Tennis provides an active aerobic workout that does not require a large group of participants. You can play tennis with only one other player. One player stands on each side of the net on a court that measures 78 feet long, 27 feet wide for singles and 36 feet wide for doubles. Players attempt to hit serves or shots that the opponent cannot return before the ball bounces twice. Players also win points when their opponent hits a shot out of bounds or into the net. The United States Tennis Association, or the USTA, follows all International Tennis Federation rules regarding competitive tennis.
Step 1
Wear comfortable, well-fitting tennis shoes every time you step onto the tennis court. Shoes designed specifically for tennis will provide better ankle support than other athletic shoes.
Step 2
Flip a coin to determine who will serve first in the first game. If you win the coin toss, you can choose to serve or receive first or you can choose to begin the match on a particular side of the court. Whichever choice you make, your opponent gets to make the other choice.
Step 3
Stand behind the baseline and to the right of the center mark to serve the first point. You must serve the ball crosscourt so that it lands in the right service box on the opponent’s side of the court. The service boxes lie between the net and the service line and on either side of the center service line. Serve a second time if you miss your first serve into the net or hit it out of bounds. If you make two fault serves, you lose the point.
Step 4
Stand behind the baseline and to the left of the center mark to serve the second point. Continue serving from alternate sides of the baseline throughout the game.
Step 5
Count a point for yourself each time your opponent fails to retrieve the ball before it bounces twice or each time your opponent hits the ball out of bounds or into the net. In individual games, the score proceeds from love, or zero points, to 15, 30, 40 and then game. Announce the score before you serve each new point if no rules officials are present at the match. Announce your serve before your opponent’s serve. For example, if you have won two points and your opponent has won one point, announce the score as “30-15.”
Step 6
Continue playing until one player wins six games to win the set. Continue playing until one player wins the best of three or the best of five sets to win the match. USTA and ITF rules offer two different set formats for tennis matches. If you are playing tie-break sets, you must play a tie-break game when the score reaches 6 games all. The first person to win seven points in the tie-break game wins the set. In advantage sets, one player must win by a two-game margin to win the set. For example, if the score reaches 6 games all, one player must then reach 8 games to win the set.
Tips and Warnings
- Shots that hit one of the court’s lines should count as having fallen in the area of the court bounded by that line. For example, any serve that hits the center service line between the two service courts counts as in bounds. When calling shots yourself during matches with no rules officials, always give your opponent the benefit of the doubt. USTA and ITF rules dictate that you must call a ball good if you do not clearly see it land out of bounds.
Things You'll Need
- Racket
- Balls
- Tennis shoes
- Tennis court
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