A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A
Ace - A serve that lands inside the service box but out of the reach of an opponent, this means the service is not touched by the receiver, therefore, a winner is an ace. Aces are generally powerful that lands on or near one of the corners at the back of the service box.
Ad Court - Refers to the left side of the court of each player. It is so called because in this area the ball is served to get the ad (advantage) point straight away following a deuce.
Advantage - Refers to the first point after deuce. In a standard tennis game, scoring ahead of a "deuce" score, in which both players have scored three points each, needs that one player must gain two points ahead in order to win the game. A player winning the next point after deuce is said to have the advantage. If they lose the next point, the score becomes deuce again, as the score is tied. If the player with the advantage wins the next point, he will win the game, as he has a lead of two points.
Advantage set - Set won by a player or team, who won at least six games with an advantage of two games over the opponent. The all advantage sets is only used in final sets in the singles draws of the French Open. In the earlier period, advantage set was used at tennis Olympic events (until 2012), Davis Cup (until 2015), Fed Cup (until 2015), Australian Open (until 2018) and Wimbledon (until 2018) thereafter all changed to tiebreaks.
All - The term indicates the scores are level. It is called by the chair umpire to declare the equal number of points scored by both the player. For e.g., if an umpire calls "30 all", it means both players scored 30.
All-Comers - Tournament wherein all players took part except the prevailing champion. Generally, All-Comers event winners play the title holder in the Challenge Round.
All-Court Game - Refers to the combination of all playing style adopted by the players that include baseline, transition, serve and volley.
Alley - Refers to the lanes on both sides of the singles court, used only while playing doubles. It is also known as tram lines. Alternate - A player who was not initially picked in a team to play but remain important to the schedule after the main player withdraws before the beginning of a match.
Approach shot - When a player hit a hard and deep shot, often with topspin, that gives him/her the time to come to the net.
ATP - Acronym for Association of Tennis Professionals, the main body responsible for organizing men's professional tennis. It was formed in September 1972 and since 1990, the association has been organizing the ATP Tour for men.
ATP Champions' Race (or ATP Rankings Race To London) - ATP point ranking system that begins at the start of the year and by the end of the year reflects the ATP entry system ranking. Players who remain at top eight positions at the end of the year qualify for the ATP Finals.
ATP Finals - Earlier called the Tennis Masters Cup, a yearly season-ending tournament that features eight of the top-ranked men in the world along with the two alternates.
ATP Tour - The tour for top-tier men. Aside from the grand slams, the leading tournaments in men's tennis generally happen on the ATP Tour. In 1990, the Association of Tennis Professionals the governing body of professional tennis for men, enclosed the nine most impressive events as the "Championship Series - Single Tournament Week", and starting in 1996, as the "Super Nine".
Australian formation - When both the server and the partner of a server stand on the same side of the court is called Australian formation. The Australian formation tactics used in Doubles is highly effective in demolishing the opponents’ efficient return of serve.
B
Backcourt - Refers to the part of each side of the court that is farthest away from the net. Generally, it is the area between the baseline and the service line of the tennis court.
Backhand - The stroke made with the back of the racket hand, which faces the ball at the period of contact. A right-handed player often hits a backhand when the ball lies on the left side of the court, and vice versa. As the dominant hand of the player is "pull" into the shot, the backhand usually lacks the strength and consistency of the forehand and is generally considered more tricky to master. However, in the modern game, the two-handed backhand is used widely as it provides more stability and power for the shot.
Backhand Smash - Refers to a kind of smash played above the backhand side. The player must his/her right shoulder turned towards the net and the racket head at the back at the same time as moving to the ball.
Backspin - Also known as slice or underspin in which a player takes a shot, which rotates the ball backward. An upward force that lifts the ball affects the trajectory of the shot. It is mostly used on a defensive shot. When a player chopped down on the tennis ball, it produces backspin. It causes the ball to slow down or bounce low.
Backswing - Refers to the movement of an arm or racket backward to a point from which the forward or downward swing is made.
Bagel - Colloquial term used in order to define winning or losing a set 6–0 (the shape of the zero simply represent the round shape of a bagel). Generally, it indicates a situation when the set ends with a score of 6–0. This term is actively used in colloquial speech along with print as well. An extremely odd type of bagel, where no point is lost, is known as a Golden Set. Most bagel sets take place in the beginning rounds of tennis tournaments where the top-ranked player meets with lower ranked players.
Bagnall – A method of draw introduced in 1880 that sets all byes in the initial round. Elimination byes in the first round take place because byes have more value in later rounds.
Ball Toss - Refers to the act of throwing up the ball before serving to the opponent. If players are unable to get the ball toss for the service at the right spot on a regular basis, the contact point will be changed, and an unpredictable serve will be the result.
Ballkid - The child whose task is to retrieve the tennis balls from the court that have gone out of play and supply them to the players ahead of their service. Also known as ball boys or ball girls who normally kneel down close to the net and run across the court for collecting and giving the ball to the server.
Band - The strip of material present at the top of the net, which is generally of white color and the other part of the net, is of black color.
Baseline - Refers to the line which is at the extreme ends of the court representing the boundary of the playing area. When the ball passes over the baseline, it is considered as the other player's point.
Baseliner - Refers to the player playing around the baseline during play and depends on the quality of own groundstrokes.
Big Serve - A forceful serve giving an advantage to the server. Whether it is because of a height advantage or natural ability for a strong serve, opponents with big serves can be extremely threatening to play.
Bisque - Refers to a stroke, which is granted to the opponent. One stroke (point) that usually claimed by the receiver between any time of the set.
Block (or Blocked Return) - Refers to the defensive hit with the slight little backswing and shortened action rather than a full swing, usually while returning a serve.
Bounce - The upward movement of the ball after hitting the ground. The bounce's trajectory can be influenced by the surface and weather, the amount and type of spin and the control of the shot.
Breadstick - Slang used when a player wins or lose a set 6–1, with the square shape of the one, apparently being suggestive of the straight shape of a breadstick.
Break - The term generally refers to a break of serve. When one player is serving and loses the game, it means the opponent broke the player serve. Breaking an opponent’s serve is, of course, a huge deal in a match. It means a player have anticipated the trajectory, spin, slice, speed and direction of more than four of an opponent’s serves, in very less reaction time and played out those points and win the game.
Break Back - Winning a game as the receiving player or team instantly after losing the earlier game as the serving player or team.
Break Point - In tennis, when a player who is serving, loses a game, it is said that his/her opponent has “broken” their serve. Therefore, anytime a player is one point away from winning a game while their opponent serves, he/she have a breakpoint. A breakpoint takes place when the score of the game is 0-40, 15-40, 30-40 or when the returning player has the advantage in a deuce game.
Breaker - Another term used in place of the tiebreak, which is a special game played to decide the winner of the set when both the player have same score 6–6 in a set.
