Tennis or Basketball - Which sport is tougher and more physically demanding to your body?

[Madmick]

Basketball.

It's not close. Quite simply, landing after jumping (or falling from large heights) is by far the most stressful action in either sport. The force of impact your body sustains from your bodyweight after falling a mere 2 feet is astounding. Add to this basketball incorporates physical collisions between opposing players. Then there is the matter of volume. Running is another high-stress action, and basketball players average 2-3 miles (4-5 km) per game: ~50% more than tennis players per match on average.

 

[fijuviju]

Nice try smartass but I see no name listed. L response with deflections and lame attempts at an insult

I am just standing how clueless you are about tennis and basketball. It is not surprise. You're giving opinion about these sports through your personal experience. Basketball is more physical for you, so that must be a fact. Again, next time try to play tennis. Google what term unicorn means in sport. You are clueless about that too. Only L in this topic is you.

 

[MM808]

I am just standing how clueless you are about tennis and basketball. It is not surprise. You're giving opinion about these sports through your personal experience. Basketball is more physical for you, so that must be a fact. Again, next time try to play tennis. Google what term unicorn means in sport. You are clueless about that too. Only L in this topic is you.

Wow such an absurd and idiotic take filled with nonsense. I’d run circles around you in any basketball or tennis discussion so your take is laughable.

I also never based my judgement on my personal experience physically playing both, I just said I’m a fan and have played both lmao. You got all defensive and deflected by making insults instead of answering the questions I asked you so a true L for you. Again no other name listed so just stop responding to my posts and embarrassing yourself.

 

[fijuviju]

Wow such an absurd and idiotic take filled with nonsense. I’d run circles around you in any basketball or tennis discussion so your take is laughable.

I also never based my judgement on my personal experience physically playing both, I just said I’m a fan and have played both lmao. You got all defensive and deflected by making insults instead of answering the questions I asked you so a true L for you. Again no other name listed so just stop responding to my posts and embarrassing yourself.

Please find one insult from toward to you from my side. You being clueless about this topic is not an insult. I will try once again, Shaq > Serena ( the most physically dominant player on WTA) in terms of sheer physical dominance. Now please try with new question.

 

[MM808]

Please find one insult from toward to you from my side. You being clueless about this topic is not an insult. I will try once again, Shaq > Serena ( the most physically dominant player on WTA) in terms of sheer physical dominance. Now please try with new question.

No other name yet again. I’m done with your cluelessness

 

[MM808]

Basketball.

It's not close. Quite simply, landing after jumping (or falling from large heights) is by far the most stressful action in either sport. The force of impact your body sustains from your bodyweight after falling a mere 2 feet is astounding. Add to this basketball incorporates physical collisions between opposing players. Then there is the matter of volume. Running is another high-stress action, and basketball players average 2-3 miles (4-5 km) per game: ~50% more than tennis players per match on average.

It really depends on the parameters of the discussion like I stated earlier. One bball game vs. one match? A star player vs top tennis player compared athletically? Or just playing a pickup game or professional game? Lot of things to consider with the original broad question.

 

[fijuviju]

No other name yet again. I’m done with your cluelessness

Let me try with your stupid logic, no new question, what a L.

Who am I kidding, point > you. Even more than Shaq and Serena > rest of the bunch in terms of physical dominance. You must be a unicorn in terms of missing the point.

 

[fijuviju]

Basketball.

It's not close. Quite simply, landing after jumping (or falling from large heights) is by far the most stressful action in either sport. The force of impact your body sustains from your bodyweight after falling a mere 2 feet is astounding. Add to this basketball incorporates physical collisions between opposing players. Then there is the matter of volume. Running is another high-stress action, and basketball players average 2-3 miles (4-5 km) per game: ~50% more than tennis players per match on average.

It is hard to compare running in these sports. You have less space to run in tennis. But when you have to run it is more intensive in tennis, especially on clay. In basketball you are running in transition, some fast solo plays... Everything else is light running. In tennis you have to be fast, to know to slide, to change your direction quickly, plus you have to hit the ball.

 

[Madmick]

It is hard to compare running in these sports. You have less space to run in tennis. But when you have to run it is more intensive in tennis, especially on clay. In basketball you are running in transition, some fast solo plays... Everything else is light running. In tennis you have to be fast, to know to slide, to change your direction quickly, plus you have to hit the ball.

Sometimes. Sometimes tennis players are moving as casually as basketball players do off the ball. Both involve intense anaerobic bursts, and while tennis might have a higher average intensity, the point was towards volume. Volume is volume. It's a significant reason, perhaps the principal reason, why soccer players suffer injuries at a higher incidence than basketball players, for example. These may be minor injuries, and may be those without a specific cause, but it conveys the toll that volume of a high-impact activity like running takes on the body.

Furthermore, even if tennis averages a higher intensity, the lower average distance in their matches tends to be ran over a much greater period of time, so that intensity is offset by greater rest. And, above all, as I already pointed out, tennis lacks frequent leaping, and direct contact/resistance with opponents, which are already far more stressful to the body than whatever value one might argue is fairly assigned to a higher average intensity of sprinting.

 

[fijuviju]

Sometimes. Sometimes tennis players are moving as casually as basketball players do off the ball. Both involve intense anaerobic bursts, and while tennis might have a higher average intensity, the point was towards volume. Volume is volume. It's a significant reason, perhaps the principal reason, why soccer players suffer injuries at a higher incidence than basketball players, for example. These may be minor injuries, and may be those without a specific cause, but it conveys the toll that volume of a high-impact activity like running takes on the body.

