Tennis, one of the world’s most popular sports, is a high-impact sport. Its popularity is growing daily in our country. So, what is tennis, how is it played, and what equipment is required? All your questions are answered in this article.
Before delving into the details of the game, let’s start with the basic question, “What is tennis?” Tennis is played on a court with a ball and racket. It can be played with a minimum of two and a maximum of four players. Originating in medieval France, tennis derives from the palm game played by knights. Its current form began in England in the 1800s. The word “tennis” also derives from the Anglo-French word “tenetz,” meaning “to wait and catch.”
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What is Tennis Equipment?
Before you start playing tennis, you need to understand the equipment and clothing . It’s crucial that the clothing you choose allows for comfortable play and movement. Furthermore, due to the high effort involved, it’s crucial that it be made of breathable, moisture-wicking, and lightweight fabric.
Female tennis players generally wear the following clothing:
- Polo, V-neck or crew neck t-shirt
- Athlete
- Tennis dress
- Tennis shorts or tennis skirt
The attire of male tennis players is as follows:
- Polo shirt, crew neck shirt or V-neck shirt
- Athlete
- Shorts on the bottom and tights under the shorts
After clothing, we need to talk about the essential equipment for your sport. If you’re new to tennis, you’ll need the following equipment:
- Racket: A tennis racket is the piece of equipment used to play the game, and it varies in size from age group to weight . It’s crucial for the racket to be lightweight and durable.
- Tennis Ball: A tennis ball is a ball filled with air and covered with felt . It is usually green in color.
- Tennis Shoes: Lighter than other shoes , tennis shoes provide freedom of movement. They are also lightweight and sweat-proof.
- Bag: It is the bag that allows you to carry all the equipment.
- Grip: Allows you to wrap the racket handle. This allows you to increase grip comfort.
- Strings: This is the name given to the strings of a tennis racket. It allows you to replace the strings when they wear out.
- Racket Protector : It is a tape produced to protect the racket against friction and impacts.
How to Play Tennis?
Before we explain the game, we need to provide some final information about the courts. Tennis is played on three different courts: grass courts, hard courts, and clay courts.
- Grass court: This type of court, covered with artificial turf, is the least common due to maintenance costs. The ball doesn’t bounce very high, and the game is played close to the ground.
- Clay court: This is the most challenging type of surface. The ball can move unpredictably on the surface. It’s the most popular type in professional tournaments.
- Hard court: This is the most commonly used court type with low maintenance costs. The ball bounces easily on surfaces typically covered with concrete or similar materials.
To play tennis, you can follow the steps below:
- A match is played by two players or two teams of two. Players sit on opposite sides of a net in the middle of the court and attempt to pass the ball over the net into the opponent’s court using their rackets. The main goal is to prevent the opponent from reaching the ball as much as possible.
- The game begins with one player serving. The serve is delivered from out-of-bounds, aligned to the right of the center line. The receiver waits in the diagonal zone. The server must first serve the ball to the diagonal zone. The lines marking these zones are not the lines outside the court, but the lines inside the court.
- If the server misses, hits the ball into the net, or misses the ball into the inbounds area, the fault is one. If the fault is committed twice, the opponent scores a point.
- During the serve, the opposing player must wait in their own court, either on the line or on the far side of the net. It is illegal to cross to the other side before the serve is made and to interfere with the ball that hasn’t yet bounced. When receiving the ball, you may hit it after waiting for it to bounce once in your own court. Play continues until one player wins the serve.
What are the Rules of Tennis?
- The basic rule in matches is to throw the ball over the net into the opponent’s court. Matches consist of three sets, and the winner of two of the three sets is the winner. However, there are men’s tournaments where the winner of three sets is the winner of the match, with the winner being five sets.
- A total of six games are played to win a set. The game starts with a score of 0-0, and each point is won by the team that scores 15, 30, or 40 points. If the score is 40-40, the team that scores the point is not considered to have won the game. They gain the advantage and win the game if they score one more point.
- If the game is tied at 5-5, an overtime set is played, which continues until one side extends their lead to two games.
- Players change ends in each set after the first, third, and subsequent odd-numbered games. If the total number of games played in a set is an even number, the end of the set is changed after the first game of the next set. Furthermore, because balls are damaged with each hit, they are changed with new balls every six games.
- It is a foul for a player to touch the net. Touching the net scores a point for the opponent.
- Referee decisions in matches are final. However, if the linesmen or net referee make errors, the head referee may make substitutions. The head referee’s decision is final. Today, thanks to the use of technology in games, players have the right to appeal. This allows them to challenge decisions made on or off the line.