Buggy Whip - Forehand shot with a follow-through that goes from low to high does not go crossways the body and end on the opposite side, generally crosses the opposite shoulder (optionally) and end on the similar side. For example, Maria Sharapova whose racket head settles on the same shoulder.
Bumper Guard - A plastic piece, which prevents the outer part of the upper half of the racket head.
Bunt - Using the power of the opponent's shot and hit it reverse with a short swing.
Bye - Generally refers to the direct advancement of a player to the next tournament round without facing an opponent. Byes are generally awarded in the first round to the top-notch players in a tournament.
C
Call - Verbal remark by the chair umpire or a line judge announcing that a ball landed outside the official area of play.
can opener - When a right-handed player hit serve with slice, landing on or close to the intersection of the singles tramline and service line in the deuce court or in the ad court for a left-handed server.
Cannonball - Refers to extremely fast low or flat serve.
Career Grand Slam - It refers to players who have a record of winning all four Major tournaments at any point of his/her career generally said to have won a career Grand Slam.
Carpet - The term used in reference to synthetic indoor surfaces. ITF (International Tennis Federation) describes carpet courts as a "woven or non-woven nylon, or a polymeric or rubber material textile surface, naturally supplied in rolls or sheets" which can be easily removed. It is known as the second fastest court types after grass courts, however, its use in Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) competitions stopped in 2009 for reducing injuries.
Carve - Hitting a groundstroke shot with a blend of sidespin and underspin is termed as carve.
Center Line - Line, which divides the two service boxes in the center of the court.
Center Mark - Small mark placed at the center of the baseline. Server (a player who is serving) must stand on the proper side of the mark equivalent with the score.
Challenge - When a player requests an authorized review of the area where exactly the tennis ball landed by using electronic technology such as Hawk-Eye. A player can only do a challenge if play has stopped that either means the shot as called ended the point, or the player stopped playing the point. He is permitted to return the ball once but has to discontinue playing after that, if he wishes to challenge the line umpire's ruling. If the player takes a long time to challenge the call of line umpire, the chair umpire has the right to refuse his request for electronic review.
Challenge Round - Final round of a tournament wherein the single-elimination phase winner faces the champion of the previous year, who plays only that single match. The challenge round was used from 1877 to 1921 in Wimbledon and from 1884 to 1911 in US Open, and, till 1972, in the Davis Cup.
Challenger - A tour or tournament that is one level under the top-level ATP World Tour. At present, Challenger tournaments arrange the ATP Challenger Tour. Players, whose ranking lies in between 80 to 300 in a world, compete in the Challenger tour to earn ranking points and get qualified for the ATP World Tour.
Challenger Tour - Refers to the second top level of professional tennis competition.
Changeover - A pause during a tennis match in which the players change sides of the court. Also called a change of the ends, generally refers to the 90 second rest time offered after players change ends, every after an odd-numbered game.
Chip - When a player blocks a shot with underspin that creates a low trajectory. Chip shot makes players able to keep the ball low so that the opponent has less probability to hit an effective passing shot. It becomes simpler to move through the shot and players will have more time to get into the net.
Chip-and-Charge - This is an approach used by the player while playing a shot in which he/she hits a slice shot while quickly moving forward and following the shot into the net. It is used to put pressure on the opponent.
Chop - A stroke that produces a large amount of backspin or you can say simply a shot hit with extreme underspin.
Clay - Refers to a tennis court, generally made of crushed stone, brick, shale, or another uninhibited mineral collective. Clay courts are used in the French Open, which makes it exceptional among the Grand Slam tournaments. Clay courts are mostly used in Continental Europe and Latin America as compared to North America, Asia, or Britain. They are of two types i.e. red clay, and green clay called as "rubico", which is a harder surface. These courts are less costly to construct, however, its maintenance cost remains high, as the surface must be rolled to protect flatness.
Closed Stance - The classic technique used by a player while hitting a ball in which his/her face remains at an angle between parallel to the baseline and with the back turned towards the opponent.
Code Violation - Violating rules on the men's and women's professional tour match identified by the chair umpire which results in a player receiving an official warning or a penalty. Initial rule violation results in a warning; second violation results, a point penalty; while more violation can result in a game penalty.
Consolidate (a break) - In the game when player hold serves straight away following a break of serve.
Continental Grip - A way of holding the racket for playing a shot during a match. It is executed by keeping the hand such that the base knuckle of the index finger is right on bevel #2. It is generally attained when holding the racket like it is an ax, thus also called "Chopper grip".
CounterPuncher - This term entitles to a player who is a defensive baseliner. This player tries to return every ball and relies on the opposing player mistakes. The counterpuncher trademarks include steady shots with minimum error with an accurate placement that makes it difficult for their opponent to perform an aggressive shot.
Court - An area designated to play tennis games. Standard tennis courts remain rectangular in shape and have range 78 feet long and 36 feet wide. This whole court is generally used for doubles, while, for singles, there are tramlines that reduce its width to 27 feet. There is always a three feet and six inches tall net remain across the middle of the court.
Crosscourt - This term describes hitting the ball diagonally towards the opposing side of the court. The top reason to hit a crosscourt shot no matter what situation player is in is that, by going cross court, he/she goes across the lowest part of the net.
Crosscourt Shot - Hitting the tennis ball diagonally into the court of an opponent is known as a crosscourt shot.
Cross-Over - When a player crosses the net into the court of an opponent. This takes place either in a friendly way or in maliciously, thereby raising a code violation. The latter occasionally take place when it is indecisive whether the ball on a crucial point landed inside or outside the court when playing on clay, thus leaving a mark.
Cyclops - Previously the device used for detecting a serve that landed long, past the service line at Wimbledon and other tournament is known as Cyclops. The device produces an audible noise when the serve was long.
D
Dampener - A small rubber device attached to the racket's strings for absorbing some of the vibration caused by hitting the ball.
Davis Cup - The premier men's international team competition run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), in which participating teams compete in a knockout format. It is considered as the "World Cup of Tennis", as the winners are called the World Champion team. The competition started in 1900 between Great Britain and the United States as a big challenge. The most winning countries over the history of the Davis Cup are the United States (won 32 tournaments and 29 times runner up), Australia (won 28, and 19 times runner up).
Dead Net Cord - When a player unintentionally clips the peak of the net, which causes the ball to drop over onto their opponent's side of the net.
Dead Rubber - This term depicts a match in a series where the result of the series has already determined by earlier matches. The term used in Davis Cup and Fed Cup in international tennis. For e.g. in a Fed Cup series, each group of participating countries plays five matches (rubbers) where the winner is determined on a best-of-five basis. Once one competing country has gained three victories, the remaining match or matches are said to be dead rubbers.
Deciding point - In doubles, the point gains when the game score reaches deuce and there is no advantage play; the game become in favor of the team winning the deuce point.
Deciding Shot - In doubles, once a match reaches deuce, the advantage is not included, and the team that gains the next point wins the game.
Deep Shot - Refers to the shot landing near the baseline, rather than near the net or mid-court.
