Glossary of tennis terms

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This page is a glossary of tennis terminology.

Contents

A

B

A ball boy in action Ball kid - 2010 Australian Open.jpg
A ball boy in action

C

A tennis court with its dimensions and components Tennis court imperial.svg
A tennis court with its dimensions and components

D

An example of a dead net cord EVD-tenis-090.jpg
An example of a dead net cord

E

F

Example of a follow through action after the ball is hit 2014 US Open (Tennis) - Tournament - Bernard Tomic (14954485718).jpg
Example of a follow through action after the ball is hit

G

H

I

J

K

L

Line judges at Wimbledon Line Judges Centre Court.JPG
Line judges at Wimbledon

M

N

O

P

Q

R

A modern tennis racket Babolat pure drive plus.jpg
A modern tennis racket

S

Preparing to serve to start a point Azarenka Roland Garros 2009 2.jpg
Preparing to serve to start a point
Player preparing to hit a backhand slice shot Joao Souza (14706260226).jpg
Player preparing to hit a backhand slice shot

T

A standard optic yellow tennis ball Tennis ball 01.jpg
A standard optic yellow tennis ball

U

V

Approaching a forehand volley Tsvetana Pironkova 1, Wimbledon 2013 - Diliff.jpg
Approaching a forehand volley

W

Y

Z

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Badminton</span> Racquet sport

Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" and "doubles". Badminton is often played as a casual outdoor activity in a yard or on a beach; formal games are played on a rectangular indoor court. Points are scored by striking the shuttlecock with the racquet and landing it within the other team's half of the court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennis</span> Racket sport

Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket strung with a cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent's court. The object of the game is to manoeuvre the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return. The player unable to return the ball validly will not gain a point, while the opposite player will.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Table tennis</span> Racket sport

Table tennis is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the court on which players stand. Either individually or in teams of two, players take alternating turns returning a light, hollow ball over the table's net onto the opposing half of the court using small rackets until they fail to do so, which results in a point for the opponent. Play is fast, requiring quick reaction and constant attention, and is characterized by an emphasis on spin, which can affect the ball's trajectory more than in other ball sports.

Serve-and-volley is a style of play in tennis where the player (volleyer) serving moves quickly towards the net after hitting a serve, to attempt to hit a volley afterwards. In the serve-and-volley playstyle, the server attempts to hit a volley, as opposed to the baseline game, where the server stays back following the serve and attempts to hit a groundstroke. As a returner/receiver (volleyer) of a serve, the player may also attempt to hit a half-volley, instead of waiting longer after the ball has bounced to hit a usual groundstroke. The serve-and-volley style of play has diminished in recent years with advances in racquet and string technologies which allow players to generate a great amount of top spin on groundstrokes and passing shots. The slowing of court surfaces and deflation of balls, promoting longer rallies for the enjoyment of spectators, has also devalued the serve-and-volley style.

A point in tennis is the smallest subdivision of the match. A point can consist of a double fault by the server, in which case the point is automatically won by the receiver. In all other cases, a point begins when a legal serve is hit by the server to the receiver on the opposite side of the court, and continues until one side fails to legally return the ball to the opposite side. Whichever side fails to do so loses the point and their opponent wins it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backhand</span> Tennis shot

The backhand is a shot used in most racket sports, such as tennis, table tennis and pickleball, where the back of the hand precedes the palm when swinging the racket. Except in the phrase backhand volley, the term refers to a groundstroke. It contrasts with the forehand stroke, where the palm precedes the back of the hand. The term is also used in other sports where a similar motion is employed, such as throwing a sport disc.

In racket sports a groundstroke, or ground stroke, refers to a forehand or backhand shot that is executed after the ball has bounced on the court. The term is commonly used in the sports of tennis and pickleball, and is counter to a volley shot which is taken before the ball has bounced. Groundstrokes in tennis are usually hit from the back of the court, around the baseline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lob (tennis)</span>

A lob in tennis involves hitting the ball high and deep into the opponent's court. It can be used as an offensive or defensive weapon.

