{
  "id": 6646040,
  "title": "What Makes Tennis One of the Greatest Games",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/what-makes-tennis-one-of-the-greatest-games",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-10T21:40:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Atlantic",
    "slug": "the-atlantic",
    "url": "https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/2026/09/tenis-history-greatest-games-sport/688587/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "This piece explores why tennis is considered one of the greatest games, drawing on an article from The Atlantic written 123 years ago. Back then, sports were viewed as serious undertakings with the purpose of cultivating manliness and channeling aggression. Football was seen as the most valuable game due to its inherent risks and demands for coordinated action, but tennis, being a more genteel sport, offered a different kind of strength. Arthur Stanwood Pier wrote that while tennis did not have the same level of danger as football, it provided a way for men to develop attributes of peace, such as steadfastness, better temper, and a kinder heart. The article highlights how modern tennis matches, with their speed, power, and fluid coordination, still embody these qualities, and concludes with the simple pleasure of the game.",
  "summary": "It wasn’t always regarded as the intensely athletic sport that it is.",
  "key_points": [
    "Tennis is considered one of the greatest games due to its cultural significance.",
    "Arthur Stanwood Pier argues tennis cultivates peace and gentlemanly attributes.",
    "Modern tennis matches retain qualities of steadfastness, temper, and kindness."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}