Posts by George Robinson43

darkjackal70 said:Everything is fine, but the level of competition and how much harder it is to succeed in tennis compared to handball—mainly due to the sheer volume of players and competition... and just how many things have to align perfectly for you to win a Grand Slam, for example...

What kind of numbers or competition are we talking about?
It’s a simple fact: there are significantly more professional handball players than there are professional tennis players.
On the ATP rankings, you see 1,000 players listed. However, at least 600-700 of them aren't making a living solely from tennis; they might play a few Challenger events here and there, but you can't truly call them full-time professionals.
Tennis really boils down to about a hundred players, plus maybe five or six elites, and that's the whole game.

Handball is only disadvantaged because it isn't a staple in the US or the United Kingdom. That's why people often assume it sits below ice hockey in status, even though way more people play it and it has a much broader global reach.
Handball doesn't have its own NHL, so it gets pushed to the sidelines immediately, despite the reality being quite the opposite.

Today, handball is a team sport where, after soccer, you find the highest level of competition globally or across Europe. It stands shoulder-to-shoulder with basketball. There are at least 15 national teams out there that can beat anyone.
The EHF recently organized qualifying groups that proved even teams that previously struggled to qualify for major tournaments can now take down the heavyweights.
This clearly shows that the sport is experiencing massive expansion.

I’m not entirely convinced it’s actually harder.
Think about it: tennis players compete in a non-contact sport where active play accounts for only about 20% of their time on court. The remaining 80% consists of breaks between serves and games.
The only area where tennis players truly face a tougher challenge is playing under extreme summer heat during events like the US Open.
In contrast, in handball, you endure constant physical battering—broken bones, torn ligaments, and spine issues, much like what happened to Mocsai. You just don't see that level of impact in tennis.
You find that kind of grit in Australian rugby or similar contact sports.
Top-tier professional handball has evolved into a brutal sport. Even with elite conditioning, an athlete has to be ready for hands to the face, elbows to the ribs, grabbing, shoving, and praying they don't snap a bone. Then, just as they recover from Sunday's beatdown, they're back in the fray by Wednesday—and they repeat this cycle for 5, 10, or even 15 years.

Adam Collins4 said:There are recordings out there...

It’s just as heartbreaking for me that we won't get to watch legends like Coach K, Richardson, Smail, or Basich in action...

The list goes on forever... but hey, at least we have the game tapes!🙂

And don't forget the legendary Veselin.

🙏

Lisa Davis10 said:I honestly don't think either argument holds water:
by that logic, almost anyone could claim they belong in the Top 20 in tennis. And sporadic training sessions? No way.
Besides, there's a massive difference between being at 50% capacity because you have room to grow versus being sidelined by an injury that keeps you from playing at your usual level...

Ivo Karlović was ranked among the top 20 tennis players back in 2008.
Think about that: someone who occasionally struggled to just get the ball over the net, lacked a consistent coach for most of his career, and didn't exactly prioritize a disciplined lifestyle. There were even times he’d end up at a nightclub instead of catching a flight for a tournament.
That's a perfect example of how little "sweat equity" is sometimes required to touch the summit of tennis.
Nowadays, if you can just clock a serve at 143 miles/h, you're halfway there. Everything else is secondary.
Don't get me wrong—elite players certainly bleed during practice—but I don't see why success in handball is viewed as any less prestigious than success in tennis.
Is it perhaps because tennis carries more social prestige?
Maybe. But let's not forget that there are far more handball players globally than professional tennis players. It's simply a much more widespread sport.
On the flip side, no tennis player will ever experience what elite handball players endure: years upon years of physical punishment and brutal injuries.

Justin Thompson44 said:That’s exactly the point... succeeding in handball is much more attainable. I want to argue that if a player is even 50% ready, they can still be among the best in the world. In tennis, for instance, you have to constantly evolve from the moment you turn pro. But in handball, once you build up your strength around age 24, you're set; the marginal gains are small. Magic Johnson never misses a preseason camp and remains a top-tier talent. Tennis players simply don't have that luxury if they want even MINIMAL success...

In tennis, you could potentially break into the Top 20 just by having a killer serve and hitting the gym occasionally. ☕
In handball, being only 50% prepared leads to a total disaster, much like the embarrassment Magic Johnson faced at the SP.