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Tennis vs. Pickleball: Opelka’s Playful Jab at Tiafoe’s Claim
American tennis player Reilly Opelka jokingly challenged fellow player Frances Tiafoe's claim that tennis is the "hardest sport in the world." Tiafoe emphasised tennis's particular demands, including the small ball size and unexpected match durations
Francis Tifaoe
American tennis player Reilly Opelka recently responded to French player Frances Tiafoe, who had brazenly proclaimed tennis to be the "hardest sport in the world," in a move that has the tennis world abuzz. Opelka's reaction? A lighthearted promotion of pickleball.
Tennis player Tiafoe, who is presently competing in the Mexican Open in Acapulco, was outspoken while addressing the difficulties faced by the game. He stressed the particular requirements of the sport in an interview with Tennis TV. Tiafoe declared, "It's the hardest sport in the world." He cited the small tennis ball, which demands precise hand-eye coordination.
"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 said.
Tennis is not a timed sport, and matches can last for a variety of lengths, as the former World No. 10 noted, making it challenging for him to explain the sport to others.
"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,'" he said. The unpredictability of the ball's movement, according to Tiafoe, makes playing tennis more difficult.
And then you know it's the uncontrollable movements, up and down, side to side. So it's tough and it's just you," Frances Tiafoe added.
Reilly Opelka, implying that pickleball is even more difficult than tennis, jokingly responded to Tiafoe's assertion by saying that pickleball will always be the hardest for him. Regarding Tiafoe, he has shown flashes of greatness during his 2024 season. He reached the semi-finals of the Delray Beach Open, which was his best performance. He also performed well in the Dallas Open and Hong Kong Open, reaching the quarterfinals in both competitions. His triumph in the Mexican Open opening round over Max Purcell of Australia further cemented his form.
With the pickleball joke going viral on social media, tennis fans are now anxiously awaiting Tiafoe's reply.
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