There are significant differences between singles and doubles tennis, but not too many. In singles and doubles tennis, two players compete on each side of the court, whereas doubles tennis is played by two players each.

Furthermore, for doubles tennis, the court boundaries are wider, so each player has more space to move.

Rules & Guidelines

• The singles tennis court is narrower, with two players on each side.
• A player who plays the ball and another who returns it are known as a server and a receiver, respectively. Tossing the coin or spinning the racket decides who serves first and where each player begins on the court. As an alternative to tossing the coin, the winner can also ask the opponent to decide the ending and who will be the first player.
• Every game involves a switch of courts.
• When the mistake is realized, it must be corrected by the correct server. Players who serve when they are not on the serving line do not incur any penalties.
• At the beginning of a three- or five-game best-of-three or best-of-five game, the length of the game will be decided by the players or another authority.
• When playing, players must adhere to a few basic rules: the ball must be returned, the ball cannot bounce more than once, the ball must not leave the court, and all players must remain within the court lines.
• The winner of the set is the one who wins six games. Games three, five, and six are winners.

Tennis Rules for Doubles

Doubles games are played on a wider court than singles matches; however, the rules are the same.

Many players think they need to hit alternate shots when playing as a pair. Neither player must hit the ball more or less than the other.

When a serve is made, both players can stand anywhere on the court, but it’s traditional to take turns taking one side.

Ball serving

• There are four players (doubles), so someone else is serving every four games in singles and doubles tennis, which can be confusing.
• Serving begins on the right-hand side behind the baseline, and players must serve diagonally opposite, into the service box on the left. Servants should switch every time a point is played.
• It is possible for the server to try again when the ball lands outside of the service box. The player forfeits the point he would have earned if he had landed outside the box twice.
• Instead of using a racket, players throw the ball up into the air and hit it while it is still in the air. The higher the ball, the more power the player has to strike it, resulting in more rapid serving.
• Running or walking while serving is against the rules. Players, however, are free to move while serving.
• Prepare for your tennis match by performing these exercises.

Changes between endpoints

You don’t have to adhere to the general rules about breaks between sets and end changes if you are only playing tennis for fun, but if you are a professional you should.

Professional tennis players usually take a break between sets and between ends of one minute and a half. They use this time to use the restroom and for medical attention on the court.

Scores

You should practice your style of play as soon as you are able to score a tennis match. Although it may seem complicated to a beginner, it’s quite easy.

Always announce server scores first. The score would be 15 loves if the server scored one point and the opponent scored none. A love in tennis is zero.

The following factors determine the score:

• The value of love is zero
• One point equals 15
• Two points equals 30
• Three points equals 40
• Each player has four points (40).
• A player only needs one more point to win
• In a match where the player is at ‘Advantage’, the match point is the one that wins the match

Whenever a player loses a point, he or she returns to deuce. In one game, you can select to play three best-of-five matches or five best-of-three.

There are different ways to score tennis:

• In tennis, ‘loves’ represent the points.
• You are said to have ‘love’ if you are at zero, without a number attached to it.
• A game begins with 15-loves and ends with 30-loves. Instead of 45-loves, the third point is 40-loves.
• A player who has reached 40-love needs to score one more time to win if the other player is below 40.
• When both players are at 40, then the winning player has the “advantage”. Should the winning player win and go on to win the game, then the game is over. After the next point, there will be two points remaining.
• When a player gets two consecutive points, they win.

Now that you understand the rules, let’s get started playing this amazing game.

Court Navigation

• There’s a court-wide net in the middle of a 78ft x 27ft tennis court, but it can feel much larger or smaller when you’re playing. So knowing how the court works is crucial.
• You serve from white baselines at either end of the court. In other words, if the ball lands outside of these lines, the player loses the point. On the sidelines, there are similar lines.
• You should use the inside line if you’re playing singles. A court’s line indicates the type of game being played. The outside line is used for doubles.
• Getting your opponent moving around the court is often the best way to improve your tennis technique. Make your opponent’s life difficult by being unpredictable with your play style. You will tire your opponent quickly if you make them move from the back to the front of the court constantly.

Taking part in singles matches

There are some specific differences between playing singles and doubles tennis that you should be aware of before you start. One of either side of the net faces the other in a singles match. Every point of the game starts with a serve taken from the backline (the furthest point on the court). Serving diagonally will land you on the opposite left-hand service court.

• Over half way on either side of the service court is marked with a white line. The point is won by whichever player failed to hit the ball back or the ball landed out of bounds after the serve was made. This continues until match point is reached.
• A match point is won by the winner. Whoever wins three or five matches first wins the game, depending on what you agree.

After the first game, players switch sides of the court every time thereafter.

Taking part in doubles matches

It’s a bit more complicated to play doubles matches because you must strategize with your partner. Doubles tennis is almost identical to singles tennis.

Two players work together on opposite sides of the court when playing doubles. Each player serves in turn. Suppose player A serves first, player C serves second, player B serves third, and player D serves fourth. Easy.

The players alternate ends of the court during every odd-numbered match of singles tennis.

Serving

When you are learning to play tennis, you need to know how to serve correctly. The correct way to serve will determine your success or failure.

Players with right hands:

• Step sideways behind the baseline while keeping both feet apart. Straighten your left arm as you throw the ball.
• As you throw the ball, place your left foot about one foot forward so that it is within reach without much effort.
• To add force to your swing, move your racket back as you approach the ball.
• Straighten your racket arm when you meet the ball.
• Shift your weight from your backfoot to your front foot as you strike the ball.
• Your aim should be just above the opponent’s court, so that you hit the ball just above the opponent.
• Rackets must be fully swung when serving.

Players with left hands

For left-handed players, the directions must be reversed.

It’s advisable to serve by yourself only until you have mastered your swing. If you have a marked area in your garden or on your local tennis court, hit the ball one after another.

If you serve the ball, be prepared to receive the returned ball. You will have access to several different shots as you play, including the groundstroke, which involves hitting the ball after it bounces once. Forehands and backhands have different forces, so you need to pick which stroke you will use to determine the force of the ball.