Default - When a player faces disqualification in a match after receiving four code violation warnings from a chair umpire. Defaults occur due to a variety of reason and considered a big loss. If a player harms his opponent by throwing the racket or by hitting the ball, he quickly defaults. In addition, if a court is accessible for match play and a player has not entered in within 15 minutes of the scheduled period, the player may be penalized or defaulted.
Deuce - When both the player have the same score i.e. 40-40 tie, it’s “Deuce” and either player just needs to win by two to finish off the game. The literal paraphrase for Deuce is two, derived from the Latin word “duos.” Once the score is Deuce, both the player needs to gain two consecutive points to win a Game. If they are unable to do so i.e. they win one and lose another, the score again called Deuce. This can occur indefinitely in theory.
Deuce Court - Refers to the right side of the court of each player. It is so called because in this area the ball is served when the score is a deuce.
Dink - The term used to echo a hit that usually hits near the net and with minute speed.
Dirtballer - This term refers to a player who is a specialist in playing on clay courts.
Disadvantage - The term refers to player or team having 40-advantage down.
Double Bagel - Refers to two sets won to love. It simply means a player wins by 6-0, 6-0.
Double Fault - Two mistakes conducted by a player one after another while serving a tennis ball, result in loss of a point.
Double Hit - When a player hits a ball twice in the same stroke is termed as Double Hit. If the shot is in one continuous motion, without a second deliberate swing or push, then it is a legal shot even if it hit a racket twice in the one swing.
Doubles - Match played by two teams of two players each, usually all-male or all-female. It used a wider playing court than singles matches. The two receiving side players change positions after each point played.
Down The Line - The ball hit straight away along the sideline to the opponent's side of the court. It simply means the stroke has been played straight down the baseline. Hitting down the line is extremely useful if an opposing player has an obvious weakness in one of their ground-strokes. If a player has a strong forehand and his/her opponent has a fragile backhand, the hit goes automatically go down the line and it simply results in an unforced error by an opponent.
Draw - The term refers to the tournament schedule. The draw is decided by seeding and a random selection process. drive volley (or swing volley) A tennis volley carried out with full swing or topspin drive, thus with speed and usually at shoulder height; in the way of a forehand or backhand swing.
Drop Shot - When a player hits the ball slightly enough that it just go over the net, usually with backspin; implemented to hold a player who is away from the net off guard.
Drop Volley - A drop shot hit with a volley is rightly called a drop volley. The secret to intending a good drop volley is having "soft hands." This shot is extremely useful in singles and in doubles both. When a slow-moving ball comes, a player should not try to crush the return, hitting a drop volley will shock an opponent and enable you to get into place for an easy winner.
E
Elbow - The term refers to the baseline corner and the doubles alley.
Entry System - The ranking system employed by the ATP and WTA tours, so named as it decides whether a player has an adequate high ranking to get direct acceptance into the main draw of a tournament instead as a qualifier or wild card. Entry System ranking of a player is different from their Race ranking that usually reset to zero at the starting of each year.
Error - One of the shots hit by a player that does not land in a playing zone and result in the loss of a point.
Exhibition - A match or tournament organized for the purpose of entertainment or rising money. It is not played for achieving ranks on the ATP or WTA tours.
F
Fault - Unsuccessful serve that fails to land the ball in the service box of an opponent (the right area of play), therefore not beginning the point.
Fed Cup (or Federation Cup) - The premier international women's tennis competition, initiated in 1963 for celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the ITF (International Tennis Federation). It was also known as the Federation Cup until 1995. It is one of the largest annual women's international tennis competition in terms of the number of participating countries. first serve The first two attempts of service that a player is permitted at the starting of a point. An allowed serve which lands inbounds does not count as a serve.
Five - The term used to express the number of games completed, for e.g. "7–5" is called as "seven–five", or a score of 40–15 is sometimes called as "forty–five".
Flat - Refers to a shot with relatively no spin. A flat shot is executed by hitting the ball at a neutral level (hit with a swipe). Flat shots remain powerful and become helpful particularly on the service due to its speed and no room for error.
Flat shot - When players hit a hard shot with relatively slight spin is known as flat (or flat shot).
Flatliner - Refers to the player who generally hits the ball flat with a very low trajectory along with great accuracy and depth. One of the famous tennis flatliner players is Andre Agassi.
Follow Through - This term describes a fraction of the swing seen after hitting the ball. The portion of a move back and forth after hitting the ball. Once the ball hit by the racket player remains in the follow-through stage. It is extremely important for striking the ball properly.
Foot Fault - During the service, if a player steps on or over the baseline into the court before hitting the ball is called a foot fault. It is a type of fault in which the server fails to keep both feet behind the baseline while performing service.
Forced Error - Error caused due to the good play by an opponent. It happens when an opponent hits a difficult shot that causes the opponent to miss it and lose the point.
Forehand - A stroke in which the player hits the ball with the facade of the racket hand in front of the ball. In this shot, the palm of your hand remains in front of the direction in which the ball is hit. The right-handed player begins this stroke on the right side of the body and finishes on the left side of the body. It is known as the easiest shot to master, because of the most natural stance.
Frame - Refers to the structure of racket that consists of a frame and strings. The frame generally includes a head (furthermost region from the grip), throat (the region between the head and shaft), and handle.
Frame Shot - Refers to a mishit that happens when the ball hits on the frame of the racket instead of the strings.
Futures - Series of tennis competition tour for men that create the ITF Men's Circuit, a tour two levels under the ATP World Tour and one level under the ATP Challenger Tour. Players generally compete in Futures events for gaining good ranking points and an entry into Challenger events.
Futures Tour - The ITF’s Pro Circuit tour has divided into different levels in which the lowest one is known as the ATP Futures tour. This tour generally deals with young players who are looking to make big in the future.
G
Game - A game made of a sequence of points played with the same player serving and is a section of a set. Each set comprises at least six games.
Game Point - The point required to win a game. In tennis, a match comes at a stage where a player or team needs one further point to win a game.
Ghost In To The Net - The term describes a move, which takes place when a player approaches the net from the baseline while his opponent is focusing on retrieving the ball. As the opponent is focusing on the ball, he might look unaware that the other player is approaching the net.
GOAT - The term refers to the players who are greatest of all Time! Both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are called GOAT for their outstanding performance in the tennis field over a period of several years of dedicated work.
Golden Bagel Award - An award recognized in 2004 to honor the professional male tennis player who has handed out more bagels as compare to other players on the circuit. Roger Federer has the all-time record for most bagels in one season.
Golden Set - Set won by a player without dropping a single point.
Golden Slam - When a player wins all four Grand Slams and an Olympic Gold in one year, it is said to have Golden Slam. Steffi Graf is the only player who has this achievement in 1988.
Grand Slam - Refers to the four most crucial annual tennis tournament, also known as Majors. They provide the maximum ranking points, prize amount, public and media attention, the big size field, and more. The Grand Slam journey includes Australian Open in mid-January, the French Open around late May through early June, Wimbledon in June-July, and the US Open in August-September. Each tournament played over a two-week schedule. The US Open and Australian Open tournaments are played on hard courts, while the French are played on clay and Wimbledon on the grass.
