Anyone can hit a ball with a racquet, sure. But, you should know all the other things that go into it too. It's not as easy as you think, and while I agree with you that other sports I play like basketball, soccer, etc. may require some more athleticism, you still can't be out of shape and expect to be good at tennis. The top tennis players have regular training, trained footwork, and the muscles they need in their arms and legs. -

Answer 5

It is true that tennis does not enjoy nearly as much widespread mainstream interest like the popular team sports do. And I don't think any amount of MTV-esque coverage is going to change that. The scoring can be hard to follow, and the subtleties are easily missed by those not really familiar with the game, etc. I suspect that those who enjoy watching also enjoy playing tennis, and so those fans understand the game's nuances and get a bit more out of watching it, and appreciate the shot making more, than your average person.

Answer 6

I watch tennis because I might learn something from the professionals. Just by looking at their forehand, backhand, serves, and etc. I can learn just a little on how to improve my tennis game. Sometimes, but not often, amazing points might happen during a tennis match. Amazing points such as between the legs returns; serves that go through the racket ripping its strings; a return that did not go over the net, but went in by going by the post; long rallies; and etc.. All the things I had mentioned had happened before. I just want to see more amazing points.

Answer 7

With all due respect I believe that you are mistaken about tennis players not being required to have athleticism. They need physical strength,coordination,suppleness,hand and eye coordination and endurance. Mentally they have to be able to withstand protracted stress that not only can drag out through 5 sets and up to 5 hours but lasts up to a week or more in the case of a Grand Slam like Wimbledon. It is also played on at least 3 different surfaces. Imagine a swimmer swimming in chlorinated water and then sea salt water two days later. . Or an NBA team playing one week on wood and another on linoleum etc etc.
I think what people enjoy most about tennis is the drama that drags out over a week at least ,much like a suspense novel. The ending is not always a foregone conclusion.
I certainly think the players have to use not only their athletic tallent and specialized skills but intelligent strategy too. And at least they do not wear ridiculous protective armour that makes them look like artificial hulking beasts!
(WHY ON EARTH DOES THE STUPID FILTER SYSTEM NOT ALLOW ME TO PUT THE SYLLABLE "-NESS" AFTER SUPPLE? DOES IT THINK THIS IS PORNOGRAPHY??)

Answer 8

Because we have the right to like a sport and watch it.

Answer 9

tennis is one of the toughest sports, even ahead from gymnastics and baseball etc(espn survey). also, try to play tennis and you would know that it is not that easy to learn. believe me..

Answer 10

If I compare you to Rafael Nadal, I think it's the tennis player who's more built.