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Basketball v Tennis - Which is Fitter?

Which sport, basketball or tennis, do you think requires the fittest athletes? It's hard to say as both sports demand high levels of fitness but in different ways. Our visitors could not split Michael Jordan and Pete Sampras, and we have another poll asking "Who are fitter - basketball players or tennis players?". Looking at overall fitness is a tight contest.

Tennis versus Basketball

The varied physical and mental demands make direct comparisons difficult, but we can break it down and compare each component of fitness.

Comparing Ratings

We use the ratings from users of this site to compare two sports. By comparing the current ratings for each component of athleticism, we can see which one is considered more important. To add your own rating, see the factors of success for Basketball and Tennis.

For each of the factors below, people have rated them between 1 for not important up to 5 very important. As you can see, although there are some similarities between the two sports, people have rated differently for many of these factors. What is the most important factor for one sport may not necessarily be the most important for the other.

The factors considered more important for basketball include body size and speed and agility. For tennis, speed and agility is also important, but body size not so much. See how they match up for each factor in the table below. As the rating is ongoing, the comparison may change over time. Remember this is just this website visitors' opinions.

This comparison will determine which sport requires a greater level of all round athleticism. The winner is based on head-to-head comparisons on a number of important factors of success in sport, as rated by you (see how the winners are calculated).

Factors of Success	Basketball	Tennis
Body Size and Composition Body size includes height, lengths and girths. Composition refers to the distribution of muscle and fat in the body.
Aerobic Endurance also known as cardiovascular fitness and stamina, is the ability to exercise continuously for extended periods without tiring
Strength & Power Strength is the ability to exert a maximal force, and Power is to do this in as short a time as possible, as in accelerating, jumping and throwing implements.
Speed / Quickness the ability to move quickly across the ground or move limbs rapidly to grab or throw
Flexibility the capacity of a joint to move through its full range of motion, which is important for execution of the techniques of sports
Agility the ability to quickly change body position or direction of the body
Balance & Coordination the ability to stay upright or stay in control of body movement is an important component of many sports skills
Reaction Time the ability to respond quickly to a stimulus
Analytic & Tactical Ability the ability of the mental system to evaluate and react to strategic situations (tactical ability)
Motivation & Self Confidence a motivated and focused athlete, with a level of belief in themselves, often seen as arrogance in athletes
Coping with Pressure Situations the ability to stay focused and perform up to expectations while under increasing pressure, and under changing conditions
Skill and Technique the specific skill set and technique required to be successful in a particular sport.

Related Pages

• Court vs. Court: Comparing the fitness of basketball and tennis players
• POLL: "Who are fitter - basketball players or tennis players?"
• POLL: Who is fitter between Michael Jordan and Pete Sampras
• More sport comparisons
• See also Basketball versus Netball head-to-head battle
• Suggest a battle

Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.