Glossary

A serve that wins the point because the receiver cannot return or touch the ball.

The point after deuce that ends the game if the same player wins the next point.

The left-hand side of the court.

A set won by reaching at least six games with a two-game lead.

A scoring term used when both players have the same score at 15 or 30; 40-all is called deuce.

A player equally comfortable at the baseline, mid-court and net.

Another name for the tramlines used in doubles.

A shot that keeps an opponent deep while the player moves forward to the net.

The Association of Tennis Professionals, the governing body of men's professional tennis.

The international circuit of men's professional tennis tournaments.

The first Grand Slam of the calendar, played on hard courts at Melbourne Park in January.

The area behind the baseline between the court and the back fence.

A stroke swung from the non-dominant side with the back of the dominant hand facing the shot direction.

Backward rotation applied under the ball, commonly used for slice and drop shots.

The part of a swing where the racquet moves behind the body before the forward motion.

Informal term for a 6-0 set, with the zero resembling a bagel.

A person who retrieves balls out of play and supplies balls to the server.

The line at each end of the court behind which a player serves.

A player who prefers to play near the baseline using groundstrokes.

The ITF's annual international women's team competition, formerly the Federation Cup and Fed Cup.

A service game won by the receiving player.

Winning an opponent's service game after losing your own serve earlier in the same set.

A point that gives the receiver the opponent's service game if won.

Automatic advancement to the next tournament round without playing a match.

A player or official's decision that a ball was in or out.

Winning each of the four Grand Slam tournaments at least once during a career.

Professional events one level below the ATP and WTA Tours, generally played over one week.

The 90-second break after odd-numbered games when players switch sides of the court.

A short blocking stroke used to return the ball, often against a powerful serve.

A tactic of chipping the return and immediately moving to the net for a volley.

A court surface made from finely crushed red or green clay.

A penalty for breaking the sport's conduct rules, escalating from warning to point, game and default penalties.

A player who relies on a defensive style and responds to an opponent's attacks.

The marked area in which a tennis match is played.

A shot hit diagonally from one side or corner of the court to the other.

The ITF's annual international men's team competition.

A match played after the overall result of a team contest has already been decided.

A player's disqualification from a match because of code violations.

A 40-40 score from which a player normally must win two consecutive points to win the game.

The right-hand side of the court.

Informal term for a player who specialises on clay courts.

Two consecutive service faults, causing the server to lose the point.

A match played between two teams of two players.

A straight shot played close and parallel to a sideline.

A soft backspin shot designed to land just beyond the net.

A softly controlled volley that lands just beyond the net.

A court surface made from coarse crushed red brick.

A match or tournament played for entertainment or prize money but not ranking points.

An invalid serve that hits the net or misses the service box and does not start the point.

A service fault called when the server steps on or over the baseline or centre mark before striking the ball.

An error caused by the difficulty or pressure of an opponent's shot.

A stroke made with the palm side of the dominant hand facing the shot direction.

A basic unit of a set; every set contains at least six games.

A point that wins the current game if converted.

The umpire's announcement that a match has finished.

An abbreviation for Greatest Of All Time.

Winning all four Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal in the same year.

Winning all four major tournaments in one year; the term also refers collectively to the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open.

A shot played from near or behind the baseline after the ball bounces.

A low shot played immediately after the ball bounces, with the racquet close to the court.

To win a game in which you are serving.

A doubles serving formation where the net player crouches over the centre service line to intercept a cross-court return.

A topspin serve that bounces sharply upward after landing.

A stroke or point that does not count and must be replayed, often after a serve clips the net and lands in.

An official responsible for deciding whether balls land in or out along an assigned line.

A high, arcing shot intended to pass over an opponent and land inside the court.

The tennis term for a score of zero in a game or set.

A game won without the opponent scoring a point.

A player who loses in qualifying but enters the main draw after another player withdraws.

An ATP tournament tier below the Grand Slams that awards 1000 ranking points to the champion.

A tennis contest usually decided over the best of three or five sets.

A point that ends the match if won by the player holding it.

A deciding tiebreak, common in doubles, normally won by the first team to 10 points with a two-point lead.

A tiebreak point won while receiving the opponent's serve.

A doubles match in which each team consists of one man and one woman.

The mesh stretched across the middle of the court and held by net posts.

The white band running along the top edge of the net.

A member of the on-court officiating team, such as an umpire, linesperson, supervisor or referee.

The period beginning in 1968 when Grand Slam tournaments admitted professional players.

Another term for a smash.

A shot hit past either side of a net player and into the court.

A special entry ranking for a player returning after a long injury, based on their earlier ranking.

A player who reaches a tournament's main draw through qualifying.

A preliminary competition in which players can earn places in a tournament's main draw.

A sequence of shots exchanged until a player makes an error or cannot return the ball.

The player returning the serve.

The senior official responsible for applying tournament rules.

An instinctive volley made with almost no preparation time.

A player's withdrawal after a match has started, usually because of injury or illness.

The second Grand Slam of the year, played on clay in Paris in May and also called the French Open.

A format where players are divided into groups and play every other player in their group.

A highly ranked player placed in a draw to avoid other top players in the early rounds.

An overhead stroke from behind the baseline that starts a point in the diagonally opposite service box.

A style where a player serves and immediately approaches the net to finish with a volley.

A point that ends the set if won by the player holding it.

A tennis match played by two individual opponents.

A shot hit with backspin and sidespin.

A serve-like stroke hit above the head, often in response to a lob.

The rotation of a ball in flight, including topspin, backspin and sidespin.

A small two-footed hop used to prepare and adjust for an incoming ball.

A match won without losing a set.

A particular way of striking a tennis ball, such as a forehand, backhand or serve.

A deciding point that ends a game or tiebreak without requiring a two-point margin.

Informal term for deliberately losing a game, set or match.

A painful inflammation affecting the muscles and tendons around the elbow and forearm.

The group of matches played between two teams in a team competition.

A set-deciding game, usually at 6-6, won by the first player to seven points with a two-point lead.

Forward rotation created by brushing the ball from low to high, producing a high bounce.

The outer side lines parallel to the singles lines that define the doubles court.

A trick shot played between the legs, often while chasing a lob.

A backhand stroke in which the non-dominant hand also supports the racquet handle.

The court official who monitors line calls and enforces the rules during a match.

An error caused by a player's own technique or judgment rather than an opponent's strong shot.

A player whose ranking does not grant a protected seeded position in the draw.

The fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, played at Flushing Meadows in New York.

A forehand or backhand struck near the net before the ball bounces, using a punching motion.

A win awarded when an opponent withdraws before the match begins.

A place in a tournament draw awarded outside the normal ranking or entry requirements.

The year's third Grand Slam, played on grass at the All England Club in London.

A legal shot that ends the point because the opponent cannot return it effectively.

The Women's Tennis Association's professional women's tennis circuit.