The Basics
Know the rules, enjoy the game.
Tennis has fewer rules than it first appears. Learn this handful and you'll never feel lost on a court again.
The Court
The court, and the rules that live on it.
Seen from above
Seen from the side · why "over the net" actually matters
In play
The ball has to go over the net, not into it, and land inside your opponent's lines. Return it after one bounce, or take it out of the air. Two bounces and the point is over. In a rally, a ball that clips the top of the net and still lands in counts.
Winning a point
Your opponent wins the point if you miss the ball, send it out, hit it into the net, or let it bounce twice.
Serving & sides
You serve diagonally, across the net and into the service box. A serve that clips the net but lands in is a let, so you replay that same serve. Players switch ends after every odd game.
The Score
How scoring works.
Inside a game, points climb love (0), 15, 30, 40, game. Tied at 40–40 is deuce — win two in a row. First to six games wins the set (lead by two); 6–6 goes to a tie-break. Best of three sets, or five for the men at the Grand Slams.
The Strokes
The shots that build a game.
Serve
Starts every point.
Forehand
Your dominant-side groundstroke.
Backhand
The other wing.
Volley
Hit before the bounce.
Overhead
Put a high ball away.
Topspin
Dips in, kicks high.
Slice
Stays low and floats.
The Court
Three surfaces, three games.
Clay
Slow and high-bouncing. Long rallies, sliding, patience. Home: Roland-Garros.
Grass
Fast and low. Big serves, short points. Home: Wimbledon.
Hard
True bounce, medium pace — the all-rounder. Home: the US & Australian Opens.
The Journal
Start here.
The Saturday Letter
A tennis newsletter from a friend.
Every Saturday, I send a short note about the week in tennis — what I watched, what I'm wearing on court, where I'm playing next, and the small things worth your time. That's it. No spam, no filler.
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