Having some banter with a friend recently about the toughest sport to take part in and that got me thinking. I am not really a tennis fan and will pass on watching it anytime but I do believe singles tennis is perhaps the toughest sport (or maybe cycling- Tour de France?). The physical endurance and psychological test it puts on players can be quite astonishing especially when you think of the Grand Slam tournaments that can last for up to six hours (one Wimbledon match was about 10 hours I think). It is purely gladiatorial insofar as pitting 1 against 1 with no team mates to assist. Furthermore its not just the technique (preparation, timing, footwork, good technique on the forehand, backhand, volley, serve) that most makes tennis so difficult, but rather, it's the mental aspect. If you lose heart after a dropped game or set then your likely to lose the whole match so one has the physc themselves up again and again and conquer that initial disappointment. The concentration and physical stress as the body has to stop start stop start for each serve or return means you have to be at the absolute peak of fitness throughout the season. What do you think ?