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Tennis RulesA full desciption

Tennis 1

Tennis

The US Open is a prestigious Grand Slam tournament.Highest governing body International Tennis Federation

First played 19th century (U.K.)

Characteristics

Contact No

Team members Single or doubles

Categorization Racquet sport

Equipment Tennis ball, tennis racquet

Olympic 1896-1924, 1988-present

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles).Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent'scourt.The modern game of tennis originated in the United Kingdom in the late 19th century as "lawn tennis" which hasclose connections to various field/lawn games as well as to the ancient game of real tennis. Until then, "tennis"referred to the latter sport: for example, in Disraeli's novel Sybil (1845), Lord Eugene De Vere announces that he will"go down to Hampton Court and play tennis. As it is the Derby [classic horse race], nobody will be there".[1] Afterits creation, lawn tennis spread throughout the upper-class English-speaking population before spreading around theworld.[2] Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all ages. The sport can be played byanyone who can hold a racket, including people in wheelchairs.The rules of tennis have not changed much since the 1890s. Two exceptions are that from 1908 to 1960 the serverhad to keep one foot on the ground at all times, and then the adoption of the tie-break in the 1970s. A recent additionto professional tennis has been the adoption of electronic review technology coupled with a point challenge system,which allows a player to challenge the line (or chair) umpire's call of a point. Players have unlimited opportunity tochallenge, but once three incorrect challenges are made in a set, they cannot challenge again until the next set. If theset goes to a tie break, players are given one additional opportunity to challenge the call. This electronic review,currently called Hawk-Eye, is available at a limited number of high-level ATP and WTA tournaments.Tennis is enjoyed by millions of recreational players and is also a hugely popular worldwide spectator sport,especially the four Grand Slam tournaments (also referred to as the "Majors"): the Australian Open played on hardcourts, the French Open played on red clay courts, Wimbledon played on grass courts, and the US Open played alsoon hard courts.

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HistoryMost historians believe that tennis originated in France in the 12th century, but the ball was then struck with thepalm of the hand. It was not until the 16th century that rackets came into use, and the game began to be called"tennis." It was popular in England and France, although the game was only played indoors where the ball could behit off the wall. Henry VIII of England was a big fan of this game, which historians now refer to as real tennis.[3]

Harry Gem and his friend Augurio Perera developed a game that combined elements of rackets and the Basque ballgame pelota, which they played on Perera's croquet lawn in Birmingham, United Kingdom.[4] [5] In 1872, along withtwo local doctors, they founded the world's first tennis club in Leamington Spa.[6]

In December 1873, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield designed and patented a similar game — which he calledsphairistike (Greek: σφάίρίστική, from ancient Greek meaning "skill at playing at ball"), and was soon knownsimply as "sticky" — for the amusement of his guests at a garden party on his estate of Nantclwyd, in Llanelidan,Wales.[7] He likely based his game on the evolving sport of outdoor tennis including real tennis. According to sometennis historians, modern tennis terminology also derives from this period, as Wingfield borrowed both the name andmuch of the French vocabulary of real tennis and applied them to his new game.

Lawn tennis in the U.S., 1887

The first championships at Wimbledonin London were played in 1877.[8] Thefirst Championships culminated asignificant debate on how tostandardize the rules.

In America in 1874 Mary EwingOuterbridge, a young socialite,returned from Bermuda where she metMajor Wingfield. She laid out a tenniscourt at the Staten Island Cricket Clubin New Brighton Staten Island, NewYork. The exact location of the clubwas under what is now the StatenIsland Ferry terminal. The firstAmerican National tournament in 1880was played there. An Englishman

named O.E Woodhouse won the singles match. There was also a doubles match which was won by a local pair.There were different rules at each club. The ball in Boston was larger than the one normally used in NY. On May 21,1881, the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (now the United States Tennis Association) was formedto standardize the rules and organize competitions.[9] The U.S. National Men's Singles Championship, now the USOpen, was first held in 1881 at Newport, Rhode Island.[10] The U.S. National Women's Singles Championships werefirst held in 1887.[11] Tennis was also popular in France, where the French Open dates to 1891.[12] Thus,Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open, and the Australian Open (dating to 1905) became and have remainedthe most prestigious events in tennis.[8] [13] Together these four events are called the Majors or Slams (a termborrowed from bridge rather than baseball).[14]

The comprehensive rules promulgated in 1924 by the International Lawn Tennis Federation, now known as the International Tennis Federation, have remained remarkably stable in the ensuing eighty years, the one major change being the addition of the tie-break system designed by James Van Alen.[15] That same year, tennis withdrew from the Olympics after the 1924 Games but returned 60 years later as a 21-and-under demonstration event in 1984. This reinstatement was credited by the efforts by the then ITF President Philippe Chatrier, ITF General Secretary David Gray and ITF Vice President Pablo Llorens, and support from IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch. The success

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of the event was overwhelming and the IOC decided to reintroduce tennis as a full medal sport at Seoul in 1988.The Davis Cup, an annual competition between men's national teams, dates to 1900.[16] The analogous competitionfor women's national teams, the Fed Cup, was founded as the Federation Cup in 1963 to celebrate the 50thanniversary of the founding of the ITF also known as International Tennis Federation.[17]

In 1926, promoter C.C. Pyle established the first professional tennis tour with a group of American and French tennisplayers playing exhibition matches to paying audiences.[13] [18] The most notable of these early professionals werethe American Vinnie Richards and the Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen.[13] [19] Once a player turned pro he or shecould not compete in the major (amateur) tournaments.[13]

In 1968, commercial pressures and rumors of some amateurs taking money under the table led to the abandonment ofthis distinction, inaugurating the open era, in which all players could compete in all tournaments, and top playerswere able to make their living from tennis.[20] With the beginning of the open era, the establishment of aninternational professional tennis circuit, and revenues from the sale of television rights, tennis's popularity has spreadworldwide, and the sport has shed its upper/middle-class English-speaking image[21] (although it is acknowledgedthat this stereotype still exists).[21] [22] [23]

In 1954, Van Alen founded the International Tennis Hall of Fame, a non-profit museum in Newport, RhodeIsland.[24] The building contains a large collection of tennis memorabilia as well as a hall of fame honoringprominent members and tennis players from all over the world. Each year, a grass-court tournament and an inductionceremony honoring new Hall of Fame members are hosted on its grounds.

