LOVE ALL

Learn about tennis, a sport that is fun to watch and play!!

History

Let me just make it clear, this post is not going to be about love at all, but continue reading to find out what love all means in tennis.

Now let’s get into the history of the sport. Believe it or not, tennis did not originate from the Wii game, even though that game was pretty accurate in the terminology and game play.

Tennis can be traced back to a 11th century French handball game named jeu de paume. That translates to game of the palm because it was originally played with bare hands. Eventually, the name evolved into real tennis, and is still practiced to some degree in the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia. However, in the United States it is called court tennis and in Australia it is royal tennis.

Then the invention of the racket and scoring system, in the 16th century, led to what we know as tennis today. The sport can be played on all types of surfaces like grass courts, clay courts, hard courts, or artificial grass. Since its evolution, tennis has become a major sport that is followed and practiced by millions of individuals throughout the world.

Source: https://gamefabrique.com/storage/screenshots/wii/wii-sports-04.png

Game Play

Okay, time to learn some helpful tips and jargon that will help you get a better understanding of the sport before you take the court or watch a match. Disclaimer: these tips will not help you acquire a better serve or backhand.

Tennis is played on a rectangular shaped court, and can be played with either two players (singles match), or four players (doubles match). Opponents stand on opposite sides of the net and use the racket to hit the ball back and forth to one another.

The game starts when a player on either team spins their racquet and the winner of the spin can choose to serve or receive, the side of the court, or defer their choice to the opponent. Once the player decides what option they want the opponent can choose the remaining choice.

Each player or team has a maximum of one bounce to return the ball back over the net within the court boundaries. For singles, the court boundaries are 27 ft wide, while doubles courts are 36 ft wide. The length from baseline to baseline stays the same for singles and doubles.

The goal of the game is to win enough points to win a game, enough games to win a set, and enough sets to win a match. The point system in tennis is unique compared to other sports. Below is how the point system works.

0 points = Love
1 point = 15
2 points = 30
3 points = 40
Tied score = All
40-40 = Deuce
Server wins dues point = Ad-In
Receiver wins deuce point = Ad-Out

In order to win a game, the team must win at least 4 points and win by two points. For example, if the score is 40-30, 40-15, or 40-love only one more point is needed to win a game for the player with 40. However, if the score is 40-40 it is called deuce. In this case, the player must win 2 points in a row to win the game.

After a game is won, the players or teams must switch sides, but only on odd games. So after the first game is done, they switch sides, and every two games after that.

Now this is a lot of information, but trust me after you watch even just one tennis match you will get a better understanding of the game. Tennis offers a unique blend of excitement, strategy, and athleticism that makes it both pleasant to watch and play.

Source: https://www.sportspectator.com/fancentral/tennis/tennis_diagram.gif

TENnis Fun Facts

Tennis balls used to be white before they were yellow.
During a tennis match, a player on average runs 3 miles.
Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world.
The longest recorded tennis match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes.
The shortest recorded tennis match lasted just 20 minutes.
If the tennis ball hits a player’s body or clothing before it lands, the point goes to the opponent.
The fastest recorded tennis serve was 163.7 mph.
When tennis first moved from indoors to outdoors, the courts used to be an hourglass shape.
Venus and Serena Williams were the first sisters to ever win gold medals in tennis in the Olympics.
As of June 2023, Novak Djokovic holds the world record for the most men’s tennis Grand Slam titles, totaling 23.