Glossary of tennis

The serve starts each point. The player tosses the ball visibly into the air and hits it behind the baseline into the opponent’s diagonal service box. Each player has two attempts. If both attempts fail, it is called a double fault.

To play tennis, you need a tennis racket, tennis balls, and appropriate athletic clothing and shoes that are suitable for clay, hard, or grass courts.

You can play tennis as singles (1-on-1) or doubles (2-on-2).

If the ball lands on or within the lines, it counts as "in". If it lands outside, the ball is "out" and the opponent scores a point.

A lob is a high, wide shot intended to go over the opponent's head, especially when they are at the net.

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The backhand is a stroke in which the ball is hit on the side opposite the hitting arm. It can be played with one hand or both hands.

Also known as a "return," this is the shot used to return the ball after an opponent's serve.

The ball is hit downwards over the head, similar to a serve, and is usually used to counter a lob attempt.

A tennis court is rectangular, measuring 23.77 meters long and 8.23 meters wide. It is divided in the middle by a net. In doubles, the court is slightly wider, measuring 10.97 meters.

The ball is hit so that it lands as close to the net as possible, making it difficult for the opponent to reach.

The ball is returned directly while it's still in the air. This often happens when the player is standing close to the net.

The forehand is the shot hit on the side of the racket. It is usually the most powerful and most frequently used shot.

A tennis match is played in sets, usually best of three. A set consists of individual games. The scoring in a game goes as follows: 0–15–30–40–game.

If a player wins a game in which their opponent was serving, this is called a break.

If both serve attempts fail in succession. In this case, the opponent is awarded a point immediately.

A serve that is executed so well that the opponent cannot touch the ball.

A shot in which the ball is struck with forward spin. This causes it to fly in an arc and bounce high and fast after landing.

A shot with backspin and a flat trajectory that barely bounces after hitting the ground.

If the ball touches the edge of the net during the serve and then lands in the correct service box, it is not a fault; instead, the serve is simply retaken.

The decisive point a player needs to win the match (match point) or break their opponent's serve (break point).

When the score is 40-40, it's called deuce. To win the game, a player must then score two points in a row.

The point following deuce is called the advantage. If you win the next point, you win the game. If you lose it, the game goes back to deuce.

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The back line of the court. Most shots are played from here. The baseline also marks the back boundary line.

If the score is 6–6 in a set, a tiebreak is played. The tiebreak is played to 7 points, and a player must lead by two points to win.

A changeover occurs after every odd score in a set (e.g., at 1-0, 2-1, 3-2); the players switch sides and take a short break (90 seconds).

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