Tough no longer playing (8)
I believe the answer is:
exacting
'tough' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'no longer playing' is the wordplay.
'no longer' becomes 'ex'.
'playing' becomes 'acting' ('act' can be a synonym of 'play').
'ex'+'acting'='EXACTING'
(Other definitions for exacting that I've seen before include "Demanding great skill" , "Strict, demanding" , "Requiring great effort - sounds precise" , "Meticulous" , "Requiring hard work and attention" .)