I think it depends on how invested you are to the game. When you don’t care about the teams, low scoring games lack the tension you’re talking about
Tennis is at the extreme end of high scoring and even watching matches you don’t care about between average players can be entertaining though not memorable. Longer term it’s only the truly exceptional games of any sport you’re going to remember anyway.
“low scoring games lack the tension you’re talking about”
I think that’s cultural/an acquired taste.
One could argue the outcome of high-scoring games is more predictable, making them less tense.
If, say, on average party A scores a point every minute and party B scores one every 40 seconds, party B will win almost every one hour game against party A (the expected outcome is 90-60), and each individual score is only marginally important. So, why would a spectator be enthousiast about a (missed) score after 20 seconds of play?
If, on other hand, party A scores a goal every 30 minutes and party B one every 20 minutes, party A has a much higher chance of beating party B in a one hour game, and each missed opportunity becomes a potential game changer.
In soccer, some of the most tense games end in 0-0, 1-0, or 0-1 (especially at major tournaments, where, often [1], each result counts)
In this regard, the most notable feature of tennis is that every match is a mini-tournament. It doesn't matter whether you lose the game 40-0 or after the 5th deuce point, you still just have to make up one game. Similarly, the score of the first set doesn't matter; only who wins. This periodic levelling of the score seems to make it more engaging somehow.
Personally, regardless of sport I only feel tension when I care about the winner. The game could be tied with seconds left to score and it’s no more intense than a pickup game between friends.
I feel the same. I watched (and enjoyed) lots of college basketball when I had roommates that were heavily invested in games' outcomes but never again since.
Tennis is at the extreme end of high scoring and even watching matches you don’t care about between average players can be entertaining though not memorable. Longer term it’s only the truly exceptional games of any sport you’re going to remember anyway.