Tennis is an incredibly popular sport across the world. Not only the sport has millions of fans around the globe, but millions of people play it on a weekly basis. It is not uncommon to see a 10-year old kid playing on a court right next to a 70-year old, which just shows that tennis is a very good sport for you and that it can be considered a lifetime sport.
There are several reasons why tennis is considered a good sport for you. It challenges you mentally, it keeps you in great shape, it awakens your competitive spirit, it can be a great networking tool, and it’s a great way to make friends.
If you have been playing tennis for a while, you’re probably aware of most of these reasons. If you’re just planning on getting started, you have a great journey waiting for you. I’ve been playing tennis for most of my life, and I can vouch for the fact that tennis is a life changing sport.
And here’s why.
It Challenges You Mentally
One of the most interesting aspects of tennis is how important the mental side of the game is. We’ve written a full article on How Much Of Tennis Is Mental, but just to give you a quick idea – it’s around 80%.
When you’re just starting to play tennis, your focus will mainly be on your strokes and on whether you’re hitting the ball or not. However, as you become more and more comfortable with the basic shots in the game, you will start to realize that there is so much to it than hitting the ball over the net.
Eventually, you will start to understand tactics, patterns, and strategies – which in my opinion is the most exciting part of the game. Understanding these aspects of the game is what will take your game to a whole new level.
While the mental aspect of the game is incredibly interesting, it is also extremely challenging. You need to learn how to deal with frustration, how to develop a plan B when plan A is not working, and how to act rationally even when you’re tired. And still, if you manage to learn these skills, they will be transferable to every other area of your life.
It Keeps You In Great Shape
Another reason why tennis is good for you is that it helps you stay in great shape. Playing tennis makes you burn calories, burn belly fat, increase your flexibility, improve endurance, and tone muscles.
The physical benefits of playing tennis can be enjoyed until your 70s and maybe even 80s, as the sport does not require any contact and it is quite gentle on your body. So if you use the right equipment and take good care of your body, you’ll be able to enjoy the sport until an advanced age.
Tennis is considered a great cardio sport, and as such can burn a lot of calories and help you lose that undesirable belly fat. We’ve written a pretty thorough guide that breaks down how many calories you can lose playing tennis and compares it to other popular sports, and you can check that out here – Is Playing Tennis Good Cardio?
It’s a Great Way To Make Friends
The third reason why tennis is good for you is that it can be an awesome way to develop great friendships. I’ve made friends from all over the world based on a passion we all shared: tennis. When you share an appreciation for the sport of tennis, there are several ways you can bond with people – whether that’s playing together in a league or watching a nail-biting Grand Slam final.
I’ve personally met people through tennis when I was 10 or 12 years old that remain good friends over 10 years later. For instance, I’ve known Karue (the Co-Founder of My Tennis HQ) for over 13 years!
It Awakens Your Competitive Spirit
While tennis is a great way to make friends, it is also a great way to exercise your competitiveness. In several areas of life, being competitive can be seen as something negative; yet we all have that desire to compete within ourselves. Tennis can be a great outlet for that inner competitive spirit.
Once you join a league, it is somewhat inevitable to become competitive with others – even if they are your friends. The good news is that competitiveness doesn’t mean that your friendships will be over – it can just be a way to motivate all players to become better.
It’s a Great Networking Tool
Finally, the last reason why tennis is a great sport for you is that it can be an incredibly powerful networking tool. People from all areas of life enjoy the sport of tennis, and that shared passion can open doors you wouldn’t see otherwise. Several CEOs and upper management professionals LOVE tennis, and playing alongside them at your local club can help you develop a relationship with them, and eventually lead to an interview for a job you dream of.
The great thing is that networking happens very organically in tennis. When you first meet someone on a tennis court, all you have to go off of is how good of a player the other person is. That helps to level the playing field, and you meet people from a player-player perspective as opposed to an employer/employee one.
Final Thoughts
While there are a lot of popular sports out there that can bring you great benefits, I strongly believe that tennis is one of the best (if not THE best) sports you can play. It can bring tremendous benefits to several areas of your life and make you feel better physically, emotionally, mentally, and socially. Us at My Tennis HQ have all been extremely blessed to learn tennis from a young age, but it is NEVER too late to start learning the sport. If that’s something you are considering doing, we have written an incredibly helpful guide on Learning How To Play Tennis, and you can check it out here.