By Rosemary O’Brien, Elisa Jeong, and Ava Martin
Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor has seen people all over the world picking up tennis racquets, buying cute tennis dresses, and taking to the courts to post ‘tenniscore’ pictures. The resurgence in the sport has been focused on the fashion and the drama of Challengers, but the real tennis world is one of elite sportsmanship, crazy fans, and vibrant, culture-rich tournaments. For some of us, tennis has always been their favourite sport - and if you’re a newcomer, there’s a lot to learn.
The Rules of Tennis
Baseline: You begin just behind the baseline, whether you are serving or waiting for the incoming serve.
Singles’ Sideline: This part is the outer edge of the singles court, meaning that if the ball goes out of these lines, it is out. It is where you are to place down-the-line balls to take the opponent out wide.
Doubles’ Sideline: This has the same rules as the singles’ sideline, except the court extends to be much bigger in size.
Net: You are to hit over the net to continue playing a round. The net is lowered in the centre, which is to be taken into consideration when playing. The net can also be approached to participate in volleys.
Centre Service Line: This line divides up the service boxes equally.
Service Box: When serving, you place the tennis ball in the opposite opponent’s service box from where you stand. On the second serve, you are to move to the left side of the court into the opposite service box. Alternate this until the player has served out the game.
Service Line: The tennis ball must land inside or on this line to be called in.
Doubles’ Tramline: This is an additional space that double players can choose to have.
Baseline Centre Mark: When serving, you are to stand at the side of the small centre marking. This is to give maximum court coverage for returns.
Serves | A serve in tennis is where the starting shot needs to take place. A player is to hit the ball with the racket diagonally, crossing over the net. |
Lets | A serve is called a let when the tennis ball hits the net cord but still lands on the opposite side. This is not considered a fault and it might be repeated. |
Volleys | A volley in tennis is shot when the ball is struck before it bounces on the ground. Commonly, it is hit while standing near the net, however, can be executed wherever on the court. |
Forehands | Forehands is a stroke where the inner side of the palm of the dominant hand is gripping the racket facing forward. It is made by swinging it across in the direction of where the player wants the ball to land. |
Backhands | This is usually performed from the baseline or an approach shot. This is commonly done by a right-handed player beginning with the racket on the left side of the body, and vice versa. |
Points | Points are initiated by a server and it is the role of the receiver to return it. Once a serve is returned, two players engage in a rally. To win a point, a player must hit a shot before or after a bounce. If the tennis ball bounces twice, then the player with the last shot wins a point. |
Tennis has always been universally regarded as a “gentleman's sport” due to its polite, traditional, and well-mannered nature on the court and in the stands.
Players are expected to act with a certain air of grace, and you cannot help but appreciate everything about this game.
{read more on Tennis etiquette}
There are four grand slam tournaments and here are some features of each:
The Australian Open
Location: Melbourne.
Timing: January (I have literally stayed up till 2 am THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FIRST DAY BACK AT SCHOOL to watch the grand final with my family [trying to prove that I am a true tennis fan!]).
Court Surface: hard court.
Unique Features: known for its extreme heat and the iconic blue courts. Often described as “the happy slam”, with its laid-back and friendly environment. A lot of players have said that this is their favourite tournament to play at!!
French Open (Rolan Garos)
Location: Paris.
Timing: May-June.
Court Surface: clay.
Unique Features: the most physically demanding grand slam tournament. “Demands a dancer’s agility and an iron will.” The clay court is difficult to play on as it is physically much harder on the player’s stamina, with higher bounces and longer rallies. You can’t finish a point easily and it tests the player’s endurance, patience, skill, and adaptability. They are challenging for most players who “grew up” on hard courts.
Wimbledon
Location: London.
Timing: June-July.
Court Surface: grass.
Unique Features: Wimbledon holds status as the oldest tennis championship in the world and it enjoys royal patronage from the British royal family, which adds a touch of regal distinction and glamour to the event. It is known for its impeccable organisation and attention to detail. All players must be dressed in suitable tennis attire that is almost entirely white. One “ridiculous” rule reads: "Any undergarments that either are or can be visible during play (including due to perspiration) must also be completely white except for a single trim of colour no wider than one centimetre (10mm)." If that isn’t attention to detail then I don’t know what is! Wimbleton is a prestigious and iconic tournament, often known for attracting high-profile attendees like the royal family, the Beckhams, and the world’s most famous actors including Tom Hanks, Daniel Craig, Emma Watson, Hugh Grant, Bradley Cooper, Keira Knightley, and so many more.
U.S. Open
Location: New York.
Timing: August-September.
Court Surface: hard court.
Unique Features: known for its lively and loud atmosphere and electric ambience. Spectators are not afraid to give voice to their excitement!
Court Surfaces and Their Impact on Play:
Grass Courts: fast-paced, favours serve and volley players - 👑 Roger Federer.
Clay Courts: slower, benefits baseline players with strong stamina and strategic play - 👑 Rafael Nadal.
Hard Courts: offers a balance between grass and clay, providing a medium pace. Faster than clay, slower than grass. Inviting versatility, mixing power with precision - 👑 Novak Djokovic.
For years, the men’s side of tennis was dominated by the ‘Big Four’ - Novac Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray. But with Federer and Murray retired, Nadal doing so at the end of the year and Djokovic not having won a grand slam in a while, room has been made for some young players to come through.
22-year-old Jannick Sinner is one of these, as the first Italian man to become World No. 1, by winning the Australian Open this year. Another newcomer making a splash is Spanish Carlos Alcaraz, the current World No. 2. In the women's, No. 1 Iga Swiatek has been dominating the game, having won 5 grand slams and holding the position of the best in the world for 107 weeks. Behind her is American Coco Gauff, who won the 2023 US Open.
With Ash Barty having retired in 2022 and Nick Kyrigos currently taking a break from tennis, the Australian tennis scene was dormant for a while, but recently has taken on more action. This is largely due to the rise of 25-year-old Alex de Minaur, or ‘the Demon’, who has recently reached his career-high score of 9th in the world and getting into the Roland Garros Quarter Final - experts saying that he is soon to win a Grand Slam.
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