Grass - Refers to a tennis court, usually made of grasses in diverse compositions depending on the tournament. It is one of the leading court surfaces to play tennis as the surfaces remain fast with a low bounce. The highest rated tournament "Wimbledon" is played on grass.
Grass Court - Refers to the area on which the sport of tennis, initially known as "lawn tennis", is played. Grass courts are made of grasses in special compositions based on the tournament. Sampras is applauded by many tennis analysts as one of the best grass-court players of all time.
Grinding - Refers to a player skill when he/she plays out points with a sequence of shots taken from the baseline.
Grip - A way to hold the racket while hitting shots during a match. Players mostly choose among the Continental, the Eastern and the Western grip during a match depending on the shot they are hitting.
Grommet Strip - Plastic strips that run through the edge of the tennis racquet. Small tubes are attached to this edge. The racket strings are placed via these tubes when it is being fitted with new strings. Players must ensure that strings are tight and secure if they want to play hard and win. Also frequently, grommet strips do wear out and must be replaced.
Groundie - The slang used to describe groundstroke, which is a forehand or backhand shot, played after the ball, bounces once on the court. It is generally hit from the back of the tennis court, around the baseline.
GroundStroke - Forehand or backhand hit carried out after the ball bounces once on the court.
Grunting - When a player makes the noises while serving or hitting the ball is known as grunting.
Gut - Refers to the type of string in racquet string. The strings make contact with the ball, therefore made of catgut or synthetic gut.
H
Hacker - This term refers to an unskilled player who has no techniques to play the game.
Hail Mary - Refers to the very high lob, for defensive purpose.
Half Court - The playing region of the tennis court near the service line.
Half Volley - A groundstroke strike made straight away after a bounce or simultaneous to the bounce and played with the racket near the ground. Sometimes this stroke is also called as "on the rise shot", or "short hop". The half volley perhaps required at any point on the court, for example, if a player is striking from the baseline and their opponent plays a deep shot that hits the baseline then a half volley becomes useful to return the ball. While executing this shot, players need to keep eyes on the ball, as it has to be hit before the body and timed to perfection.
Handicapping - A system wherein participants are given advantages or compensations to balance the chances of winning.
Hard court - The tennis playing area i.e. court made of asphalt or concrete with a synthetic/acrylic coating on top. They can differ in color and be likely to play medium-fast to fast.
Hawk-Eye - Computer system linked to cameras to follow the path of the ball for replay purposes; used with the player review system to contest and designated line calls. Since 2006, Hawk-Eye is used for the Challenge System in tennis. This system is based on the principles of triangulation that uses visual images and timing data offered by several high-speed video cameras placed at different locations and angles around the area of play.
Head (or racket head) - Refers to the part of the racket, containing the strings.
Heavy (Ball) - A ball hit with great topspin that it considered "heavy" when the opponent strikes it.
Hit And Giggle - Refers to uncompetitive tennis. This may not be for the serious player, it is only for one who is happy to have a social hit and miss game with a few giggles.
Hitting Partner (or Sparring Partner) - The expert used by a tennis player for practicing strokes during training.
Hold (or hold serve) - This term refers to a player who won their service game. Theoretically, a player is predicted to win the Games where he/she is serving. If they are able to do so, they are managing to “hold” their serve. If they are unable to do so, this is termed as a “service break”.
I
Ichigo-byo - Simply the word "Ichigo" refer 1 (Ichi) and 5(go). Usually, the Japanese player uses this term when they tried to hit 20, however, hit a 5 and a 1 along with projected 20.
I-formation - In doubles, a formation in which the net player on the serving team bends roughly at the center service line; used mostly to counter teams that choose a crosscourt return.
Inside-In - Running around the backhand side and striking a forehand down the line. Contrariwise for inside in backhand.
Inside-Out - Running around the backhand side and striking a crosscourt forehand. Contrariwise for inside out backhand.
Insurance Break - The term used to describe the part of the play in which a player gets an advantage by breaking a serve two times. IPIN Acronym for International Player Identification Number which is generally a registration number necessary for all professional tennis players and governed by the authorized body ITF.
ITF - Acronym for International Tennis Federation, the governing body that maintains the rules and regulation of world tennis. It was founded in 1913 and become partners with the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
J
Jam - Hitting the ball straight at an opponent's body, forcing a discomfited or weak return.
Jamming - When a player serves or returns straight into the body of opposing player that means the ball aimed directly on the opponent’s chest, making it difficult for them to return the shot.
Junior Exempt ("JE") - The project launched in 1997 in order to help brilliant players make the change between the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors and the Professional Circuits. Top-ranking junior players can be able to secure a spot in the draw of a tournament via the ITF's junior exempt project
Junk Ball - A shot or reverse stroke wherein the ball tends to be slow and with no spin; often initiated suddenly to disturb the flow of the game and the pace or rhythm of the opponent.
K
Kick Serve - Refers to the crucial second serve, which bounces up high and gets twist away from an opponent, confusing them and taking the ball out of their hitting zone. This disrupts the opponent's timing and positioning, making them conservative or even defensive on the return.
Knocking Up - Having a short practice session before the beginning of the match. Players gently hit the ball back and forth prior to a tennis match and weighing the condition of the playing surface, lighting, etc.
Knock-Up - Refers to the practice session or warm up with no scoring which generally precedes the set up of competitive play.
L
Lawn Tennis - The formal name for a tennis game. This game is played on a grass court with rackets by two or four players who strike a ball back and forth over a net that splits the playing area (court).
Let - A call that needs the point to be replayed. The umpire usually points out this by announcing Let First service or Let the Second service. During play when a player has some distraction like a ball boy moving behind a receiver, garbage flying across the court in breezy conditions, or a ball unintentionally falling out from an opponent's pocket or making an entry from a neighboring court, in all such situation a let can be called.
Let-Check - Electronic sensor on the net, which helps chair umpires to call lets, by sensing vibration. Generally, this sensor is used only on show courts in professional games, as an electronic review. Players and commentators rarely complain that such devices are too sensitive, which pointed out too many false positives.
Line Call (or Call) - The slang uses to refer the call made by the line judge. An 'out' call will be made in blend with an extended arm pointing to one side if a ball lands outside the court and if the ball is 'in', i.e. lands on or within the outer lines, this is pointed out by holding both hands flattened and the arms stretched downwards.
Line Judge - The person chose to monitor the passage of tennis balls above the boundary lines of the court. A line judge can announce that a play was inside or outside the playing area and cannot be refused by the players. Line judges have to defer to an umpire's decision, even when it challenges their own observations.
Lingering Death Tiebreak - Refers to the tiebreak version played as the best of twelve points, with a two-point advantage required to secure the set.