EquipmentPart of the appeal of tennis stems from the simplicity of equipment required for play. Beginners need only a racquetand balls.

RacquetsThe components of a tennis racquet are a handle and neck joining a roughly elliptical frame that holds a matrix oftightly pulled strings. For the first 100 years of the modern game, racquets were of wood and of standard size, andstrings were of animal gut. Laminated wood construction yielded more strength in racquets used through most of the20th century until first metal and then composites of carbon graphite, ceramics, and lighter metals such as titaniumwere introduced. These stronger materials enabled the production of oversized rackets that yielded yet more power.Meanwhile technology led to the use of synthetic strings that match the feel of gut yet with added durability.Under modern rules of tennis, the racquet must adhere to the following guidelines[25] ;• The hitting area, composed of the strings, must be flat and generally uniform.• The frame of the hitting area may not be more than 29 inches in length and 12.5 inches in width.• The entire racquet must be of a fixed shape, size, weight, and weight distribution. There may not be any energy

source built into the racquet.• The racquet must not provide any kind of communication, instruction or advice to the player during the match.The rules regarding racquets have changed over time, as material and engineering advances have been made. Forexample, the maximum length of the frame had been 32 inches until 1997, when it was shortened to 29 inches.[26]

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BallsTennis balls are of hollow rubber with a felt coating. Traditionally white, the predominant color was graduallychanged to Optic Yellow in the latter part of the 20th century to allow for improved visibility.

MiscellaneousAdvanced players improve their performance through a number of accoutrements. Vibration dampers may beinterlaced in the proximal part of the string array for improved feel. Racket handles may be customized withabsorbent materials to improve the players' grip. Players often use sweat bands on their wrists to keep their hands dryas well. Finally, although the game can be played in a variety of shoes, specialized tennis shoes have wide, flat solesfor stability and a built-up front structure to avoid excess wear.

Manner of play

The dimensions of a tennis court

For individual terms see: Glossary of tennis

Court

Tennis is played on a rectangular, flat surface, usually grass, clay, ahardcourt of concrete and/or asphalt and occasionally carpet (indoor).The court is 78 feet (23.77 m) long, and 27 feet (8.23 m) wide forsingles matches and 36 ft (10.97 m) for doubles matches.[27] Additionalclear space around the court is required in order for players to reachoverrun balls. A net is stretched across the full width of the court,parallel with the baselines, dividing it into two equal ends. The net is3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) high at the posts and 3 feet (91.4 cm) high inthe center.[27]

The modern tennis court owes its design to Major Walter CloptonWingfield who, in 1873, patented a court much the same as the currentone for his stické tennis (sphairistike). This template was modified in1875 to the court design that exists today, with markings similar toWingfield's version, but with the hourglass shape of his court changedto a rectangle.[28]

Lines

The lines that delineate the width of the court are called the baseline(farthest back) and the service line (middle of the court). The shortmark in the center of each baseline is referred to as either the hashmark or the center mark. The outermost lines that make up the length are called the doubles sidelines. These are theboundaries used when doubles is being played. The lines to the inside of the doubles sidelines are the singlessidelines and are used as boundaries in singles play. The area between a doubles

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Two players before a serve

sideline and the nearest singles sideline is called the doublesalley, which is considered playable in doubles play. The linethat runs across the center of a player's side of the court iscalled the service line because the serve must be deliveredinto the area between the service line and the net on thereceiving side. Despite its name, this is not where a playerlegally stands when making a serve.[29] The line dividing theservice line in two is called the center line or center serviceline. The boxes this center line creates are called the serviceboxes; depending on a player's position, he or she will haveto hit the ball into one of these when serving.[30] A ball is outonly if none of it has hit the line or the area inside the linesupon its first bounce. All the lines are required to be between1 and 2 inches (51 mm) in width. The baseline can be up to 4 inches (100 mm) wide if so desired.[29]

Play of a single pointThe players (or teams) start on opposite sides of the net. One player is designated the server, and the opposing playeris the receiver. Service alternates game by game between the two players (or teams.) For each point, the server startsbehind their baseline, between the center mark and the sideline. The receiver may start anywhere on their side of thenet. When the receiver is ready, the server will serve, although the receiver must play to the pace of the server.In a legal service, the ball travels past the net (without touching it) and into the diagonally opposite service box. Ifthe ball hits the net but lands in the service box, this is a let or net service, which is void, and the server gets to retakethat serve. The player can serve any number of let services in a point and they are always treated as voids and not asfaults. A fault is a serve that falls long or wide of the service box, or does not clear the net. There is also a "footfault", which occurs when a player's foot touches the baseline or an extension of the center mark[31] before the ball ishit. If the second service is also a fault, the server double faults, and the receiver wins the point. However, if theserve is in, it is considered a legal service.A legal service starts a rally, in which the players alternate hitting the ball across the net. A legal return consists ofthe player or team hitting the ball before it has bounced twice or hit any fixtures except the net, provided that it stillfalls in the server's court. A player or team cannot hit the ball twice in a row. The ball must travel past the net andbounce in the other players court. A ball that hits the net during a rally is still considered a legal return. The firstplayer or team to fail to make a legal return loses the point.

