TENN360 | THE FAN'S GUIDE TO THE TOUR
tennis is more than the score.
THE BASICS
BALL KID
A trained person who retrieves balls and helps keep play moving during a match.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Fast feet, perfect timing and somehow always in the right place.
BALL TOSS
The upward release of the ball before serving.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
It looks simple. Ask anyone who's ever tried to serve under pressure.
BASELINE
The line at the back of the court marking the limit of the playing area.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Home territory for the modern tennis player — spend most of the match here and you're in good company.
BREAK
Winning a game against an opponent who is serving.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
You've just taken something that wasn't yours. And in tennis, that's very good news.
CONTACT POINT
The precise moment and position where the racket meets the ball.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Miss the timing and even a beautiful swing can go nowhere.
DOMINANT HAND
The hand a player naturally uses for most tasks and usually holds the racket with for a one-handed shot.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Your racket-holding hand — the one doing most of the hard work.
DOUBLES
A match played between two teams of two players.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Four players, twice the movement and considerably more shouting of “mine!”
DOUBLES COURT
The full-width court used for doubles matches.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Those extra strips down the side suddenly become very valuable.
FOLLOW-THROUGH
The continuation of the racket's movement after making contact with the ball.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
The shot isn't quite finished when you hit the ball.
FOOT FAULT
A serving fault that occurs when a player's foot touches or crosses the baseline before the serve is struck.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
The serve hasn't even left the racket yet and the feet have already broken the rules.
FOOTWORK
The way a player moves, positions and adjusts their feet around the court.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Great tennis starts with getting yourself to the right place at the right time.
GRIP
The way a player holds the racket, including different hand positions used for different shots.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Same racket, different grip, completely different shot.
LINE CALL
A decision about whether a ball landed inside or outside a court line.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
In or out? Sometimes it's obvious. Sometimes half the stadium has an opinion.
MATCH
The complete contest between two players or teams.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
The whole story — from the first serve to that final handshake.
NET
The net divides the two sides of the tennis court.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
The thing sitting between you and victory. Try not to hit it.
NON-DOMINANT HAND
The hand opposite the dominant hand, often used to help control a two-handed backhand.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
The supporting actor that suddenly becomes very important on a two-handed backhand.
POINT
The smallest unit of scoring in a tennis game.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
It all starts with one. Then another. Then suddenly you're fighting for the match.
RACKET
The piece of equipment used to strike the tennis ball.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Your most important bit of equipment — choose it wisely and then try not to throw it.
RACKET FACE
The stringed surface of the racket used to make contact with the ball.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
This is where the magic — and occasionally the disaster — happens.
RALLY BALL
A shot hit with enough consistency and control to keep a rally going rather than immediately trying to win the point.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Sometimes the smartest shot is simply the one that keeps the conversation going.
RECEIVER
The player who is receiving the serve.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
The person waiting for that serve to come flying towards them.
SERVE
The shot that starts every point, hit from behind the baseline into the correct service box.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Every point starts here. Get it right and you're already asking questions.
SINGLES
A match played between two players, one on each side.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Just you, your opponent and absolutely nobody else to blame.
SINGLES COURT
The narrower playing area used for singles matches.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
Less court to work with, fewer places to hide.
UMPIRE
The official responsible for overseeing the match and enforcing the rules.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
The person with the chair, the microphone and the unenviable job of keeping everyone happy.
UNRETURNED SERVE
A serve that the receiver touches but cannot return successfully.
TENN360 TRANSLATION
They got a racket on it. They just couldn't do anything useful with it.
BROWSE BY CATEGORY