Lob - The term indicates hitting the ball high and deep into the playing area of an opponent. It can be used in an offensive or defensive manner depending on the situation. When the ball hit high above the net and the opposing player or players are up at the net, the purpose might be an offensive lob in order to gain the point clearly. While in a defensive lob, players play a very wide shot to have enough time to get back into a good position.
Lob Volley - Type of volley hit with the aim to lob the ball over the opponent and normally played when the opponent is in the area of the net.
Love - This term refers to a score of zero or nil. At the starting of the game, both sides have no score and the game is called love-love. From love, the initial point is 15, then 30, then 40, then a game point that wins the match.
Love Game - Shutout game in which a player won without the challenger scoring a single point.
Lucky Loser - The highest-ranked player who loses a match in the qualifying round of the tournament, however, enters the main draw as another player withdraws due to the illness, injury, or other reasons.
M
Mac-Cam - The high-speed video camera used during a tennis game to telecast instant replays of close shots landing on/near the baseline. Its name is derived from John McEnroe.
Masters Cup - The previous name entitles to the year-end ATP championship, wherein the eight top-ranked players compete in a round-robin format.
Match - The official term for a game between two players (singles) or four players (doubles). Each match of tennis has two to three sets and a player must win at least six games to win a set.
Match Point - A situation in a game of tennis when the leading player requires one more point to win the match. In such a situation, if the player is serving a ball, it is said to be 'serving for the match'. This term can be used in different variation for e.g. in a championship tournament's final, match point will be called as the championship point.
Mercedes Super 9 - The former name entitled to the nine Association of Tennis Professionals Masters Series Tournaments. Mid-court The central region of the court for a tennis game.
Mini-Break - Point earn from the services of an opponent. The term is generally used in a tiebreak, however, can be used during normal service games too. This is less severe than an actual service break, but put great pressure while receiving. Players know they need that one point straight back. When players enter into a tiebreaker, they identify it is do-or-die and how crucial it is to get that mini-break.
Mini-Hold - This term describes a point won by the server, generally in a tiebreak.
MIPTC - An authorized central body that manages the men's professional Grand Prix tennis circuit. Called Men's International Professional Tennis Council or Men's Tennis Council (MTC) founded in 1974 by representatives of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Its main responsibilities include sanctioning and scheduling of the tournaments that contains the Grand Prix circuit.
Mis-Hit - Stroke wherein the racquet fails to make contact with the ball in the "sweet spot" region of the strings.
Mixed Doubles - A tennis match in which a male and a female play as partners against another male and female.
Moonball - Refers to a kind of groundstroke hit with enough topspin, generally with the forehand, creating a high, slow, floating shot that lands near the baseline of an opponent.
MOP - Abbreviation for major opportunity point. Nothing is much exciting than winning points on an opponent's serve. When the score attains 0-30, it is called as Major Opportunity Point because now the receiver is only two points ahead of breaking the opponents serve and the server is still waiting to score a point.
N
Net - The barrier that divides the two halves of the court. A cable at the top and net posts at each end supports it. Players must clear the height of the net (i.e. three feet and six inches tall at each end, and three feet in the middle) and land the ball within the boundaries of the court, in order for a shot to be considered in.
Net Chord - Refers to the tape present at the top of the net. A cord passing along and supporting the top of a tennis net is called a net cord.
Net Point - Refers to the point won or lost while player going towards the net.
Net Post - Posts on both the side of the court holding up the net. They are set 3 feet (0.914 m) outside the doubles court on both the side and if there is a single net used, then the net posts are placed 3 feet (0.914 m) outside the singles court.
Net Sticks - Poles pair placed below the net near the singles sideline in order to raise it for singles play.
New Balls - In a professional tennis match, a new set of balls are replaced by the old during the game from time to time because the strokes make the ball heat up and change its bounce characteristics.
No Man's Land - Refers to the area of court before the baseline (trench) and after the service line (trench). It is important for all the players to learn to play in "No Man's Land."
Non-Endemic Products - Products such as watches, cars, jewelry, etc. used in sponsorship, which are not intrinsic to the sport of tennis.
Not Up - Call announced by the chair umpire when a player plays a ball, which has previously bounced twice, i.e. the ball, went away from the playing zone when the player played it.
NTRP Rating - Abbreviation for the National Tennis Rating Program generally a system used in the United States for ranking players on a scale from 1 to 7, with 1 being a complete beginner and 7 a touring professional.
O
Official - Tournament referee, the chair umpire, or linesmen in the game of tennis are called as officials.
On One's Racket - A situation wherein a player can win the match, set, or tiebreak by holding serve. This happens when a player breaks the serve of an opponent or attains a mini break in a tiebreak.
On Serve - Refers to a situation where player or pairing has a similar number of breaks in a set. While on serve, no player or team can win the set without a split of serve. An advantage set need at least a single break to win.
OP - Refers to the opportunity point i.e. 15–30, an opportunity to probably break serve.
Open Era - Refers to the time period in the sport of tennis when tournaments became open for amateurs and professional players both. The Era begins in 1968 and holds a great record in tennis history.
Open Stance - Playing technique in which the body of a player hitting the ball is at an angle between parallel to the baseline and facing the opponent.
Out - When the ball lands outside the boundary lines of the tennis court without initially bouncing into play, then the linesmen call this phrase on the court.
Overgrip (OR Overwrap) - Tape-like wrapping made of cloth fixed on the racket grip to have added stickiness, softness, cushioning, and sweat absorption for players. Overgrip also boosts the circumference of your handle and vibrantly personalizes your racquet with your own unique style.
Overhead - When a player hits the ball over their head; if the shot is strike relatively strongly, it is termed to as a smash; which are simply referred as overheads, even though not every overhead shot is a smash.
Overrule - An umpire reversing a call made by a line judge is called an overrule. The chair umpire has the right to overrule if they think a line judge made a clear mistake.
P
Paint The Lines - When a player hit the shot that land very near to the lines of the court, it is said to have painted the lines.
Pass - Also called as a passing shot, played by a player who is usually near the baseline, hits the ball, so that it passes by (but not over) the opposing player who is at the net.
Percentage Tennis - Playing style comprises of safe shots with large margins of error. It has the aim to keep the ball in play in expectation of an opponent's error.
Ping It - To hit a nasty blow and place the ball deep to the corners of the tennis court. P
oaching - In doubles, a forceful shift where the player at the net comes to volley a shot planned for his/her partner.
Poaching (Noun Poach) - An aggressive move in which the player at the net moves to volley a shot planned for his/her associate. The player travels across the court to volley the ball out of the air with the aim of earning endpoint required to win.
Point - Refers to the time period between a successful service of a ball and when that ball goes out of play.
Point Penalty - A penalty applied due to the breach of the rules and regulations set by the governing body of tennis. Point Penalty system generally related to abuse. If the player refuses to follow the instructions to leave, then the authorized person may penalize the player.
Pre-Qualifying - Tournament wherein the winner gains a wild card into a qualifying draw of the tournament. For example, Dan Evans will have to go through pre-qualifying stage after Wimbledon picked not to give the former top-50 player a wildcard into both the main draw or qualifying.