ScoringA tennis match is determined through the best of 3 or 5 sets. Typically for both men's and women's matches, the firstplayer to win two sets wins the match. At certain important tennis tournaments for men, including all four GrandSlam tournaments, Davis Cup and the final of the Olympic Games, the first player to win three sets wins thematch.[32] A set consists of games, and games, in turn, consist of points.A game consists of a sequence of points played with the same player serving. A game is won by the first player tohave won at least four points in total and at least two points more than the opponent. The running score of each gameis described in a manner peculiar to tennis: scores from zero to three points are described as "love", "fifteen", "thirty",and "forty" respectively. (See the main article Tennis score for the origin of these words as used in tennis.) If at leastthree points have been scored by each player, and the scores are equal, the score is "deuce". If at least three pointshave been scored by each side and a player has one more point than his opponent, the score of the game is"advantage" for the player in the lead. During informal games, "advantage" can also be called "ad in" or "ad out",depending on whether the serving player or receiving player is ahead, respectively.

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In tournament play, the chair umpire calls the point count (e.g., "fifteen-love") after each point. The score of a tennismatch during play is always read with the serving player's score first. After a match, the score is always read with thewinning player's score first. At the end of a game, the chair umpire also announces the winner of the game and theoverall score.A game point occurs in tennis whenever the player who is in the lead in the game needs only one more point to winthe game. The terminology is extended to sets (set point), matches (match point), and even championships(championship point). For example, if the player who is serving has a score of 40-love, the player has a triple gamepoint (triple set point, etc.) as the player has three consecutive chances to win the game. Game points, set points, andmatch points are not part of official scoring and are not announced by the chair umpire in tournament play.A break point occurs if the receiver, not the server, has a chance to win the game in the next rally. Break points areof particular importance because serving is generally advantageous. A receiver who has two (score of 15-40) or three(score of love-40) consecutive chances to win the game has double break point or triple break point, respectively. Ifthe receiver does, in fact, win their break point, the receiver is said to have converted their break point, but if thereceiver fails to win their break point it is called a failure to convert.

A set consists of a sequence of games played with service alternating between games, ending when the count ofgames won meets certain criteria. Typically, a player wins a set by winning at least six games and at least two gamesmore than the opponent. If one player has won six games and the opponent five, an additional game is played. If theleading player wins that game, the player wins the set 7–5. If the trailing player wins the game, a tie-break is played.A tie-break, played under a separate set of rules, allows one player to win one more game and thus the set, to give afinal set score of 7–6. Only in the final sets of matches at the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, theOlympic Games, Davis Cup, and Fed Cup are tie-breaks not played. In these cases, sets are played indefinitely untilone player has a two-game lead. A "love" set means that the loser of the set won zero games. In tournament play, thechair umpire announces the winner of the set and the overall score.In tournament play, the chair umpire announces the end of the match with the well-known phrase "Game, set, match"followed by the winning person's or team's name.

Rule variations

Variations

Name Description

No ad The first player or doubles team to win four points wins the game, regardless of whether the player or team is ahead by two points.When the game score reaches three points each, the receiver chooses which side of the court (advantage court or deuce court) theservice is to be delivered on the seventh and game-deciding point.

Pro set Instead of playing multiple sets, players may play one "pro set". A pro set is first to 8 (or 10) games by a margin of two games, insteadof first to 6 games. A 12-point tie-break is usually played when the score is 8-8 (or 10-10). These are often played with no-ad scoring.

Matchtiebreak

This is sometimes played instead of a third set. This is played like a regular tiebreak, but the winner must win ten points instead ofseven. Match tiebreaks are used in the Hopman Cup for mixed doubles, on the ATP and WTA tours for doubles and as a player's choicein USTA league play.

Another, however informal, tennis format is called Canadian doubles. This involves three players, with one personplaying a doubles team. The single player gets to utilize the alleys normally reserved only for a doubles team.Conversely, the doubles team does not use the alleys when executing a shot. The scoring is the same as a regulargame. This format is not sanctioned by any official body."Australian doubles", another informal and unsanctioned form of tennis, is played with similar rules to the "Canuk"style, only in this version, players rotate court position after each game. As such, each player plays doubles andsingles over the course of a match, with the singles player always serving. Scoring styles vary, but one popular

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method is to assign a value of 2 points to each game, with the server taking both points if he or she holds serve andthe doubles team each taking one if they break serve.Wheelchair tennis can be played by able-bodied players as well as people who require a wheelchair for mobility. Anextra bounce is permitted. This rule makes it possible to have mixed wheelchair and able-bodied matches. It ispossible for a doubles team to consist of a wheelchair player and an able-bodied player (referred to as "one-up,one-down"), or for a wheelchair player to play against an able-bodied player. In such cases, the extra bounce ispermitted for the wheelchair users only.

SurfaceThere are four types of court surface used in professional play. Each surface is different in the speed and height ofthe bounce of the ball. The same surface plays faster indoors than outdoors.

Name Description

Clay Examples are red clay (used at the French Open and many other tournaments, especially in Europe and Latin America) and green clay (anexample of which is Har-Tru and used mainly in the U.S.). Clay courts normally have a slower paced ball and a fairly true bounce withmore spin.

Hard Examples are acrylic (e.g. Plexicushion used at the Australian Open, DecoTurf used at the US Open), asphalt, and concrete. Hardcourtstypically have a faster-paced ball with a very true bounce.

Grass Used at Wimbledon. Grass courts usually have a faster-paced ball, and a more erratic bounce. Wimbledon has slowed its courts over theyears.

Carpet Any form of removable court covering, including carpeting and artificial turf. The bounce can be higher or lower than a hard court.

