Tennis, often known as lawn tennis, is widely recognised as one of the most physically demanding sports available.
Tennis has produced a number of global icons throughout the years, including Rod Laver and Martina Navratilova, as well as Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams.
Every year, the four flagship tennis tournaments – the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open – provide high-quality action throughout the year, in addition to a variety of lower-level tournaments to keep fans involved.
Here’s a quick overview of tennis rules, how it’s played, and the scoring systems used in the racket sport.
Tennis accessories
Tennis ball: A standard tennis ball should weigh between 56 and 59.4 grammes and have a diameter of 6.54-6.86 centimetres, according to the International Tennis Federation (ITF). Most balls are yellow, although they should be yellow or white.
Tennis racket: A tennis racket cannot be longer than 73.7 cm or wider than 31.7 cm. The racket must have a durable frame enclosing strong strings, commonly made of nylon and interwoven in a crossing and bonded pattern, as well as a handle.
The player must hit the ball with the middle of the racket – the area with strings known as the hitting surface.
Tennis Instructions
Tennis rules and serve
A tennis match begins with a coin toss by the umpire. The player who wins the toss has the option of serving, receiving, or selecting the side from which to begin the match.
The serving player must stand behind his side of the baseline and inside the confines of the centre mark and sideline.
The server must toss the ball up with his non-playing hand and hit it with the racket before it bounces for a successful serve. To be considered a legal serve, the ball must cross the net and settle within the serving area, which is marked on the diagonally opposite side of the court.
Each player gets two serves every point. If a player strikes the net or the ball’s first bounce occurs outside the serving area, the server has a service fault and must serve again to start the point.
A foot fault occurs when the server’s foot touches the baseline or goes out of boundaries of the sideline, resulting in a second serve for the server.
If a player commits a fault on both his first and second serves, it is referred to as a double fault, and the receiving player receives the point.
However, if a player’s serve hits the net and lands within the serving area, the server will still have two serves to start the point. This is referred to as a let.
For each point, the server must alternate between the two vertical parts of the tennis court.
If the server lands a legal serve and the receiver is unable to return the ball, it is known as an ace, and the server wins the point.
Tennis point scoring
The server initiates any point, and it is the receiver’s responsibility to successfully return it.
When the serve is returned, the two players begin a rally, in which they trade shots back and forth across the net, as well as along the sidelines and baseline.
To win a point, a player must hit a shot either before or after the ball has bounced once. If the ball bounces twice, the last person to shoot wins the point.
A player must also wait for the ball to pass through the net and come over to his side of the court before hitting the ball.
When a game is finished, the server becomes the receiver and the receiver becomes the server.
In a doubles match, the receiving team selects the first receiver, and the two team members alternate receiving every subsequent point.
Tennis serves
Tennis players employ a range of angles, speeds, and techniques to either smash the ball in a specific direction or trick their rivals to win a point. The following are some typical tennis strokes:
Backhand and forehand
The forehand and backhand are the two most often used shots in tennis. A forehand is what is used when a right-handed player raises his right hand to strike the ball from the right side of his body.
A backhand occurs when a right-handed player crosses his right hand across his body to hit a shot from the left side of his body.
For left-handed players, the opposite is true.
The drop shot
A drop shot is when a player slows down his shot to land the ball just above the net and to the other side.
A drop shot is typically employed when the opposing player is positioned near the baseline and it is tough for them to recover a drop shot due to the distance involved.
Smash
A smash occurs when a player hits a shot with all of their strength, usually from above their heads, so that the opposing player is unable to reach the ball.
Slice
A slice is when a player cuts the ball with the racket facing the court at a cross angle. In general, the slice is employed to slow down the rate of a rally.
Tennis scoring method
To win a game, a person or team must score four points. Any game begins at 0-0, and the zero point in tennis is referred to as love. The following is the point progression:
The first point is 15
30 is the second point.
40 is the third point.
Game is the fourth point.
However, if both players win three points in a game (i.e. the score is 40-40), it is referred to as a deuce.
Following a deuce, the player who wins the next point has the advantage. If the player/team with the advantage wins the following point, the game is over.
If the opposition player wins the next point after advantage, the score is reset to deuce. To win a game, a player or team must win two consecutive points after deuce.
What is the best way to win a tennis match?
To win a game, a player must normally earn four points and a minimum of six games with a two-game difference to claim a set. To win a match, a player or team must win three sets (in a best-of-five set match) or two sets (in a best-of-three set match).
After the first, third, and every subsequent odd game in a set, players must switch ends. After a set is completed, the players switch ends.
If both players win six games in a row (6-6), the set advances to a tiebreaker.
A tiebreaker’s point progression is 1, 2, 3, and so on. To win a tiebreaker (and thus the set), a player or team must win at least seven points with a two-point margin.
