All That Racket: Everything You Need to Know About Tennis
A sport that’s equal parts mental and physical, tennis is beloved around the world for its strategy and intensity, but don’t be intimated if you’re just getting into the game. Although there are professional competitions and tournaments, tennis can be a simple, fun pastime for beginners. In this guide to tennis for beginners, we’ll teach you how to play tennis. Follow along to learn more about tennis rules and basics, how tennis scoring works, and more.
Tennis for Beginners: The Basics
Tennis is a racket-based sport played on a rectangular court made of clay, grass, carpet, or other materials. Its origins trace back to the 12th century when the French played a handball game known as jeu de paume (“game of the palm”). This evolved into a racket-and-ball game, becoming what we know today as tennis.
Tennis matches are usually played between individual opponents (singles) or pairs (doubles). No matter the type of match, the basics of how to play tennis remain the same: tennis players stand on opposite sides of a net in the middle of the court, using their rackets to hit a small, spherical tennis ball back and forth to play for points in rounds known as games. Games are played in groups called sets, with all play collectively known as a match. The person or team with the most points in a game wins the game, the one with the most points in a set wins the set, and the one with the most points in a match wins the match.
The Tennis Court
Tennis courts are often made of clay, concrete, asphalt, or grass. A standard court is 78 feet long and 26 feet wide for singles play, or 36 feet wide for doubles play. The lines on the court mark the baseline, service boxes, and center line.
Another court-based game is quickly on the rise. Find out why pickleball is so popular with our guide!
How to Serve in Tennis
Tennis matches start with a coin toss or racquet spin to determine what side of the court each player will play on and who will serve the ball. The serve is the shot that starts every point, with tennis players alternating serving turns each game. Players must successfully serve the tennis ball to their opponent in two tries by standing behind their baseline and hitting the tennis ball diagonally across the court into their opponent’s service box.
A serving player stepping over the baseline or hitting the ball into the net or out of bounds is known as a fault, which allows them to make a second attempt. If that happens again, it’s a double fault, and their opponent scores a point. Serve attempts alternate between both sides of the court.
How Does Tennis Scoring Work?
Once the tennis ball is served correctly, the back-and-forth begins. Players use a variety of shots to hit the tennis ball back onto their opponent’s side of the court. Common tennis techniques include:
- Forehand
- Backhand
- Serve
- Volley
- Lob
- Overhead smash
- Drop shot
The tennis scoring system is unique. If a player fails to return a shot, their opponent gets a point. Both single players and doubles teams start with zero points, also known as love. One point is called 15, two points are 30, and three points are 40. Four points, the number needed to win a game, are just called four points. There are various theories on how this unique scoring system started, but it has lasted for generations and is one of tennis’ most recognizable features.
Breaking Down Deuce and Advantage in Tennis
Another specialized scoring feature of tennis is called the deuce and advantage. If the score of a game is tied 0-0, 1-1, or 2-2, then “-all” is added to the point name, so love-all, 15-all, or 30-all, respectively.
What does deuce mean in tennis?
Deuce is when players are tied at three points. A 3-3 tie is also referred to as 40-all. At deuce, tennis players or teams must win two points in a row to win the game.
What does advantage mean in tennis?
The server winning the first point after the deuce is known as advantage-in (“ad-in”). If they also win the next point, the game is over, but if they lose, the game resets back to deuce. The server losing the first point after the deuce is known as advantage-out (“ad-out”), which forces them to win three straight points to win the game.
How to Win at Tennis
Players alternate between the two sides of the court after every odd game in a set (i.e., 1-0, 3-2, 5-0). To win a:
- Game: It takes four points.
- Set: It takes six games and a margin of at least two points. If players are tied 6-6, they enter a tiebreak game to seven points, which must be won by at least two, to determine a winner.
- Match: Matches are typically played in best-of-three sets, with a best-of-five set format used in some men’s professional settings.
Golf is another game with an interesting scoring system. For more information, check out our “Golf Basics for Beginners!”
Beyond Tennis Rules & Basics: More Sports Studying
Now that you know how to play tennis, sit back and learn about another court-based competition, basketball. With the season in full swing, our guide helps you get your head in the game before the big tournaments get underway. Check out our “Nothing But Net” breakdown today!
Tennis for Beginners FAQs
How many sets in tennis?
The number of sets in a tennis match depends on the level of competition. In most settings, matches are played best-of-three, with players needing to win two sets. In men’s singles matches at Grand Slam events like Wimbledon, matches are played in a best-of-five format, with players needing to win three sets.
How long is a tennis match?
Tennis matches typically take one to three hours depending on the set format, whether the match is televised, and if a tiebreaker game is needed.
What does walkover mean in tennis?
In tournament competition, a walkover is when one player automatically advances to the next round without competing because their opponent is unable to play due to injury, illness, or another issue.