Officials

An umpire informing two players of the rules

In most professional play and some amateurcompetition, there is an officiating head judge or chairumpire (usually referred to as the umpire), who sits in araised chair to one side of the court. The umpire hasabsolute authority to make factual determinations. Theumpire may be assisted by line judges, who determinewhether the ball has landed within the required part ofthe court and who also call foot faults. There also maybe a net judge who determines whether the ball hastouched the net during service. In some tournaments,certain line judges, usually those who would be callingthe serve, are replaced by electronic sensors that beepwhen an out call would have been made. In sometournaments, electric line calls aren't made, but ratherare used to assist the linespeople. When a ball lands in a spot where the linesperson isn't sure if the ball was in or out,a noise is made that only linespeople can hear (because they are wearing headsets), and helps them to make the call.In some open-tournament matches, players are allowed to challenge a limited number of close calls by means ofelectronic review. The US Open, the NASDAQ-100 Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, the US Open Series, and WorldTeam Tennis started using a "challenge" system in 2006 and the Australian Open and Wimbledon introduced thesystem in 2007. This used the Hawk-Eye system and the rules were similar to those used in the NFL, where a player

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gets a limited number of opportunities to challenge per match/set. More recently, a player may use unlimitedchallenges in a set, provided that he or she is not incorrect more than three times. In clay-court matches, such as atthe French Open, a call may be questioned by reference to the mark left by the ball's impact on the court surface.The referee, who is usually located off the court, is the final authority about tennis rules. When called to the court bya player or team captain, the referee may overrule the umpire's decision if the tennis rules were violated (question oflaw) but may not change the umpire's decision on a question of fact. If, however, the referee is on the court duringplay, the referee may overrule the umpire's decision.Ball boys and girls may be employed to retrieve balls, pass them to the players, and hand players their towels. Theyhave no adjudicative role. In rare events (e.g., if they are hurt or if they have caused a hindrance), the umpire mayask them for a statement of what actually happened. The umpire may consider their statements when making adecision. In some leagues, especially junior leagues, players make their own calls, trusting each other to be honest.This is the case for many school and university level matches. The referee or referee's assistant, however, can becalled on court at a player's request, and the referee or assistant may change a player's call. In unofficiated matches, aball is out only if the player entitled to make the call is sure that the ball is out.

Junior tennisIn tennis, a junior is a player 18 and under who is still legally protected by a parent or guardian. Players on the mainadult tour who are under 18 must have documents signed by a parent or guardian. These players, however, are stilleligible to play in junior tournaments.The International Tennis Federation (ITF) conducts a junior tour that allows juniors to establish a world ranking andan Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) or Women's Tennis Association (WTA) ranking. Most juniors whoenter the international circuit do so by progressing through ITF, Satellite, Future, and Challenger tournaments beforeentering the main circuit. The latter three circuits also have adults competing in them. Some juniors, however, suchas Australian Lleyton Hewitt and Frenchman Gaël Monfils, have catapulted directly from the junior tour to the ATPtour by dominating the junior scene or by taking advantage of opportunities given to them to participate inprofessional tournaments.In 2004, the ITF implemented a new rankings scheme to encourage greater participation in doubles, by combiningtwo rankings (singles and doubles) into one combined tally. Junior tournaments do not offer prize money except forthe Grand Slam tournaments, which are the most prestigious junior events. Juniors may earn income from tennis byparticipating in the Future, Satellite, or Challenger tours. Tournaments are broken up into different tiers offeringdifferent amounts of ranking points, culminating with Grade A.Leading juniors are allowed to participate for their nation in the Junior Fed Cup and Davis Cup competitions as well.To succeed in tennis often means having to begin playing at a young age. To facilitate and nurture a junior's growthin tennis, almost all tennis playing nations have developed a junior development system. Juniors develop their playthrough a range of tournaments on all surfaces, accommodating all different standards of play. Talented juniors mayalso receive sponsorships from governing bodies or private institutions.

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Match play

Convention dictates that two players shake hands at the end of amatch

A tennis match is intended to be continuous.[33]

Because stamina is a relevant factor, arbitrary delaysare not permitted. In most cases, service is required tooccur no more than 30 seconds after the end of theprevious point.[33] This is increased to 2 minutes whenthe players change ends (after every odd-numberedgame), and a 2 minute break is permitted betweensets.[33] Other than this, breaks are permitted only whenforced by events beyond the players' control, such asrain, damaged footwear, damaged racquet, or the needto retrieve an errant ball. Should a player be determinedto be stalling repeatedly, the chair umpire may initiallygive a warning followed by subsequent penalties of

"point", "game", and default of the match for the player who is consistently taking longer than the allowed timelimit.[34]

In the event of a rain delay, darkness or other external conditions halting play, the match is resumed at a later time,with the same score as at the time of the delay, and the players at the same end of the court when rain halted play, orat the same position (north or south) if play is resumed on a different court.Balls wear out quickly in serious play and, therefore, in ATP and WTA tournaments, they are changed after everynine games with the first change occurring after only seven games, because the first set of balls is also used for thepre-match warm-up.[35] As a courtesy to the receiver, the server will often signal to the receiver before the first serveof the game in which new balls are used as a reminder that they are using new balls. However, in ITF tournamentslike Fed Cup, the balls are changed in a 9-11 style. Continuity of the balls' condition is considered part of the game,so if a re-warm-up is required after an extended break in play (usually due to rain), then the re-warm-up is doneusing a separate set of balls, and use of the match balls is resumed only when play resumes.A recent proposed rules change is to allow coaching on court during a match on a limited basis.[36] [37] [38] [39] Thishas been instituted in women's tennis for WTA Tour events from 2009 onwards.[40]

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Tim Henman preparing to hit a serve. The left arm isextended, having just launched the ball into the air. The rightarm will be raised up and forward at speed so that the racquet

connects with the ball

Roger Federer preparing to hit a forehand. He is "loading" hisbody weight on his back (right) foot and coiling his shoulders

with the help of his left hand. From this position, he will"uncoil" his body beginning with his legs, progressing to his

hips and then on to his arms. This is how the "modern"forehand, utilizing the open stance, is executed.

Shots

A competent tennis player has eight basic shots in his or herrepertoire: the serve, forehand, backhand, volley, half-volley,overhead , drop shot, and lob.

Serve

A serve (or, more formally, a "service") in tennis is a shot tostart a point. The serve is initiated by tossing the ball into theair and hitting it (usually near the apex of its trajectory) intothe diagonally opposite service box without touching the net.The serve may be hit under- or overhand. If the ball hits thenet on the first serve and bounces over into the correctdiagonal box then it is called a "let" and the server gets twomore additional serves to get it in. If the server misses his orher first serve and gets a let on the second serve, then theyget one more try to get the serve in the box.Experienced players strive to master the conventionaloverhand serve to maximize its power and placement. Theserver may employ different types of serve including flatserve, topspin serve, slice serve, and kick (American twist)serve. A reverse type of spin serve is hit in a manner thatspins the ball opposite the natural spin of the server, the spindirection depending upon right- or left-handedness. If theball is spinning counterclockwise, it will curve right from thehitter's point of view and curve left if spinning clockwise.Some servers are content to use the serve simply to initiatethe point; however, advanced players often try to hit awinning shot with their serve. A winning serve that is nottouched by the opponent is called an "ace".

