Here are 10 reasons why tennis is the best sport there is:
1. It's a sport - this means that you will get a great workout. As a matter of fact, the more you focus on the details - be it moving your feet or bending your knees - the better workout you will get. In addition, the movement is multidimensional as is the range of motion.
2. In addition to athleticism, tennis requires strategy - both within in each point and throughout the match - as well as dexterity and mental toughness. Not only do you have to master strokes on all sides of your body, but you have to do so without being able to hold on to the ball or pass it to your teammate. Furthermore, a poorly executed offense (unforced error) is as costly as a poory executed defense.
3. You can play against your loved one as well as alongside him/her.
4. As an individual sport, it doesn't require anything more than 2 rackets, 1 ball (or a few) and 1 court. You don't have to get a group of guys or ladies together in order to practice. This virtually guarantees that you can always find a practice or a match without going through elaborate planning.
5. It is played on every continent. If you become half-way decent, you can find lifetime friends everywhere on this planet.
6. It is great therapy - do you feel like hitting something?! Hit a tennis ball! The best part about it is that after you hit it, it usually comes back; so hit it again!
7. The injuries are pretty minimal - normaly related to overuse. With proper training, even overuse injuries can be avoided.
8. It can be played on various surfaces - clay, hard, grass, carpet, dirt, artificial turf...even cow dung. Each surface requires a different range of skills. You add different conditons to the equation (wind, sun, humidity, tennis balls, slope of court, elevation, etc.) and you're virtually guaranteed to have a different outcome.
9. Practicing for tennis is fun. You can choose from doing moving drills to static, stroke production drills to points. If you're by yourself, you can play against the back board, use the ball machine or hit serves. Serving drills can be the most internally motivating activities you can do. You can practice target practice, speed training, consistency training, or a combination. You can go days without getting bored just by working on your serve.
10. You can choose your own schedule and coach. Unlike team sports that are dependent on the whims of a coach or program director, when it comes to tennis you can choose when and where you'd like to compete. In advanced levels, this means that you can play a tournament in US one week and in South America the next. You don't need to ask for permission. Just sign up and go.
So what are you waiting for? Grab a racket and go hit some tennis balls!!