Understanding the Rules of Tennis: A Complete Beginner’s Guide
Tennis is one of the most popular and widely played sports in the world, enjoyed by millions whether as casual weekend matches or on the grand stages of Wimbledon and the US Open. If you’re new to tennis, the rules can seem confusing at first — but once you break them down, they’re surprisingly simple and add to the excitement of the game.
Singles or Doubles: The Basic Setup
Tennis can be played in two main formats: singles and doubles. In singles, one player competes against another player. In doubles, teams of two face off against each other. While the fundamentals remain the same, doubles matches use the full width of the court, whereas singles matches use a narrower area.
The ultimate goal is straightforward: outscore your opponent by winning points, games, and sets faster than they do. In women’s matches, players must win two sets to claim victory. In men’s matches, it’s best of five — the first player to win three sets wins the match.
How Matches, Sets, and Games Work
To win a set, a player must win at least six games and be at least two games ahead. If the score reaches 6–5, the trailing player must win another game to force a 6–6 tie. In this case, a tiebreaker is played to decide the winner of the set.
Each game is made up of points. To win a game, a player must score at least four points and be two points ahead. The unique scoring system in tennis is famous for its unusual terminology:
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0 points: “Love”
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1 point: “15”
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2 points: “30”
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3 points: “40”
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4 points: Game (if the player is two points ahead)
When both players reach 40–40, the score is called “deuce.” From deuce, a player must win two consecutive points to win the game. The first point after deuce gives a player the “advantage.” If they win the next point, they win the game; if they lose it, the score returns to deuce.
The Court and the Serve
A tennis court is a rectangular area measuring 78 feet long and 36 feet wide for doubles matches. For singles, the playable width is reduced to 27 feet. The net stretches across the middle and stands 3.5 feet high at the posts.
Each point begins with a serve. The server stands behind the baseline and must hit the ball diagonally into the opponent’s service box. The opponent must return the ball after a maximum of one bounce, aiming to hit it back over the net into the other player’s court.
The rally continues until a player hits the ball out of bounds, into the net, or fails to return the ball at all — at which point their opponent wins the point.
Scoring and Common Terms
In addition to the standard points system, there are a few key terms to know:
Fault and Double Fault:
When serving, a player has two chances to deliver a legal serve. If the serve lands outside the correct service box or if the server steps on or over the baseline, it’s called a fault. If the server commits two faults in a row, this results in a double fault, and the opponent automatically wins the point.
Let:
If a legal serve clips the net but still lands in the correct service box, it’s called a let. The server simply tries again without penalty.
Ace:
An ace occurs when a serve lands legally in the opponent’s service box and the opponent fails to touch the ball at all. This is one of the most satisfying ways to win a point as a server.
Tiebreaker:
When both players win six games in a set, a tiebreaker is played to decide the set winner. Players alternate serves and aim to score at least seven points while maintaining a lead of two points or more. If the score remains tied, play continues until one player achieves that two-point advantage.
What You Can’t Do in Tennis
There are several rules players must follow to keep the game fair:
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You cannot hit the ball outside the designated area of play.
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You cannot let the ball hit the net and bounce back onto your side during a rally.
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You must not touch the ball with anything other than your racket.
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You cannot hit the ball twice in succession.
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You must not touch the net with your body, racket, or clothing during play.
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You cannot commit a double fault when serving.
Breaking any of these rules results in a point being awarded to your opponent.
Watching and Learning
At first glance, tennis scoring can appear complicated. But once you watch a few matches, the flow of points, games, and sets will start to make sense. Tennis combines precision, endurance, and strategy, making it an exhilarating sport to both watch and play.
So, whether you’re planning to pick up a racket for the first time or just want to understand the next match you see on TV, these basics should help you get started.
Enjoy the game, keep practicing your serve, and remember — the more you watch and play, the clearer the rules will become.
Happy playing, and see you on the court!