Grips

Players use various grips during play, including thecontinental (The "Handshake Grip"), eastern (Can be eithersemi-eastern or full eastern. Usually used for backhands.),and western (semi-western or full western, usually forforehand grips) grips. Most players change grips during amatch depending on what shot they are hitting for example aslice shot and serve you would have a continental grip.

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Rafael Nadal performing a backhand volley

Justine Henin performing a backhand volley

Forehand

For a right-handed player, the forehand is a stroke that beginson the right side of the body, continues across the body ascontact is made with the ball, and ends on the left side of thebody. There are various grips for executing the forehand, andtheir popularity has fluctuated over the years. The mostimportant ones are the continental, the eastern, thesemi-western, and the western. For a number of years, thesmall, apparently frail 1920s player Bill Johnston wasconsidered by many to have had the best forehand of alltime, a stroke that he hit shoulder-high using a western grip.Few top players used the western grip after the 1920s, but inthe latter part of the 20th century, as shot-making techniquesand equipment changed radically, the western forehand madea strong comeback and is now used by many modern players.No matter which grip is used, most forehands are generallyexecuted with one hand holding the racquet, but there havebeen fine players with two-handed forehands. In the 1940sand 50s, the Ecuadorian/American player Pancho Seguraused a two-handed forehand to achieve a devastating effectagainst larger, more powerful players. Currently, France'sFabrice Santoro uses a two-handed forehand. Some femalessuch as Monica Seles and France's Marion Bartoli also use atwo-handed forehand.

Backhand

For right-handed players, the backhand is a stroke that beginson the left side of their body, continues across their body ascontact is made with the ball, and ends on the right side oftheir body. It can be executed with either one hand or withboth and is generally considered more difficult to master thanthe forehand. For most of the 20th century, the backhand wasperformed with one hand, using either an eastern or a continental grip. The first notable players to use two handswere the 1930s Australians Vivian McGrath and John Bromwich, but they were lonely exceptions. The two-handedgrip gained popularity in the 1970s as Björn Borg, Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors, and later Mats Wilander and MaratSafin used it to great effect, and it is now used by a large number of the world's best players, including Rafael Nadaland Serena Williams. Two hands give the player more control, while one hand can generate a slice shot, applyingbackspin on the ball to produce a low trajectory bounce. Reach is also limited with the two-handed shot. The playerlong considered to have had the best backhand of all time, Don Budge, had a powerful one-handed stroke in the1930s and 1940s that imparted topspin onto the ball. Ken Rosewall, another player noted for his one-handedbackhand, used a very accurate slice backhand through the 1950s and 1960s. A small number of players, notablyMonica Seles, use two hands on both the backhand and forehand sides.

Tennis 12

Other shotsA volley is made in the air before the ball bounces, generally near the net, and is usually made with a stiff-wristedpunching motion to hit the ball into an open area of the opponent's court. The half volley is made by hitting the ballon the rise just after it has bounced, once again generally in the vicinity of the net. The swinging volley is hit out ofthe air as the player approaches the net. It is an offensive shot used to take preparation time away from the opponent.From a poor defensive position on the baseline, the lob can be used as either an offensive or defensive weapon,hitting the ball high and deep into the opponent's court to either enable the lobber to get into better defensive positionor to win the point outright by hitting it over the opponent's head. If the lob is not hit deeply enough into the othercourt, however, the opponent may then hit an overhead smash, a hard, serve-like shot, to try to end the point. Finally,if an opponent is deep in his court, a player may suddenly employ an unexpected drop shot, softly tapping the balljust over the net so that the opponent is unable to run in fast enough to retrieve it.

TournamentsTournaments are often organized by gender and number of players. Common tournament configurations includemen's singles, women's singles, and doubles, where two players play on each side of the net. Tournaments may bearranged for specific age groups, with upper age limits for youth and lower age limits for senior players. Example ofthis include the Orange Bowl and Les Petits As. There are also tournaments for players with disabilities, such aswheelchair tennis and deaf tennis.[41] In the four Grand Slam tournaments, the singles draws are limited to 128people for each gender.Most large tournaments Seed players, but players may also be matched by their skill level. According to how well aperson does in sanctioned play, a player is given a rating that is adjusted periodically to maintain competitivematches. For example, the United States Tennis Association administers the National Tennis Rating Program(NTRP), which rates players between 1.0 and 7.0 in 1/2 point increments. Average club players under this systemwould rate 3.0-4.5 while world class players would be 7.0 on this scale.

Grand Slam tournamentsThe four Grand Slam tournaments are considered to be the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world. Theyare held annually and include, in chronological order, the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and theUS Open. Apart from the Olympic Games, Davis Cup, Fed Cup, and Hopman Cup, they are the only tournamentsregulated by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).[42] The ITF's national associations, Tennis Australia(Australian Open), the French Tennis Federation (French Open), the United States Tennis Association (US Open),and the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and Lawn Tennis Association (Wimbledon), are delegated theresponsibility to organize these events.[42]

