Tennis is one of the most popular and engaging sports worldwide, with four Grand Slams held annually. Known for its thrilling action and elite athletes, it is often regarded as one of the most physically demanding sports.

Tennis has produced global stars across different eras, from Rod Laver and Martina Navratilova to Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams.

The four Grand Slams—Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open—provide high-quality tennis action year-round, supplemented by lower-level tournaments to keep fans entertained.

Tennis Equipment

Tennis Ball

Dear Lykkers, according to the International Tennis Federation (ITF), a standard tennis ball should weigh between 56-59.4 grams and have a diameter of 6.54-6.86 cm. They are typically yellow or white, with yellow being the most common.

Tennis Racket

A tennis racket cannot exceed 73.7 cm in length and 31.7 cm in width. It features a frame enclosing sturdy strings, usually nylon, interwoven in a criss-cross pattern with a handle. Players must strike the ball with the racket's stringed area, called the hitting surface.

How to Play Tennis

Tennis Serve and Rules

Coin Toss: A match begins with a coin toss by the umpire, allowing the winner to choose serving, receiving, or court side.

Serving Position: The server must stand behind the baseline within the center mark and sideline bounds.

Legal Serve: The ball must be tossed and struck before bouncing, landing diagonally within the marked serving area.

Service Faults: A missed first serve or stepping over the baseline results in a second serve opportunity. If both attempts fail, it's a double fault, and the receiver earns a point.

Let: If a serve hits the net but lands in the serving area, the server retains two serves.

Scoring Points

Ace: A successful serve unreturned by the receiver earns the server a point.

Rallies: Points are won through rallies, with players trading shots until one fails to return within court boundaries.

Tennis Shots

Forehand and Backhand

Forehand: A right-handed player hits the ball from their right side using their dominant hand.

Backhand: The same player swings their dominant hand across their body to strike from the left side.

Drop Shot

A slow-paced shot landing just over the net to catch an opponent off-guard.

Smash

A powerful, overhead shot aimed to finish the rally.

Slice

A technique slowing the ball’s pace using a racket angled towards the court.

Beginner Tennis Lesson | Forehand, Backhand & Serve

Video by Intuitive Tennis

Tennis Scoring System

Game Points

Progression: 0 (Love) → 15 → 30 → 40 → Game.

Deuce: At 40-40, two consecutive points are required to win the game.

Winning a Set

Six games, with a two-game lead, are needed to win a set. A tiebreaker occurs at 6-6.

Tiebreaker Rules

Points Progression: First to 7 points with a two-point lead wins.

Serve Rotation: Alternates after the first point, then every two points.

Grand Slam Variations: Specific tiebreaker rules apply depending on the tournament.

Match Formats

Men’s Matches

Best-of-five sets in Grand Slams.

Best-of-three sets in ATP Tour events.

Women’s Matches

All singles and doubles events are best-of-three sets.

From mastering the serve to understanding scoring intricacies, tennis is a sport blending skill, strategy, and endurance.