ALL ABOUT TENNIS FROM BEGINNER TO ADVANCE
BASIC OVERVIEW
Tennis, a sport played with a racket, pits individuals against single opponents (singles) or teams of two players each (doubles). Players wield strung rackets to strike a hollow rubber ball, covered in felt, over or around a net into their opponent's court. The game's goal is to maneuver the ball so that the opponent cannot return it validly. When unable to return, a player doesn't score, while the opponent earns a point.
Tennis is an Olympic sport accessible across all levels of society and ages, including wheelchair users. Originating in late medieval France, the modern iteration, known as lawn tennis, emerged in late 19th-century Birmingham, England. This version had strong ties to lawn games like croquet and bowls, as well as to the historical racket sport now known as real tennis.
HISTORY
Historians trace the game's ancient origins to 12th-century northern France, where a ball was struck with the palm of the hand. Louis X of France, an avid jeu de paume ("game of the palm") player, fostered its evolution into real tennis. Notably, he was the first to commission indoor tennis courts in the modern style, dissatisfied with outdoor play. Around the late 13th century, enclosed courts began appearing in Paris and spread to royal palaces across Europe. In June 1316 at Vincennes, Val-de-Marne, Louis's death followed a strenuous game, where he consumed cooled wine and later succumbed to pneumonia, pleurisy, or rumored poisoning. He stands as history's first named tennis player due to contemporary records of his demise. King Charles V of France was another early enthusiast, establishing a court at the Louvre Palace.
By the 16th century, rackets came into use, and the game acquired the name "tennis," derived from the French term tenez, meaning "hold!", "receive!", or "take!", an exclamation used by the server to their opponent. This version gained popularity in England and France, particularly indoors where players could utilize walls to bounce the ball. Henry VIII of England was a notable devotee of this form of the game, now recognized as real tennis.
RULES, GAMEPLAY AND REGULATIONS
The rectangular tennis court, found in Petäjävesi, Western Finland Province, hosts matches played on a flat surface. For singles, it spans 78 feet (23.77 m) in length and 27 feet (8.2 m) in width, while for doubles, it extends to 36 feet (11 m) wide. Adequate space surrounds the court to ensure players can reach balls that go beyond. A net stretches across its width, parallel to the baselines, dividing it into two equal halves, supported by a cord or metal cable no thicker than 0.8 cm (1⁄3 in). The net stands 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) tall at the posts and 3 feet (0.91 m) in the center. Net posts are positioned 3 feet (0.91 m) outside the doubles court for doubles matches and 3 feet (0.91 m) beyond the singles court for singles matches.
Major Walter Clopton Wingfield is credited with the design of the modern tennis court. In 1873, he patented a court resembling today's for his stické tennis (sphairistike). By 1875, this design was refined to its current form, featuring markings akin to Wingfield's original, though the hourglass-shaped court was adapted to a rectangle. Tennis distinguishes itself by being played across various surfaces: grass, clay, and hard courts surfaced with concrete or asphalt and layered with acrylic. Indoor play occasionally employs carpet, and historically, hardwood floors were also used. Artificial turf courts are another alternative.
Lines delineate the court's dimensions: the baseline marks the farthest edge, the service line runs through the center, and hash marks sit at the center of each baseline. The doubles sidelines form the court's outermost bounds for doubles matches, while the singles sidelines define the boundaries for singles play. Between the doubles and singles sidelines lies the doubles alley, usable in doubles matches. The service line, running parallel to the net, defines where the server must direct their serve. Despite its name, it is not the legal standing position for the server during service.
The center line bisects the service line, creating service boxes where serves must land. Each player or team must serve into one of these boxes depending on their court position. A ball is considered out if it does not touch any part of the lines or the court on its first bounce. All court lines must measure between 1 and 2 inches (25 and 51 mm) in width, except for the baseline, which can reach up to 4 inches (100 mm) wide, although in practice it often matches the others in width.
TOURNAMENTS
Tennis tournaments are often categorized by gender and player count. They typically feature men's singles, women's singles, and doubles, where two players compete on each side of the net. Tournaments can also be age-specific, setting upper age limits for youth and lower age limits for senior players. For instance, junior events like the Orange Bowl and Les Petits As cater to younger players. Additionally, there are tournaments tailored for athletes with disabilities, such as wheelchair tennis and deaf tennis. In the prestigious Grand Slam tournaments, the singles draw is capped at 128 players per gender.
Major tournaments usually seed players based on their rankings, ensuring competitive matchups. Players may also be grouped by skill level, reflected in their ratings derived from sanctioned play. For example, the United States Tennis Association manages the National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP), rating players from 1.0 to 7.0 in half-point increments. Club-level players typically fall between 3.0 and 4.5, while elite players achieve a perfect 7.0 rating.
The Grand Slam tournaments—comprising the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open—are the pinnacle of tennis, boasting the highest prestige and prize money in the sport. Apart from these, events like the Olympic Games, Davis Cup, Fed Cup, and Hopman Cup are also regulated by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). These tournaments are organized by national associations such as Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, the Lawn Tennis Association, and the United States Tennis Association.
In addition to their historical significance, Grand Slam events offer substantial prize funds and award double the ranking points compared to ATP Masters 1000 (men) and Premier events (women). The singles draw at Grand Slam tournaments includes 128 players, the largest of any professional tennis event. Matches in men's tournaments are typically best-of-five sets, while women play best-of-three. These tournaments span two weeks, with exceptions like the Indian Wells Masters and Miami Masters.
Grand Slam events also include mixed doubles, wheelchair tennis competitions, and junior tournaments. Each tournament has unique aspects, such as Wimbledon's requirement for predominantly white attire and its specific ticketing procedures, which can be intricate for fans seeking entry.