In tennis, there are a variety of types of shots which can be categorized in various ways. The grip you place on will help you have different types of shots, the lower your grip means that the ball is most likely going to be a ground stroke. According to William T. Tilden, "All tennis strokes, should be made with the body' at right angles to the net, with the shoulders lined up parallel to the line of flight of the ball." The serve is the opening shot of a point. Groundstrokes are hit after the ball has already bounced, and can be either forehands or backhands depending on which direction the racket is swung relative to the body. A lob is a groundstroke hit well over the head of an opponent who is positioned at the net. A passing shot is a groundstroke that is hit out of reach of an opponent at the net far to his left or right. A cross-court shot is a shot hit from the left side of one player's court to the left side of the other player's court, so that it crosses the lengthwise centerline of the court. A down-the-line shot is one that is hit more or less parallel to, and near to, one of the sidelines, so that it never crosses the centerline.

Players use different strategies while playing tennis to enhance their own strengths and exploit their opponent's weaknesses in order to gain the advantage and win more points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radek Štěpánek</span> Czech tennis player

Radek Štěpánek is a Czech former professional tennis player. His career-high singles ranking was world No. 8 and best doubles ranking was world No. 4. Štěpánek's biggest achievements are reaching two Masters 1000 event finals and the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 2006, as well as winning the deciding match for Czech Republic's Davis Cup winning team in 2012 and again in 2013. In doubles, he won his first Grand Slam title at the 2012 Australian Open, along with Indian partner Leander Paes, defeating the Bryan Brothers in the final. Paes and Štěpánek also won the men's doubles title at the 2013 US Open, defeating Bruno Soares and Alexander Peya in the final. In November 2017, he became a coach of Novak Djokovic and in May 2019, he joined Andre Agassi as part of Grigor Dimitrov's coaching staff.

Traditionally, tennis is played between two people in a singles match, or two pairs in a doubles match. Tennis can also be played on different courts, including grass courts, clay courts, hard courts, and artificial grass courts.

Tennis games are often used to help players of all abilities to practice the different strokes involved in tennis. The number of participants needed varies from as few as two players to as many players as can fit on a tennis court. These games are often used by coaches and other tennis instructors to help teach the basic skills of tennis.a substitute shall be allowed to field for any player who may during the match be incapacitated illness or injury, but not for any reason without the consent of the opposing captain.

<i>Dream Match Tennis</i> 2006 video game

Dream Match Tennis is a 2006 tennis simulation game developed by Bimboosoft, a company based in Saitama, Japan. Unlike other games in its genre, Dream Match Tennis was aimed to produce a more realistic depiction of the sport, requiring more skill from the player in order to direct their shots accurately.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to tennis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Battistone</span> American tennis player

Brian Battistone is an American professional tennis player. He was born in Santa Barbara, California and currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Throughout his career, Battistone has reach a career high ranking of 853 in singles and 88 in doubles. Battistone is one of only three people to use a two-handled tennis racket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serve (tennis)</span> Initial shot to start a point

A serve in tennis is a shot to start a point. A player will hit the ball with a racquet so it will fall into the diagonally opposite service box without being stopped by the net. Normally players begin a serve by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it. The ball can only touch the net on a return and will be considered good if it falls on the opposite side. If the ball contacts the net on the serve but then proceeds to the proper service box, it is called a let; this is not a legal serve in the major tours although it is also not a fault. Players normally serve overhead; however serving underhand is allowed. The serve is the only shot a player can take their time to set up instead of having to react to an opponent's shot; however, as of 2012, there is a 25-second limit to be allowed between points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federer–Roddick rivalry</span> Tennis rivalry

The Federer–Roddick rivalry was a tennis rivalry between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick. The two met 24 times in official Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) matches, and Federer led 21–3. Although heavily lopsided in favor of Federer, the rivalry gained much attention, especially when both players were in contention for the world No. 1 position and for major titles. In terms of number of matches played, it is the 14th most prolific men's rivalry in the Open Era.

This glossary provides definitions and context for terminology related to, and jargon specific to, the sport of pickleball. Words or phrases in italics can be found on the list in their respective alphabetic sections.

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