Are you new to the game of tennis? Well not to worry, we have you covered. We’ve put together a great guide covering the most important rules of tennis, from the basics to some of the rules that even some of the pros might not know. So what are the rules of a tennis game?
The basic rules of tennis
In a game of singles, 2 players play against each other.
Each tennis player stands on opposite sides of the net and uses a tennis racket to hit the ball back and forth.
The point starts with one of the players performing a serve, and the other player attempting to return the serve.
A serve must bounce in the service box before it can be returned.
If the server misses the service box, this is considered a FAULT. In this case, the player has a second chance to put the ball in play. This is known as a SECOND SERVE.
If the server misses the second serve, this will be classed as a DOUBLE FAULT and the server will lose the point.
If the serve hits the net cord and bounces inside the correct service box, this is called a LET and the serve is repeated.
If the opponent fails to return a valid serve, the point goes to the server.
Once in play, each player will attempt to win the point by keeping the ball within the court and preventing the opponent from getting the ball back or forcing them to make a mistake.
The point will end when someone misses the ball, hits the ball out of the court or into the net, or the ball bounces twice.
If the ball hits the net cord and bounces over the net (on the correct side), the point continues.
When in play, the player cannot touch the net or net post, or cross over onto the opponent’s side of the court. If they do, this player will lose the point.
A player can only hit the ball once before returning it to the other side of the net.
The boundary lines of the court are considered part of the court. If a ball hits the line, it is considered to be IN.
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Tennis Scoring
Game
A standard game consists of a minimum of 4 points. The score of the server is called first, and goes as follows:
No point = “Love” | First point = “15” | Second Point = “30” | Third Point = “40” | Fourth Point = “Game”
For example, if the server wins the first point, the score is “15 – Love”. If the receiver wins the first point, the score will be “Love – 15”. The game is won when a player wins 4 points with at least 2 clear points. If each player wins three points, the score will be “40-40”. This is known as “DEUCE”. After Deuce, the score will be “ADVANTAGE” to the player who wins the point. If that same player wins the next point, they will win the game. If they lose the point, the score will return to Deuce.
Set
A Set consists of 6 Games and is won by the first player to reach 6 games, with at least a 2 game lead.
At the start of a set, Player A will serve for the duration of the first game. The players will then switch ends of the court, and Player B will then commence serving. After this, the player will continue to switch ends every 2 games.
If a set goes to 5-5, the set will be extended to 7.
If the set reaches 6-6, the winner of the set will be determined in a “Tie break”.
Tie Break
In a Tie break, a player must win 7 points with at least a 2 point lead. The first player to win the 7 points, provided there is a margin of two points over the opponent, will win the Tie break and the Set. Regarding the serve, Player A will serve for the first point, with the serve alternating every two points after that.
Match
A regular match will usually be played to the best of 3 sets, with either player requiring 2 sets to win the match.
The format/length of a match will depend on the event played. In professional matches, men’s and women’s matches are played to the best of 3 sets.
However, certain events on the men’s pro tour involve matches played to the best of 5 sets. These are the majors, also known as Grand Slams (Australian Open, Roland Garros French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open) and the Davis Cup.
The rules in Doubles Tennis
Though mostly the same, the rules in a game of doubles are a little different to the tennis rules in a game of singles. The obvious difference is that there will be two players on either side of the net. As a result, the court size is increased and the tramlines become part of the court.
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