Pressureless Ball - The special type of tennis balls, not having a core of pressurized air like standard balls, but have a core made of solid rubber, or a core filled strongly with micro-particles. Generally, for the top-pro play, quality pressureless balls are approved and mostly used at high altitudes, where standard balls are non-supportive.
Protected Ranking - Players who injured for a time frame of minimum six months can ask for a protected ranking, which usually depends on their average ranking during the first three months of injury period. The player can use their protected ranking for making an entry in the tournaments' main draws or qualifying competitions after coming back from injury.
Pulp - A term used to describe 30-30 score in tennis.
Pusher - Refers to a defensive player who "pushes" back any hit he/she can chase down, without intentionally hitting a winner. The player can angle hits, aim deep, and produce effectual lobs. Pushers are generally very prompt and consistent, rarely makes errors.
Putaway - Refers to an offensive shot, which is aimed to end the point with no hope of a return.
Q
Qualies - Abbreviation used for qualification rounds. In tennis, if the player ranks top, then he/she may be invited to the main draw, but if the player ranks low, then he/she have to go through qualifiers, which are generally played three to four days prior to the main tournament.
Qualification Round - Final playing round in a pre-tournament qualification contest.
Qualifier ("Q") - Refers to an offensive shot, which is aimed to end the point with no hope of a return.
Qualifying - Refers to the tournament or match played in order to determine which player or team will progress to the next stage. A qualifying tournament includes lower-ranked players looking for a place in the main draw of a tournament by participating in a pre-tournament draw.
Qualifying Draw - Refers to the match schedule in a tennis tournament, set up to arrange the initial lineup of the qualifying contest, from where unseeded players qualify for a place in the beginning lineup or the main draw of the tournament.
R
Racket - Generally, a bat having an oval or circular frame with a tense interlaced network of strings and a long handle used to hit a tennis ball. The frames are generally made of wood, metal, graphite, composite, or different synthetic material.
Racket Abuse - When a player slams their racket into the ground due to the frustration is called racket abuse. In such condition, umpire usually gives warning to the player.
Rally - A continuous series of shots that both the players exchange without stopping. Generally, it is a collective term given to a series of back and forth shots between players, within a point. A rally begins with the serve and the return of the service, followed by nonstop return shots until a point is scored.
Rankings - A hierarchical listing of players according to the achievements they have in the sports of tennis. Used to find out qualification for entry and seeding in tournaments.
Rating - A system employed by national tennis organizations to classify players by skills, experience, and knowledge of the sport. Player's rating generally depends on their match record. It ranges from 1.0 to 7.0 as the player get familiar about grips, strokes, managing the court and forcing errors, they will lift up in the tennis ratings.
Real Tennis (Also Royal Tennis Or Court Tennis) - An indoor racquet sport that was the ancestor of the new game of (lawn) tennis. The term 'real' differentiate the ancient game from the new game of lawn tennis. In the U.S.A, this game is known as court tennis and in Australia "royal tennis".
Receiver - Refers to a player who is facing the ball hit by the opponent.
Referee - Refers to the official who has a responsibility that the competition is fair and played according to the ITF Rules of Tennis. The referee oversees all the aspects of play at a tournament such as the conduct of players, coaches, spectators, and administrative crew.
Reflex Volley - Volley wherein the player has no time to plan the shot and instead reacts intuitively to get the racquet in position to return the ball. This occurs often in doubles and in advanced singles.
Registered Player - A designation utilizes during the starting of the Open Era to find out a category of amateur tennis players who were permitted to compete for prize money but resides under the control of their national associations.
Retirement - The term refers to a condition when a player takes a withdrawal during a match due to the injury or illness.
Retriever - A defensive baseliner who always try to return every ball and depends on the mistakes of an opponent to win a point in a match. This player hit consistent shots with a low error rate and precise placement which creates difficulties for the opponent to execute an aggressive shot.
Return - Refers to the stroke generally executed by the receiver of a service.
Return Ace - A kind of shot that takes place when the opponent serves, the receiver returns the ball, but at this time opponent fails to revert.
Rising Shot - Also known as "hitting on the rise", a kind of shot in which the ball is hit exactly before it reaches its peak. This shot can be hit from anywhere, mostly deep while and players hit them harder than half volleys with spin.
Round Of 16 - Round of a tournament before the quarterfinals when 16 players remain, corresponding to the fourth round of the 128-draw tournament, the third round of a 64-draw, and second round of a 32-draw tournament.
Round Robin - The format of tournament in which players are sorted into groups of three or four players that plays against all other members of the group. For example, if there are six players, then each one of them competes five times. Then players ranking will be based on the number of matches, sets, and games won and head-to-head records. The top one, two, or four players then qualify for the next level of the tournament. This format can be used in all tennis competitions such as singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. rubber Refers to the individual match, singles or doubles, within a Davis Cup or Fed Cup tie.
SABR (Sneak Attack By Roger) - A trick employed by a returner where he/she rushes forward during a service to hold an opponent off guard with a fast return. Roger Federer is known for popularizing this ploy.
S
Satellite - The term refers to intermediate junior level of play, often equal to Level 6. ITF (International Tennis Federation) organizes a junior tour that permits juniors to gain a world ranking and ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) or WTA (Women's Tennis Association) ranking. Most juniors get an entry in the international circuit by succeeding at ITF, Satellite, Future, and Challenger tournaments.
Scoring - Method to track the progress of a match, which consists of points, game, and sets. A set comprises of a number of games (minimum six), which in turn each comprises of points. The first player or team to win 6 games with a margin of at least 2 games over the opponent (e.g. 6–3 or 7–5), generally wins the game.
Scratch - When a player withdraws from a match due to an injury. For e.g. Roger Federer drop out of the tournament and will be a scratch from the upcoming matches due to the severely twisted ankle.
Second Serve - Second and final of the two serve efforts made by a player at the starting of a point. A good second serve is most probably like a spin serve. Basically, the most successful second serves are all hit with a great amount of spin. Even it is suggested that players hit spin serves for their first serves too. It just gives them more options and keeps an opponent busy in guessing the shot. If a player misses the second service, the point is lost, and it becomes a great gift for an opponent.
Second Snap - A tennis ball struck for a topspin in opposition to lubricated or co-poly strings will attain extra rotation on the ball from the mains popping back in place before the ball leaves connection with the racket.
Seed - Player whose place in a tournament has been set based on his/her ranking so they do not meet other ranking players in the early rounds of play. For e.g. in ATP tournaments, normally one out of four players are seeds.
Serve - A shot to begin a point. A player must hit the ball into the diagonally opposite service box without being touched by the net. Normally players start a serve by tossing the ball into the air and striking it (usually near the peak point of the toss).
Serve And Volley - The term describes playing style in which the server moves quickly towards the net after striking a serve. The server then tries to hit a volley (a shot in which the ball is struck without bouncing). Its main aim is to put great pressure on the opponent with the aim of gaining end points quickly. This tactic is very useful on grass courts, which are generally fast. Ken Rosewall was known as a successful serve-and-volley player for two decades.