If the tiebreaker score is 6-6, a player or team must win two consecutive points to win the tiebreaker and the set.
After the first point is played in a tiebreaker, the serve changes hands. After that, the serve is changed every two points. After the first six points, the players switch ends in a tiebreaker.
A tiebreaker can only be played in the first, second, third, and fourth sets (in a men’s singles match) and the first and second sets (in a women’s singles or doubles match) of a Grand Slam event.
If each player wins six games in the last set of a Grand Slam match, the match will be continued without a tiebreaker until one player has a two-game advantage.
Only at the US Open is a tiebreaker allowed in the last set. If each player has won 12 games in the previous set (12-12), the match goes to a tiebreaker.
A super tiebreaker is used in the final set of a doubles match. The rules of a super tiebreaker are similar to those of a tiebreaker, with the exception that the first team to win 10 points with a two-point margin is declared the winner.
In tennis, how many sets are there?
Men’s singles matches at Grand Slams are best-of-five sets affairs, whereas all other ATP Tour tournaments are best-of-three sets affairs.
Men’s doubles matches on the ATP Tour and Grand Slams are best-of-three sets, with the exception of Wimbledon, which is a best-of-five set contest.
All women’s singles and doubles matches in Grand Slams and on the WTA Tour are best-of-three sets.
Tennis courts: everything you need to know
Tennis Court
Because almost all tennis courts in the world are marked for both singles and doubles matches, separate sidelines for singles matches are drawn inside the doubles sideline markings.
This creates two lanes, each 1.37 metres wide and 23.77 metres long, on either side of the tennis court. The lanes are outside the playing zone in singles matches but inside the playing zone in doubles matches.
A 1.07-metre-high net is strung parallel to the baselines, which split the court into two halves. During a game, each team/player defends one half.
A service line is drawn 6.40 yards away from the net in each half. The service line, on the other hand, only extends to the singles sideline marking.
The midpoints of the two service lines are then linked by a vertical centre service line, forming two rectangular boxes, known as service areas, adjacent to the net in either half of the tennis court. During service, this area is critical.
A player in a tennis match must stand and serve from beyond the baseline. They can serve from either the left or right side of the centre mark (a small mark that plots the centre of the baselines).
To be considered a valid serve, the player’s serve must clear the net and bounce inside the diagonally opposite service area in the opposing half. Failure to do so is considered a flaw. Two faults in a succession result in a double fault and a point for the opponent.
It should be noted, however, that the service areas for both singles and doubles matches are the same and do not extend into the side lanes.
Additionally, the service regions are only active during the serve. All subsequent shots, including service returns, are lawful if the ball reaches the net and bounces for the first time inside the playing area.
If the ball crosses the net but bounces outside the service area without touching the opponent’s racket or body, it is called an out and the opponent receives a point.
Tennis courts are classified as grass, clay, or hard.
Tennis courts are classified into three varieties based on their surface: grass courts, clay courts, and hard courts. Each type of court has unique qualities that can have a considerable impact on the style of play and player performance.
Grass Tennis Courts:
- Grass courts are the most traditional and oldest form of tennis court.
- They are often made of natural grass, which necessitates routine upkeep such as mowing and watering.
- Grass courts are recognised for their speedy playing surface, with the ball bouncing low and skidding quickly after impact.
- Wimbledon, one of tennis’ most renowned tournaments, is held on grass courts.
- Because the surface encourages aggressive play, players who excel on grass courts frequently have great serves and exceptional net skills.
Clay Tennis Courts:
- Clay courts are built of natural materials such as crushed brick, shale, or sand.
- They have a slower playing surface than grass or hard courts because the ball bounces higher and slower on clay.
- Clay courts are often reddish-orange or green, with red clay being more frequent in Europe.
- The French Open, also known as Roland Garros, is the most well-known clay court competition.
- Clay court players typically have great defensive abilities, patience, and endurance, as the slower surface allows for longer rallies.
Hard Courts:
- Hard courts are formed of a solid, stiff surface, like as asphalt or concrete, that is covered with a coating of acrylic or synthetic substance.
- They are the most prevalent form of tennis court in the world, and can be seen in many leisure facilities and major competitions such as the US Open and the Australian Open.
Hard courts provide a medium-paced playing surface, with the ball bouncing predictably and consistently. - Players who can adapt their game to different types frequently perform well on hard courts, which provide a balanced blend of pace and bounce.
There are variations and subcategories in addition to these core court types. Some hard courts, for example, have varied cushioning systems to lessen impact on players’ joints, while some indoor hard courts have carpet surfaces.
Each tennis court has its own set of challenges and benefits, which can influence a player’s strategy and playing style. Tennis professionals frequently hone their talents on a variety of courts in order to become well-rounded players capable of thriving in a variety of situations.