Do you want to learn how to play?

Tennis has a fairly well-defined set of rules, though nuances can occur. Here’s a breakdown of the core elements:

Basic Gameplay:

• Objective:
  • The aim is to hit the ball over the net and within the boundaries of the opponent’s court, making it impossible for them to return it.
• Serving:
  • The game begins with a serve. The server stands behind the baseline and hits the ball diagonally into the opponent’s service box.
  • The server gets two attempts to land the serve in the correct box. A failed serve is called a “fault.”
• Returning:
  • After a legal serve, the opponent must return the ball before it bounces twice.
• Points:
  • A point is won when a player fails to return the ball legally.

Scoring:

• Game:
  • Points are scored as “love” (zero), 15, 30, and 40.
  • To win a game, a player must win four points, with a two-point lead.
  • If the score reaches 40-40, it’s called “deuce.”
  • After deuce, a player must win two consecutive points to win the game (advantage, then game).
• Set:
  • A set is won by the first player to win six games, with a two-game lead.
  • If the score reaches 6-6, a “tiebreak” is typically played.
• Match:
  • A match is won by winning the majority of sets.
  • Men’s Grand Slam matches are best-of-five sets.
  • Women’s and most other matches are best-of-three sets.

Key Rules:

• Lines:
  • A ball landing on a line is considered “in.”
• Net:
  • If a serve hits the net but lands in the correct service box, it’s a “let” and the serve is replayed.
  • If a ball in play hits the net and lands in the opponent’s court, the point continues.
• Faults:
  • Faults occur when:
    • The serve lands outside the service box.
    • The server steps on or over the baseline before hitting the ball (foot fault).
    • A player fails to return the ball before it bounces twice.
    • A player hits the ball out of the court boundaries.
• Tiebreaks:
  • Tiebreaks are played when a set reaches 6-6.
  • Points are scored 1, 2, 3, etc.
  • The first player to reach seven points, with a two-point lead, wins the tiebreak.