Sport guide
Tennis
Tennis is a net sport in which one or two players a side use stringed rackets to hit a felt-covered ball over a net and into the opposing half of a rectangular court. It is played on grass, clay, hard and indoor courts at clubs, parks and schools around the world, and its rules are set by the International Tennis Federation.
Importance 5 out of 5Importance rating
At a glance
- Also known as
- Lawn tennis
- Court
- 23.77 m × 10.97 m (78 ft × 36 ft)
- Played with
- A racket and a ball
- Formats
- Singles, Doubles, Mixed doubles
- Governing body
- World Tennis (formerly the International Tennis Federation)
- Origin
- Modern lawn tennis took shape in England in the 1870s
The court
Formats
- Singles One player a side, using the singles sidelines.
- Doubles Two players a side, using the full width of the court.
- Mixed doubles A man and a woman on each side.
How it is played
Two players, or two pairs, hit the ball over a net and try to make it land in the opposite court so the other side cannot return it before a second bounce. Points build into games, games into sets, and a match is the best of three or five sets.
Explore tennis
- RulesServe, scoring, rally and faults, each point from the official rules
- EquipmentRacket, ball and net limits, in metric and imperial
- CourtsCourt size 23.77 m × 10.97 m (78 ft × 36 ft), drawn to scale · 9 famous venues
- Brands2 brands and what they make
- Players20 players on the men’s and women’s tours, with the titles they have won
- Competitions12 competitions and tours, and who runs them
- Organisations25 organisations, from World Tennis to national federations, by region
Related sports
Sources
- ITF Rules of Tennis, World Tennis (formerly the International Tennis Federation), 2026itftennis.comOfficial rulebook or governing body (tier 1 of 5)
- LTA, Lawn Tennis Associationlta.org.ukNational body or tour (tier 2 of 5)