Furthermore, even if tennis averages a higher intensity, the lower average distance in their matches tends to be ran over a much greater period of time, so that intensity is offset by greater rest. And, above all, as I already pointed out, tennis lacks frequent leaping, and direct contact/resistance with opponents, which are already far more stressful to the body than whatever value one might argue is fairly assigned to a higher average intensity of sprinting.

Tennis matches are 2+ hours. It is usually played outside, sometime temperature is unbearable, wind can make it harder. Tennis is played day after day, majors are every second day. NBA has regular season, so you can load manage. ATP pushes you play, you have to defend your points, have to play almost entire season on high level. NBA is more relaxed in that area.

Both sports have their tolls. Again it is hard to compare individual and team sports.

 

[Prefect]

Tennis matches are 2+ hours. It is usually played outside, sometime temperature is unbearable, wind can make it harder. Tennis is played day after day, majors are every second day. NBA has regular season, so you can load manage. ATP pushes you play, you have to defend your points, have to play almost entire season on high level. NBA is more relaxed in that area.

Both sports have their tolls. Again it is hard to compare individual and team sports.

Tennis is still a rich person's sport. The talent pool is so small that it never really gathers A Level athletes. Tennis players have shorter careers but I suspect A Level athlete could play a lot longer than what people normally do and if they load managed or reduced how often they played like the Williams sisters.

 

[SaiWa]

I feel like there is merits for both. We have to be talking about the upper echelon of both sports yes?

On average a basketball game would be tougher and physically more demanding on your body.

But if we are talking about worst case scenario then I think tennis might be more brutal. Imagine having to play a 5-setter against Nadal for more than 4 hours under a brutal Australian sun running and chasing tennis balls. Your dominant shoulder is blasting out 120+ MPH serves every other game, you are on the balls of your feet as long as the ball is in play, moving laterally side to side (or straight up running as fast as possible to reach the other side of the court) and every time you hit the ball you are twisting your body for maximum rotational racquet speed.

Although the idea of guarding a Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson or God forbid a Shaq might be as brutal as it gets.

 

[Madmick]

Tennis matches are 2+ hours. It is usually played outside, sometime temperature is unbearable, wind can make it harder. Tennis is played day after day, majors are every second day. NBA has regular season, so you can load manage. ATP pushes you play, you have to defend your points, have to play almost entire season on high level. NBA is more relaxed in that area.

Both sports have their tolls. Again it is hard to compare individual and team sports.

Basketall games last about 2 hours on average, technically. Only 48min is gametime. Similarly, most of tennis matches is just standing around between serves/volleys.

I'm not buying that the tennis season is more grueling. Rafael Nadal first played in 2002, but only once, he really got going in 2003. He's played 1,284 matches during that period. That comes out to 67.6 matches per season. Djokovic is a little bit higher, but about the same (~72.5 per year).

Lebron James came into the league in 2004. He has played a sum total of 1,701 regular season and postseason games. That's 85.0 games per year. That also doesn't count preseason games, Olympic/Team USA games, or exhibition games (ex. All-Star weekend games, summer league games, oversea international games in China or Europe to promote the league, etc.).

 

[fica]

Tennis matches are 2+ hours. It is usually played outside, sometime temperature is unbearable, wind can make it harder. Tennis is played day after day, majors are every second day. NBA has regular season, so you can load manage. ATP pushes you play, you have to defend your points, have to play almost entire season on high level. NBA is more relaxed in that area.

Both sports have their tolls. Again it is hard to compare individual and team sports.

tennisis just harder. no letting down in game or feeling like nothing is going for me let me take a break and sit on bench or pass the ball to somebody else or this guy is killing me let me double team him. no stuff like that in tennis you on your own game 1 minute 1 or set 5 in hour 4

 

[ferrisjso]

It's tennis. Your typical tennis player is considered older by their late 20s which is considered an NBA players prime or even before their prime.

The big 3 managed to last into their late 30s and there were always some unicorns who could stay good into their 30s and even 40s(Ken Rosewall comes to mind). This is not the way it typically goes.

 

[HereticBD]

Basketball is definitely tougher from a physical standpoint, but Tennis is no slouch in the endurance and conditioning areas.

 

[Area809]

tennis much more tougher on body especially if game is long or set is long,no breaks no time outs you on your own have to get it together if other guy is returning every shoot and you got to dig deep

But it is? Have you seen some of these old NBA players trying to move around?

 

[fica]

But it is? Have you seen some of these old NBA players trying to move around?

Like I said in other post nba player can ask for help(double team) the player to take the load of him so to speak tennis player has to manage long by him self and if match is 2 or more hours you got to be in tip top shame mentally and physically.you just have to be in much better shape playing sports with limited subs like soccer and individual sports like tennis more then unlimited sub sports like nfl and nba

 

[Madmick]

Like I said in other post nba player can ask for help(double team) the player to take the load of him so to speak tennis player has to manage long by him self and if match is 2 or more hours you got to be in tip top shame mentally and physically.you just have to be in much better shape playing sports with limited subs like soccer and individual sports like tennis more then unlimited sub sports like nfl and nba

If a teammate is called in to double team, that teammate has increased his own workload. Because teammates exchange roles for any given play. Meaning, the guy who was helped with later help with a play. That "help" didn't come from the ether. The helped need a helper.

Math is hard.

 

[Area809]

Like I said in other post nba player can ask for help(double team) the player to take the load of him so to speak tennis player has to manage long by him self and if match is 2 or more hours you got to be in tip top shame mentally and physically.you just have to be in much better shape playing sports with limited subs like soccer and individual sports like tennis more then unlimited sub sports like nfl and nba

You obviously have never played a second of competitive basketball at any level. If you can admit that, we can end this debate.