Tennis is one of the most popular and physically demanding sports, as it requires not only stamina and power but also concentration, focus, and unwavering mental strength. Let’s start with the basics of the game.
The Basics
Tennis is played on a rectangular-shaped court with either two players (singles) or four players (doubles) on opposite sides of the net. The players only have one bounce after the ball has been hit by the player on the opposite side of the net. The ball must be within the boundaries of the court. If the receiving player misses the ball, their opponent wins a point.
During a game, players alternate serving from the deuce (right) and ad (left) court, starting from the deuce court at 0–0. Players switch ends after the first game, and then every two games after that (i.e., after the 1st, 3rd, 5th game, etc.), as well as every six points during a tiebreak - meaning they move to the opposite side of the net.
Game, Set, Match
The goal of tennis is to win points to win a game, win games to win a set, and win sets to win a match.
A game is played until one player scores four points; however, the point system in tennis is a little different from other sports. Instead of the usual scoring (1, 2, 3 etc.), tennis uses 15, 30, 40, and zero points is called love.
- 0 points = Love
- 1 point = 15
- 2 points = 30
- 3 points = 40
- Tied score = All
- 40-40 = Deuce
In tennis, a tied score (i.e., 30-30) is called all, while 40-40 is called a deuce. If the score reaches deuce, one of the players has to win the game by scoring two points in a row. If the player serving wins a deuce point, it is called Ad-In (Advantage-In); if the receiver (the player returning the ball) wins the deuce point, it is called Ad-Out (Advantage-Out). If the player with the advantage loses the next point, the score returns to deuce.
A set consists of games, and a player must win at least six games with a two-game lead to win a set. The player must win two games ahead to win the set (i.e., 6-4). If the score is 6-5, the player who has won six games has to win a seventh to win the set. If the player fails to do so and his opponent evens the score (6-6), they must play a tiebreak to determine the winner of the set.
A tiebreak is when players compete to first reach seven points; however, they also must win by at least two points (i.e., 7-5, 8-6). During a tiebreak, the usual tennis scoring is paused, and it is counted numerically: 1, 2, 3, etc.
A match is usually played as best of three or best of five sets, depending on the tournament. The player must win two (or three) sets to win the match.
In tennis, points can be scored through an unreturnable ball, an ace (unreturnable serve), a ball hit into the net or out of bounds, and a double fault (missing back-to-back serves).
Starting a Match
To start the match, the players and the umpire meet at the net for the coin toss. The player can then choose to either serve, receive, or pick the side from which they want to start. They can also defer their choice to their opponent, who cannot defer back. If the winner of the coin toss has chosen one of the options, their opponent has the remaining right to choose.
The player serving has to stand behind the baseline and must hit the ball across the net before it touches the ground. The ball must land within the area of serving, which is the diagonally opposite side of the court. If the player hits the net or the ball does not land within the area of serving, it is called a service fault, and the player gets to serve again. If the player’s foot touches the baseline or goes out of bounds on the sideline, it is called a foot fault, and the player will also get a second serve.
If the serving player faults their second serve, it is called a double fault, and the returning player gets the point. If the ball hits the net and lands within the area of serving, the serving player will also have another serve–this is known as let.
As you can see, tennis really is not just a test of athleticism – it's a game of strategy, skill, and staying power.
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