Service Box - Refers to a rectangular region of the court, marked by the sidelines and the service lines where service by the player is predicted to land in.
Service Game - In tennis, a game wherein a particular player serves. If players win their service game it is called a hold.
Service Line - A line marked on a tennis court parallel to the net, which represents the boundary of the service area. A line remains parallel to the net at a distance of 21 ft (6.4m) and forms fraction of the separation of the service box.
Set - Refers to groups of six or more games that form a game. A set comprises of up to 12 games and tiebreaks - except for the final set, that must be won by two clear games, and thus have no limit. When players won six games with at least a two-game advantage, he/she will win the set. If the score remains 6-5, then the set can be won 7-5; at 6-6, the set goes to a tiebreak.
Set Point - A situation wherein the leading player required one more point to win a set. In such a situation, if the player is serving then he/she said to be "serving for the set". A player is said to have "set point" if he/she is in a state of winning the set on the next point played. For example, if a player reached the score of 40 and the opponent's score is 30 or less, and in such situation, if the player wins the next point, he/she will win the game by achieving a one set point.
Shamateurism - Combination of 'sham' and 'amateurism', the offensive term used for describing a custom that widely existed prior to the open era where an amateur player would get financial remuneration for involving in violation of amateur laws.
Shank - Significantly misdirected hit, the result of striking the ball in an unplanned way, usually with the racket's frame, which goes extremely high in the air, goes into stand or land outside the lines.
Shot - Refers to the act of hitting the tennis ball. The most popular shots in tennis are Forehand, Backhand, Lob, Drop Shot, and Volley, mastering any one these can make a player champion of a game.
Shot Clock - Displayed clock, which is shown publically to make sure that a player serves within 25 seconds. The shot clock was first used in 2018 Australian Open grand slams.
Singles - The match played between two players, usually two men, or two women, sometimes between a man and a woman on an unofficial basis or as exhibitions.
Sitter - Shot hits with very little speed and no spin that gets a high bounce after landing, thus become an easy shot for an opponent to put away.
Sledgehammer - Refers to the two-handed backhand winner down the line.
Slice - Also known as backspin causes the tennis ball to spin back in the direction of the source of impact. When a slice shot bounces, the ball remains low, forcing an opposing player to completely stretch to get to the ball. A player who usually likes to attack the net and volley perform slice a lot. It is a useful weapon, but sometimes have disadvantage such as slice shots are slow, thus an opponent gets enough time to take a position up at the net.
Smash - A powerful stroke overhead. This shot is executed by a player who stays very close to the net, and able to hit the ball vertical so that it bounces into the stands, making the ball unable to return.
Spank - When a player hit a groundstroke flat with a lot of speed is termed as Spank.
Sparring Partner - Also known as hitting partner, who is an expert used by a tennis player for practicing strokes during training sessions.
Special Exempt ("SE") - Players who are not able to appear in a qualifying draw of tournament as they are yet competing in an earlier tournament can be rewarded a place in the main draw by special exempt.
Special Ranking ("SR") - A formula which allows players suffering from injuries, fell down in the ranking, gets an entry in a tournament by using the ranking they owned before the stop. It creates an opportunity to set themselves at top levels again.
Spin - The ball rotation when it moves in the air that affect, its trajectory, and bounce. When a tennis ball is hit, spin is often imparted on it to having an effect on its path and bounce. The three most popular ways to hit a tennis ball are flat i.e. no spin, with topspin, or sliced i.e. hit with underspin or backspin. The type of spin placed on the ball affects its path in the air, as well as how it bounces.
Split Step - A footwork skill in which a player bounces a little bit on both feet, just as the opponent hits the ball. This helps the player to move rapidly in either direction.
Spot Serving/Spot Server - When a player serves with a precision that causes the ball to land either on or near the intersection of the center service line and service line or singles tramline and service line is called spot serving/spot server.
Squash Shot - Refers to a backhand or forehand shot usually executed from a defensive position. This shot hit with a slice or from behind the position of a player.
Stance - The way a player stands when hitting a tennis ball.
Stick Volley - Refers to a volley (a shot hit, generally in the region of the net, before the ball bounces on player own side of the court) hit crisply that results a sharp downward trajectory of the ball.
Stiffness (or Racket Stiffness) - Refers to the bending capacity of a racket, when having an impact with the ball. Beyond power and control, stiffness of a racket has an impact on comfort as well.
Stop Volley - Refers to a soft shot intended to take just over the net, short of the reach of opposing team or player.
Stopper - Refers to a player who doesn't have the capability to win or go long in a tournament but he/she can stop a top seed from advancing.
Straight Sets - Refers to a situation where the winner of a match does not lose a set. It is also known as a set won by a score of 6-something; i.e. Won at the initial opportunity and does not reach five games all.
String Saver - The tiny piece of plastic often included where the strings cross for prevent the strings from abrading each other and impulsively breaking.
Strings - Material is woven from end to end of the racket structure. The contact of the ball always must be with racket strings.
Stroke - Also called as a 'shot' in tennis that is generally the act of hitting the ball.
Sudden Death Tiebreak - The tiebreak version played as the best of nine points, with the end being a deciding point to secure the set. Jimmy Van Alen as a component of the VASSS introduced it in 1965.
Super Tiebreak - A tiebreak deviation played to ten points instead of seven. Doubles matches are generally best of three sets, with a Super Tiebreak to ten points which is executed if the score reaches a set all. The super tiebreak winner will only be considered to have won one game when scoring for total games and point spreads. Except for grand slams, this take place in most tournaments.
Supercoach - Refers to a tennis coach who has a great professional career. For e.g. Boris Becker entitled as a super coach of Novak Djokovic as he helped him to win 6 out of 7 Slam Finals.
Sweetspot - The central part of the racquet head that considered as the best location to have control and power for making a connection with the ball.
Swing Volley - A tennis volley played with full swing or topspin drive, accordingly with speed and normally at shoulder height; in the way of a forehand or backhand swing, is termed as swing volley or drive volley.
T
T (The T) - The spot on a tennis court where the centerline and the service line cross vertically to form a "T" shape.
Tanking (Noun Tank) - Slang used when a player loses a match purposely; or to intentionally lose a non-vital set, in order to keep energy and attention on a match-deciding set, however, it could result in a temporary ban like faced by Nick Kyrgios.
Tape It - To play an effortless fault that strikes the tape at the top of the net.
Tennis Ball - Refers to a hollow rubber ball covered with fibrous felt, generally, use to play tennis. At major tennis events, the color of these balls remain fluorescent yellow, however, in recreational play, it can be almost any color.
Tennis Bubble - Indoor tennis facility that consists of an arched structure, supported by air pressure comes through blowers presents inside the structure.
Tennis Dad - Refers to the father of a tennis player who is actively participating in his/her career growth.
