BLOOMINGBURG, NY – Wow! That was some epic tennis match between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. 
It was one I was smart enough to stay glued to, even though there were no groceries whatsoever in my apartment. I was on my second cup of coffee when I picked up the Men’s Wimbledon Final at the start of the fourth set with Federer down two sets to one. A half hour later he’d be even at two. Sometimes you just know to watch historic sports events. There was no leaving this match. No way. No how. Grocery shopping could wait until the conclusion of this contest. After watching this five-hour exhibition, it got me thinking about today’s topic for debate: Who Are Today’s Fittest Athletes?
A strong argument can be made for the tennis player. They may not be the strongest or fastest but consider there are no substitutions in their sport. Like boxing, tennis is mano y mano. There is nobody to depend on but yourself. Sure, there are short breaks after so many service games when the players change ends of the court but the combatants are almost always in perpetual motion. They’re relying on their body in summer heat or warm weather locales. Conditioning, hydration and diet are most important in enduring tennis marathons like this one and without strict attention to these three areas the tennis player runs the risk of succumbing to cramping. The body is a temple to all athletes but we’ve seen 300-pound plus football linemen, portly MLB players, and the occasional round basketball player. When’s the last time you saw an out of shape tennis player? They are constantly on the run sideline to sideline sometimes during long rallies. Sometimes for five hours.
Hockey players spend less than a minute during a shift on ice and are then changed for reinforcements. The goaltender, with all his gear, is the only player on the ice for the whole game but there are ebbs and flows in hockey games where one team tilts the ice in their favor making for an inactive goalie.
There are three units in football: offense, defense, and special teams and they all rotate out after a period of time.
A few weeks ago, also in London, a five-hour MLB game was played but outside of the pitcher toeing the rubber all other position players caught a decent farmers tan waiting for the ball to be put in play. It’s not easy for a catcher to call a game during the dog days of summer but he’s not exactly moving anywhere near as much as the tennis player either.
Soccer players are in constant movement but they have teammates with which to pass and there is also a transition from offense to defense where not every player is included in the play.
Tennis is a country club sport played by the elite. They may not be the toughest physically – just don’t shortchange their mental fortitude, because they are the fittest of all sports stars.
Comment below and come tomorrow for a man fit to be tied, Benjamin Whitney.