Aside from the historical significance of these events, they also carry larger prize funds than any other tour event and are worth double the number of ranking points to the champion than in the next echelon of tournaments, the Masters 1000 (men) and Premier events (women).[43] [44] Another distinguishing feature is the number of players in the singles draw, 128, more than any other professional tennis tournament. This draw is composed of 32 seeded players, other players ranked in the world's top 100, qualifiers, and players who receive invitations through wild cards. Grand Slam men's tournaments have best-of-five set matches throughout. Grand Slam tournaments are among the small number of events that last two weeks, the others being the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California and the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida. Currently, the Grand Slam tournaments are the only tour events that have mixed doubles contests. Grand Slam tournaments are held in conjunction with wheelchair tennis tournaments (with the exception being Wimbledon, where the grass surface prevents this) and junior tennis competitions. Grand Slam tournaments are often seen as the culmination of a particular season, such as the US Open Series. These tournaments also contain their own idiosyncrasies. For example, players at Wimbledon are required to wear predominantly white, a rule that has motivated certain players, such as Andre Agassi, to skip the tournament.[45]

Tennis 13

Wimbledon also has its own particular methods for disseminating tickets, often leading tennis fans to followcomplex procedures to obtain tickets.[46]

Grand Slam Tounaments

Period Tournament Location Surface

January Australian Open Melbourne Hard (Plexicushion)

May–June French Open Paris Clay

June–July Wimbledon London Grass

August–September US Open New York City Hard (DecoTurf)

Masters 1000The ATP World Tour Masters 1000 is a group of nine tournaments that form the second-highest echelon in men'stennis. Each event is held annually, and a win at one of these events is currently worth 1000 ranking points. Whenthe Association of Tennis Professionals, led by Hamilton Jordan, began running the men's tour in 1990, the directorsdesignated the top nine tournaments, outside of the Grand Slam events, as "Super Nine" events.[47] These eventuallybecame the Tennis Masters Series. In November at the end of the tennis year, the world's top eight players competein the ATP World Tour Finals, a tournament with a rotating locale. It is currently held in London, England.[48]

On August 31, 2007 the ATP announced that major changes will take place in 2009. The Masters Series will berenamed to the “Masters 1000”, with the addition of the number 1000 referring to the number of ranking pointsearned by the winner of each tournament. Contrary to earlier plans, the number of tournaments will not be reducedfrom nine to eight and the Monte Carlo Masters will remain part of the series although, unlike the other events, itwill not have a mandatory player commitment. The Hamburg Masters event will be downgraded to a 500 pointevent. The Madrid Masters will move to May and onto clay courts, and a new tournament in Shanghai will take overMadrid's former indoor October slot. In 2011 six of the nine “1000” level tournaments will be combined ATP andWTA events.[49] [50]

Current Masters 1000 tournaments (2009)[51]

Start Month Tournament Name City Surface Opening

March BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells Hard Outdoors

March Sony Ericsson Open Miami[52] Hard Outdoors

April Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters Monte-Carlo[53] Clay Outdoors

April Internazionali BNL d'Italia Rome Clay Outdoors

May Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid Madrid Clay Outdoors

August Rogers Cup Montreal, Toronto Hard Outdoors

August Western & Southern Financial Group Masters & Women's Open Cincinnati[54] Hard Outdoors

October Shanghai Masters 1000 presented by Rolex Shanghai Hard Outdoors

November BNP Paribas Masters Paris Hard Indoors

[1] Benjamin Disraeli (1845) Sybil, chapter 1[2] History of Tennis. " (http:/ / www. historyoftennis. net/ history_of_tennis. html)"[3] Crego, Robert. Sports and Games of the 18th and 19th Centuries (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=XCl1c2yy5ooC& pg=PA115&

dq="real+ tennis"+ and+ tenez& hl=en& ei=GrD8S8GtIcT68Abk173KBg& sa=X& oi=book_result& ct=result& resnum=3&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage& q="real tennis" and tenez& f=false), page 115 (2003).

Tennis 14

[4] Tyzack, Anna, The True Home of Tennis (http:/ / www. countrylife. co. uk/ news/ culture/ article/ 79487/ The_True_Home_of_Tennis. html)Country Life, June 22, 2005

[5] " Lawn Tennis and Major T. H. Gem (http:/ / www. birminghamcivicsociety. org. uk/ lawntennis. htm)" Birmingham Civic Society[6] "Leamington Tennis Club" (http:/ / www. leamington-tennis-squash. co. uk/ club-history). . Retrieved 2008-03-18.[7] E. M. Halliday. "SPHAIRISTIKÉ, ANYONE?" (http:/ / www. americanheritage. com/ articles/ magazine/ ah/ 1971/ 4/ 1971_4_48. shtml).

American Heritage. . Retrieved 2008-07-28.[8] "History of Tennis" (http:/ / www. itftennis. com/ abouttheitf/ worldwide/ history. asp). International Tennis Federation. . Retrieved

2008-07-28.[9] "History of United States Tennis Association" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20071030214640/ http:/ / www. usta. com/ communitytennis/

fullstory. sps?iNewsid=95424& icategoryid=437). Archived from the original (http:/ / www. usta. com/ communitytennis/ fullstory.sps?iNewsid=95424& icategoryid=437) on 2007-10-30. . Retrieved 2007-05-29.

[10] "Fact & History" (http:/ / www. ri. gov/ facts/ trivia. php). Rhodes Island Government. . Retrieved 2007-05-29.[11] "History of the U.S. National Championships/US Open" (http:/ / 2007. usopen. org/ en_US/ about/ history/ history. html). usopen.org. .

Retrieved 2008-09-04.[12] "History of the French Open" (http:/ / www. tennistours. com/ event_pages/ french/ history. asp). . Retrieved 2007-05-29.[13] "Suzanne Lenglen and the First Pro Tour" (http:/ / www. tennisserver. com/ lines/ lines_99_10_31. html). . Retrieved 2007-05-29.[14] "Originality of the phrase "Grand Slam"" (http:/ / www. hickoksports. com/ history/ grandslm. shtml). . Retrieved 2007-05-29.[15] "James Henry Van Alen in the Tennis Hall of Fame" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20070930153610/ http:/ / www. tennisfame. com/

famer. aspx?pgID=867& hof_id=126). Archived from the original (http:/ / www. tennisfame. com/ famer. aspx?pgID=867& hof_id=126) onSeptember 30, 2007. . Retrieved 2007-05-29.

