[JennyS]

Tennis seems like the mentally toughest sport to me. Over the years several players played with confidence, only to lose it and go into a slump. I think tennis players really do have it tough for the following reasons:

1. There's no clock. How many times do you see football games where teams can just run out the clock and the game is over. You can be up 6-0 4-0 and still lose. You have to be focused the whole time

2. There's no coaching. In so many sports, when teams are struggling, the coach calls timeout to tell the players what they are doing wrong. A tennis player is on their own. Even golfers have a caddie to help them with shot and club selection.

3. Every match is so meaningful. In team sports, losing one game means losing one game. In tennis, you lose one match and it's better luck next tournament

4. Defending points-a lot of players get really tight in matches where they defend big points.

5. Momentum can change so quickly and every point counts for so much (how about those games go to deuce 10 times!)

6. There are no teammates (except Davis and Fed Cup). You can't call in Mariano Rivera to close out your match

There are many other reasons of course why tennis is such a mentally tough game.

 

[Jen'sFan]

I think it is. Its probably more mental than anything for the top few players. You can see which ones are mentally strong right now - Serena, Justine and the ones who are not - Kim, Jen. Some players personalities let them down.

 

[bracey]

I think it's so difficult to say but the most stressful is football, I think.

As for being mentally tough, I'd have to agree with tennis, although Formula 1 and its repetition can be challenging to concentration levels.

 

[Volcana]

Kick-boxing is a MUCH tougher sport mentally. In fact, virtually any knid of combat sport is. In combat sports (boxing, kick-boxing, shoot-fighting, UFC and the like) you have to stay mentally focused while suffering physical damage. You have to also execute with the knowledge that even WITH proper execution, you're going to experience pain. WIth IM-proper execution, you may get knocked unconscious, or have a bone broken or suffer internal injuries.

Yet, if you fight with intelligence, planning and execution, most of those untoward outcomes can be controlled.

Kick-boxing is technically more difficult than tennis, physically more demanding and MUCH riskier. And failure to maintain mental focus doesn't just mean you lose. It means you get hurt.

 

[bandabou]

Yeah....this sport is really though. If your nerves turn jello, it´s goodbye! That´s why it isn´t really about who can hit dropshots, slices, and stuff, but who can win the big points that wins.

Jana Novotna, Hana Mandiklova, et al......very talented, but couldn´t hold their nerves enough and ended up winning less slams that players with "less" talent won.

The same with Anna K.

 

[LeonHart]

Badminton is worse, because its the same as tennis, but the scoring goes by each point, not by every 4 points. So things can really get ugly if you have a lapse or something. (speaking from personal experience )

 

[*JR*]

Golf could be in that many "big hitters" like John Daly can't sink key putts. In basketball one has to focus on the shot while airborne with another player obstructing your view. In baseball, will the pitch be a called strike three if you let it go; if you think so, where in the strike zone will it get to when? In hockey, sloppy puck handling can lead to the other team getting a good scoring chance. In football, a receiver has to focus on and catch a pass down the middle knowing a safety is about to unload on him as soon as he touches the ball. (And so on). So performing under pressure is what any competitive sport is all about.

 

[Paneru]

I'd say figure skating.

Figure Skating: no coach, not time out's, you and the ice.
Landing on 1/8 of a 1 inch blade. One mistake and gold can be gone.
I'd say that for skaters the Olympics is the toughest. You train four years for roughly six minutes on the ice that can define your entire career.

 

[shap_half]

Gymnastics - when people get rowdy there is no one there to say that need to stop. And your coach can't even cheer you on. Not even a "let's go!" or the gymnast gets a deduction. You performing by yourself, you don't get to hit your mental problems out and there is lesss margins for error.

 

[Martian Willow]

...although I generally agree with the first post...I'm a firm believer that what makes it hard to achieve success in a sport is the depth and quality of the competition...ie it's not what you do, it's how well you do it...tennis is the biggest sport for women...so...

 

[DEETHELICK]

I'd say its up there as being one of the most mentally toughest sports.

To put it simply in my logic, once the player takes the court, he/she has a 50/50 chance to win, and that is largely dependent on what comes off their racket. To have ton mentally construct points, stay positive when down, having the mentality to go for a big shot at the right (or even wrong) time, etc. all display the different mental challenges a tennis player has to come through.

I also believe that defending points is one of the toughest things to do, as even before you enter a tournament, that pressure is already bestowed upon you.

 

[propi]

No way!!!!!!
Cyclism in way much harder and the prizes are smaller, the doping control is a nightmare and if it rains they don't cancel the race

 

[Yoel etc.]

I agree with propi

Cycling is the toughest. Try and watching one day in the Alps at the Tour and you'll see it yourself.

 

[Martian Willow]

...it says mentally toughest...

 

[Yoel etc.]

...it says mentally toughest...

And that is what I meant

 

[gomezlf]

I think golf is the thoughest mentally sport, but tennis is quite hard too.

 

[RAA]

lots of good contenders..
tennis and golf are right up there.
figure skating is a bit brutal in that really careers are made at the olympics and to a lesser extent at the world championships. you get basically ONE performance every four years (two for the world champs I think) that is crazy pressure. and when you fall, you gotta get up and skate the rest while knowing you have just blown it.

cycling is both physically and mentally right up there.

lets face it, competitive sports are probably more about mental strength that most people imagine.

 

[Joseosu19]

How about swimming and distance running?

 

[mexicotrip]

you have to be mentally tougher in table tennis. 10 mintues and you could be down 2 sets to 0