Tennis Elbow - A painful tenderness of the tissue nearby the outer side of the elbow, caused by strain while playing tennis. It is a swelling of the tendons that join the muscles of the forearm on the outside of the elbow. The forearm muscles and tendons get injured from overuse due to the repetition of the similar motions again and again. This is the most common injury among tennis player as this sport exposes the musculoskeletal formations affected by the disorder to bigger tension.
Tennis Hall of Fame - Situated in Newport, Rhode Island, USA, the International Tennis Hall of Fame credit players and contributors to the tennis and consist of a museum, grass tennis courts, an indoor and court tennis facility.
Tension - Refers to how tightly strings are placed within the racket skull. Usually, rackets occur with a suggested string tension range. Higher string tensions provide more control, while lower string tensions result in more of a trampoline effect when hitting the ball and provide greater power.
The Vineyard Of Tennis - The Hall of Fame tennis writer Bud Collins refers Southern California the vineyard of tennis as this region produced some of the greatest tennis legends such as Pete Sampras, Tracy Austin, Jack Kramer, Bill Tilden, Pancho Gonzalez, etc. tie This term is used for team competitions such as the Davis Cup and Fed Cup, however, generally, remain synonymous with a match.
Tiebreak - A special game which is played to know the winner of the set when the score is 6-6 in a set. The player who gets at least seven points with a difference of two points over the opponent wins the game. Tiebreaks are generally the penalty shoot-outs of tennis, which are played when any set reaches six games all. Most official tournaments for instance "US Open" use the tiebreak option to decide the winner, however, some tournaments such Grand Slam tournaments Wimbledon, Australia Open and French Open play with no tiebreak in the decisive set.
Topspin - Refers to a ball's spin where the top of the ball turns toward the path of travel; the spin goes onward over the top of the ball that causes it to dip and bounce at a top angle to the court.
Toss - Throwing a coin up into the air to make a decision which player or team will serve first in the game. At the match starting moment, the winner of a coin toss picks who serves first. In amateur tennis, the toss is generally conducted by spinning the racket.
Touch - This term indicates that a player loses a point due to the tap at any part of the net while the ball was in play.
Tramline - The line that decides the boundaries of singles or doubles court. It defines the limit of play on the side of singles or doubles court.
Trampolining - The effect that takes place when striking a ball flat with a racquet, which is strung at an extremely loose tension. Trampolining results in a shot having high velocity.
Triple Bagel - A match in which the player wins three complete sets 6-0, 6-0, 6-0 without losing a match. The game score of losing player looks like a bagel.
Triple Crown - When a player wins the championship in all three tennis categories i.e. singles, doubles and mixed doubles at one event, mainly a Grand Slam tournament.
Tube - The colloquial term used when a player purposely and successfully hit the ball at the opponent's body, simply it is termed as "the player tubed his opponent."
Tweener - One of the tricky shot in which a player strikes the ball between his or her legs. It is generally performed when following down a lob with the back of the player to the net. Sometimes forward-facing tweeners are also used, colloquially known as "front tweeners".
Tweener Racket - A tennis racquet of mid-weight, mid-head size and mid-stiffness, often used as a transitional racquet for young professionals.
Twist Serve (or American Twist Serve) - When a player hit a serve with a combination of slice and topspin that results in a curving path and high bounce in the opposite direction of the ball's flight path.
Two Ball Pass - Passing an opposing player that has come to the net with an initial shot that causes them trouble on the volley followed up by striking the second ball by them.
U
Umpire - Someone on the playing area responsible to implement the rules of the game during play, usually sit on a high chair nearby the net. This person has the responsibility of conducting a game according to the International Tennis Federation Rules and regulations. At the main tier of the sport, a team of up to eleven officials can be on the court at any time schedule. These officials are split into categories on the basis of their responsibility during the match.
Underhand Serve (Or Underarm Serve) - Service wherein the server delivers the ball with their racket underneath shoulder level. This is considered odd but an acceptable trick in intermediate level tennis, whereas it is considered insulting in upper-intermediate and professional events.
Underspin (Or Backspin Or Undercut) - Refers to a ball spin where the top of the ball turns away from the direction of travel; the spin is below the ball that causes it to float and to bounce at a lower court's position.
Unforced Error - A missed shot (either service or return) which is completely a result of the player's own blunder and not due to the skills or effort of an opponent. Error in a service or return shot might happen due to the poor judgment and execution by the player. unseeded player Refers to the player who has not been ranked among the top 16 players by the organizers of the tournament.
Upset - When the top-notch player defeated a lower-ranked player in a game. The biggest Upset ever in Tennis is when Serena Williams lost against Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova during the women's singles quarterfinal match in the Australian Open on Jan. 23, 2019.
V
Vantage - The old term used in place of advantage.
VASSS - Abbreviation for Van Alen's Serving and Scoring System in which the scoring of a set would be like table tennis—1 for the initial point, 2 for the second, and so on up to a total of 25 or 37 by prearrangement. Each player serves for six successive points before giving service to the opponent, and the shifting of courts occur after 12 points.
Volley - One of the most impressive strokes in tennis in which the ball is struck before bouncing on the ground. Generally, a player strikes a volley while positioning near the net, although it can be made farther back, in the mid of the court or even close to the baseline.
W
Walkover - Unopposed win. A walkover is given when the opposing team or a player fails to begin the match for any reason like injury, illness, etc.
WCT - Acronym for World Championship Tennis. It is a tour launched in 1968 for professional men's tennis players which last until the occurrence of the ATP Tour in 1990.
Western Grip - Type of grip used when a player wants to create maximum topspin on the groundstroke, which is made by setting the index knuckle on bevel 5 of the grip.
Whiff - Refers to a stroke whereby the player misses the ball completely. A player can't whiff the ball while serving in a professional match. If the serving player swings and misses the ball, it is considered as a fault. The service movement is considered completed when the racket of a player hits or misses the ball.
Wide - A call for indicating that the ball has landed outside the court i.e. ahead of the sideline.
Wild Card - Refers to a player who gets an entry in a tournament even though his/her rank is not adequate or he/she didn't register on time. It all happens due to the discretion of the organizers. All ATP and WTA tournaments have vacant spots for wild cards entry in both the main draw and the qualifying draw.
Winner - An outstanding shot, which is impossible to hit by the opponent and the player gets the winning point. For e.g. when player A hits the ball and Player B is not able to reach it, then it's called a Winner for Player A.
WTA - Acronym for Women's Tennis Association, the main authorized body of women's professional tennis that manages the WTA Tour with the biggest tournaments for women. It is established to make a better future for women's tennis.
WTA Finals - The annual season-ending tournament that features eight of the top-tier women in the world along with two alternates.
Z
Zero Pointer - Ranking points get by skipping chosen professional tennis tour events, which a top-ranked player is dedicated to partaking in (compulsory tournaments). Therefore, the player risks receiving no points added to their ranking even when partaking in an optional tournament in place of the compulsory event.
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