New York Times- Feb. 20, 2026

The Best Sports for Longevity

The case for tennis

Walking may be America’s go-to activity, but several studies have highlighted the benefits of tennis for longevity.

One study from Denmark found that tennis players lived almost 10 years longer than their sedentary peers — and longer than soccer players, swimmers and the other recreational athletes included in the analysis. Other research from Britain and the United States followed people for about a decade and found that playing racket sports was linked to a lower risk of death during the follow-up period than any other sport or form of exercise studied.