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List of Tennis Terminology
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Game, set, match! From aces to match points, learn the lingo behind one of the world's most popular and thrilling sports.
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front Baseline | back Back boundary line of the court |
front Service Box | back Where a serve must land for it to be valid |
front Service Court | back Area on each side of the net, divided into deuce and ad courts |
front Deuce Court | back Right-hand service court from the server's perspective |
front Ad Court | back Left-hand service court from the server's perspective |
front Foot Fault | back Called when the server's foot touches the baseline before making contact with the ball |
front Double Fault | back Called when the server misses both serve attempts; server loses the point |
front Let | back Serve that touches the net but still lands in the correct service box |
front Ace | back Successful serve that bounces 2+ times before the receiver makes contact |
front Server | back Player who delivers the ball to start the point |
front Receiver | back Player who returns the serve |
front Love | back Score of zero ("15 love" means the server has 15 points and the receiver has none) |
front Deuce | back Tied score at 40-40 |
front Ad / Advantage | back Point after deuce |
front Ad In | back Called when the server wins the deuce point |
front Ad Out | back Called when the receiver wins the deuce point |
front Break Point | back Describes when the receiver is one point away from winning the game on the opponent's serve |
front Match Point | back Point that, if won, ends the match |
front Game | back Unit of scoring made up of points. A player must win at least four points and lead by two to win a g... |
front Set | back Collection of games. Usually won by the first player to reach six games with a two-game margin (e.g.... |
front Match | back Contest as a whole. Usually best of three or five sets. |
front Game Point | back Point that, if won, ends the game |
front Set Point | back Point that, if won, ends the set |
front Forehand | back Stroke hit with the front of the racquet hand facing the ball |
front Backhand | back Stroke hit with the back of the racquet hand facing the ball |
front Volley | back Shot hit before the ball bounces, often performed close to the net |
front Half Volley | back Shot hit immediately after the ball bounces but before it reaches the apex of its bounce |
front Lob | back High, arching shot intended to pass over an opponent |
front Drop Shot | back Softly-hit ball that barely clears the net and dies quickly |
front Smash | back Overhead shot, usually hit with force |
front Approach Shot | back Shot hit while moving toward the net |
front Passing Shot | back Shot hit past an opponent who is at the net, typically down |
front Down the Line Shot | back Shot hit parallel and close to the sideline, running along the length of the court |
front Court-Court Shot | back Shot hit diagonally across the court, from one corner to the opposite corner |
front Rally | back Sequence of consecutive shots between players |
front Unforced Error | back Mistake made without significant pressure from the opponent |
front Winner | back Successful shot that bounces 2+ times before it's touched |
front Tiebreak | back Special, shorter game played to decide a set when the score is 6-6 |
front Alley | back Narrow strips along the sidelines, only used in doubles play |
front Center Mark | back Small mark at the midpoint of the baseline that divides the deuce and ad sides |
front Singles | back Match between two players |
front Doubles | back Match between two teams, with two players per team |
front Bagel | back Term for a set won without losing a game (e.g. 6-0) |
front Drop Volley | back Combination of a dropshot and volley; ball is taken out of the air and lands in front of the net |
front Point Penalty | back When a player loses a point due to a rules infraction (touching the net, time violation, foot fault) |
front Breadstick | back Term for a set won only losing one game (6-1) |
front Slice | back Shot hit with backspin/underspin (opposite of topspin), aka Chip/Chop |
front Topspin | back Shot hit with forward rotation (opposite of slice) |
front Flat | back Shot hit with little/no spin |
front Kick Serve | back Serve hit with topspin |
front Dink | back Shot hit with little to no pace or spin |
front Baseliner | back Players who prefer to hit groundstrokes from the baseline |
front Serve-and-volley | back Aggressive tactic used to rush the net immediately after the serve to hit a volley |
front Pusher | back Players who prefer longer rallies, shots often hit with little to no pace/spin |
front Counter-puncher | back Players who prefer a defensive playstyle, redirecting their opponents pace to win points |
front
Hold | back When a player wins a game on their serve |
front Mini-break | back When a player wins a point in a tiebreaker on the opponent's serve |
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