[16] "Davis Cup by BNP Paribas" (http:/ / tennis. bnpparibas. com/ en/ professional-tournaments/ page. asp?Code=SBUS-6D4DTB). . Retrieved2007-05-29.

[17] "History of the Fed Cup" (http:/ / www. fedcup. com/ about/ index. asp). International Tennis Federation. . Retrieved 2009-06-02.[18] "History of the Pro Tennis Wars Chapter 2, part 1 1927-1928" (http:/ / www. tennisserver. com/ lines/ lines_01_03_01. html). . Retrieved

2007-05-29.[19] Open Minded (http:/ / www. cigaraficionado. com/ Cigar/ CA_Archives/ CA_Show_Article/ 0,2322,519,00. html) - Bruce Goldman[20] Tennis, professional tournaments before the open era[21] Jon Henderson (2008-12-10). "Middle-class heroes can lift our game" (http:/ / www. guardian. co. uk/ sport/ 2006/ dec/ 10/ tennis. news).

London: The Observer, theguardian.co.uk. . Retrieved 2008-08-02. "it was no longer true that tennis was a middle-class sport"[22] Kate Magee (2008-07-10). "Max Clifford to help shed tennis' middle-class image" (http:/ / www. brandrepublic. com/ News/ 830579/

FRONT-PAGE-Max-Clifford-help-shed-tennis-middle-class-image/ ). PR Week. . Retrieved 2008-08-02.[23] The Sugarman. "There are 3 levels of social class in tennis: Upper middle class, middle class and lower middle class" (http:/ / www.

bookiebusters. net/ sugarman/ tim_henman. html). BookieBusters.net. . Retrieved 2008-08-02.[24] "International Tennis Hall of Fame Information" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20070518085009/ http:/ / www. tennisfame. com/

tennisfame. aspx?pgID=866). Archived from the original (http:/ / www. tennisfame. com/ tennisfame. aspx?pgID=866) on May 18, 2007. .Retrieved 2007-05-29.

[25] http:/ / www. itftennis. com/ technical/ rules/ equipment/ appendixii. asp[26] http:/ / www. itftennis. com/ technical/ rules/ history/ racket. asp[27] "Tennis court dimensions" (http:/ / www. sportsknowhow. com/ tennis/ dimensions/ tennis-court-dimensions. html). Sportsknowhow.com. .

Retrieved 2007-05-29.[28] "Tennis court history - Grass" (http:/ / www. itftennis. com/ technical/ equipment/ courts/ history. asp). ITF. . Retrieved 2008-07-28.[29] "ITF rules - Rule 1" (http:/ / www. itftennis. com/ shared/ medialibrary/ pdf/ original/ IO_30333_original. PDF). ITF. . Retrieved

2008-09-04.[30] "ITF rules - Rule 17" (http:/ / www. itftennis. com/ shared/ medialibrary/ pdf/ original/ IO_30333_original. PDF). ITF. . Retrieved

2008-09-04.[31] Another theoretical foot fault would be incurred by touching a sideline; however this has probably never been called because a player in

such an extreme position would be giving her or himself a definite disadvantage[32] From 1984 through 1998, women played first-to-win-three-sets in the final of the year-ending WTA Tour Championships.[33] "The ITF states this in Rule No. 29" (http:/ / www. itftennis. com/ shared/ medialibrary/ pdf/ original/ IO_30333_original. PDF) (PDF). .[34] "CODE OF CONDUCT FOR 2008 ITF PRO CIRCUITS TOURNAMENTS" (http:/ / www. itftennis. com/ shared/ medialibrary/ pdf/

original/ IO_31818_original. PDF). ITF. . Retrieved 2008-08-01. "The first violation of this Section shall be penalised by a Time Violationwarning and each subsequent violation shall be penalised by the assessment of one Time Violation point penalty."

[35] "ITF Rules:#3 The ball" (http:/ / www. itftennis. com/ technical/ rules/ equipment/ ball. asp). . Retrieved 2009-06-10.[36] "Tennis On-Court Coaching" (http:/ / www. expert-tennis-tips. com/ tennis-on-court-coaching. html). .[37] "USTA:Coaching during a match" (http:/ / www. usta. com/ USTA/ Global/ Improve_Your_Game/ Archive/ Tennis_Tips/

Rules_and_Line_Calls/ Coaching_during_a_match. aspx). .[38] "Tennis Coaching Debate" (http:/ / www. npr. org/ templates/ story/ story. php?storyId=5441281). NPR. .[39] "Does on-court coaching have a future?" (http:/ / sports. espn. go. com/ sports/ tennis/ news/ story?id=2620446). ESPN. .

Tennis 15

[40] Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Rules 2009 (http:/ / www. sonyericssonwtatour. com/ SEWTATour-Archive/ Archive/ AboutTheTour/ rules. pdf)p.330

[41] "Lawn Tennis Association Deaf tennis" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20080205021146/ http:/ / www. lta. org. uk/ PlayAndCompete/DisabilityTennis/ DisabilityTennisHearing. htm). Archived from the original (http:/ / www. lta. org. uk/ PlayAndCompete/ DisabilityTennis/DisabilityTennisHearing. htm) on 2008-02-05. . Retrieved 2008-03-16.

[42] "Grand Slams" (http:/ / www. itftennis. com/ abouttheitf/ worldwide/ grandslams/ ). . Retrieved 2008-03-16.[43] "ATP rankings" (http:/ / www. atptennis. com/ en/ players/ information/ rankpop. asp). . Retrieved 2008-03-16.[44] "WTA Tour Rankings" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20080119124913/ http:/ / www. sonyericssonwtatour. com/ 3/ global/ includes/

TrackIt. asp?file=http:/ / www. sonyericssonwtatour. com/ 3/ global/ Pdfs/ rankings/ howitworks. pdf). Archived from the original (http:/ /www. sonyericssonwtatour. com/ 3/ global/ includes/ TrackIt. asp?file=http:/ / www. sonyericssonwtatour. com/ 3/ global/ Pdfs/ rankings/howitworks. pdf) on January 19, 2008. . Retrieved 2008-03-16.

