Frances Tiafoe ended up in tennis by chance, and it's a decision he doesn't regret, but sometimes it's really tough.
Tiafoe didn't grow up wanting to play tennis, but his father worked at a place where tennis was being played, so he picked it up quickly. It proved to be a wonderful decision because the American would prove quite good at the sport, and he's now a professional player.
Still, there are some things that Tiafoe doesn't like about tennis. He wouldn't mind if the sport was a bit easier to play because, in his mind, it's the toughest one out there. Obviously, it's a subjective opinion, but he explained to Tennis TV ahead of the 2024 Mexican Open in Acapulco why he thinks tennis is the hardest sport.
"It's the hardest sport in the world. I still think it's the hardest sport in the world. Well A, the ball in comparison to other sports is very small. Your hand-eye [coordination] has to got to be very good."
Tiafoe made some good points, which were made by other tennis players over the years as well. It is a tricky sport, and then another factor is the fact that tennis players are rarely at home, and it just gets even worse.
"Then there's no clock. You know, it's not a timed sport. When those guys come to watch me, they're like, 'How long is a tennis match?' I'm like: 'Sh*t I don’t know, you never know. And then you know it's the uncontrollable movements, up and down, side to side. So it's tough and it's just you."
There are positive sides to it, of course, but we've seen a couple of notable players mention how they don't want their children in it, so that tells a story about how challenging it really is. But is it really the hardest sport out there?