[45] "What not to wear at Wimbledon" (http:/ / news. bbc. co. uk/ sport1/ hi/ tennis/ 4088298. stm). BBC SPORT, Sarah Holt. 2008-06-15. .Retrieved 2008-03-16.

[46] "10 Ways to Grab a Seat at Wimbledon 2010" (http:/ / www. wimbledondebentureholders. com/ articles/ten_ways_to_grab_a_seat_at_wimbledon). Wimbledondebentureholders.com. . Retrieved 2010-05-24.

[47] "History of Tennis" (http:/ / www. itftennis. com/ abouttheitf/ worldwide/ history. asp). . Retrieved 2008-03-16.[48] "London to host World Tour Final" (http:/ / news. bbc. co. uk/ sport1/ hi/ tennis/ 6264650. stm). BBC SPORT, Piers Newbery. 2007-07-03. .

Retrieved 2008-03-16.[49] (http:/ / www. inside-tennis. net/ tennis-news_2854_ATP-Revise-Masters-Series-for-2009. html)[50] "ATP Tour 2009" (http:/ / www. coretennis. net/ majic/ pageServer/ 0p0100006b/ en/ ATP-Tour-2009. html). Coretennis.net. . Retrieved

2010-05-24.[51] http:/ / www. atpworldtour. com/ tennis/ 3/ en/ tournaments/ fullcalendar/[52] Actually in the adjacent suburb of Key Biscayne, Florida.[53] Actually in the adjacent French commune of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.[54] Actually in the suburb of Mason, Ohio.

250 and 500 SeriesThe International Series for men is split into two categories, both run by the ATP: the 250 Series and 500 Series.Like the Masters 1000, these events offer various amounts of prize money, and some regular International Seriesevents offer larger prize monies than 500 Series tournaments.[43] The Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships offerthe largest financial incentive to players, with total prize money of US$1,426,000.

Challenger Tour and Futures TournamentsThe Challenger Tour for men is the lowest level of tournament administered by the ATP. It is composed of roughly160 events and, as a result, features a more diverse range of countries hosting events.[1] The majority of players usethe Challenger Series to work their way up the rankings, including World No. 1s Pete Sampras, Marcelo Ríos,Patrick Rafter, and Gustavo Kuerten. Andre Agassi, between winning Grand Slam tournaments, plummeted toWorld No. 141 and used Challenger Series events for match experience and to progress back up the rankings.[2] TheChallenger Series offers prize funds of between US$25,000 and US$150,000.Below the Challenger Series are the Futures Tournaments, the main events on the ITF Men's Circuit. Thesetournaments also contribute towards a player's ATP rankings points. Futures Tournaments offer prize funds ofbetween US$10,000 and US$15,000; however, futures status is granted only to events offering a total of US$30,000,meaning that two or three tournaments are played.[3] Approximately 400 Futures Tournaments are played each year.

Premier eventsPremier events for women form the most prestigious level of events on the Women's Tennis Association Tour afterthe Grand Slam tournaments. These events offer the largest rewards in terms of points and prize money. Within thePremier category are Premier Mandatory, Premier 5, and Premier tournaments. The tiering system in women's tenniswas introduced in 1988. At the time of its creation, only two tournaments, the Lipton International PlayersChampionships in Florida and the German Open in Berlin, comprised the Tier I category. In 2009, four tournamentsare Premier Mandatory, five tournaments are Premier 5, and ten tournaments are Premier.

Tennis 16

PlayersProfessional tennis players enjoy the same relative perks as most top sports personalities: clothing, equipment andendorsements. Like players of other individual sports such as golf, they are not salaried, but must play and placehighly in tournaments to obtain money.

Grand Slam tournament winnersPlayers who have played at least part of their careers during the open era and who have won at least two singles titlesat Grand Slam tournaments.

Male

• Roger Federer (16)• Pete Sampras (14)• Roy Emerson (12)• Rod Laver (11)• Björn Borg (11)• Rafael Nadal (9)• Ken Rosewall (8)• Jimmy Connors (8)• Ivan Lendl (8)• Andre Agassi (8)• John Newcombe (7)• John McEnroe (7)• Mats Wilander (7)• Boris Becker (6)• Stefan Edberg (6)• Manolo Santana (4)• Jim Courier (4)• Guillermo Vilas (4)• Arthur Ashe (3)• Jan Kodeš (3)• Gustavo Kuerten (3)• Stan Smith (2)• Ilie Năstase (2)• Johan Kriek (2)• Lleyton Hewitt (2)• Yevgeny Kafelnikov (2)• Patrick Rafter (2)• Sergi Bruguera (2)• Marat Safin (2)

Tennis 17

Female

• Margaret Court (24)• Steffi Graf (22)• Chris Evert (18)• Martina Navrátilová (18)• Serena Williams (13)• Billie Jean King (12)• Monica Seles (9)• Maria Bueno (7)• Justine Henin (7)• Evonne Goolagong Cawley (7)• Venus Williams (7)• Martina Hingis (5)• Hana Mandlíková (4)• Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (4)• Darlene Hard (3)• Ann Haydon Jones (3)• Kim Clijsters (3)• Maria Sharapova (3)• Virginia Wade (3)• Lindsay Davenport (3)• Jennifer Capriati (3)• Lesley Turner Bowrey (2)• Nancy Richey Gunter (2)• Tracy Austin (2)• Mary Pierce (2)• Amélie Mauresmo (2)• Svetlana Kuznetsova (2)

Greatest male playersA frequent topic of discussion among tennis fans and commentators is who was the greatest male singles player ofall time. By a large margin, an Associated Press poll in 1950 named Bill Tilden as the greatest player of the first halfof the 20th century.[4] From 1920-1930, Tilden won singles titles at Wimbledon three times and the U.S.Championships seven times. In 1938, however, Donald Budge became the first person to win all four Grand Slamsingles titles during the same calendar year and won six consecutive Grand Slam singles titles in 1937 and 1938.Tilden called Budge "the finest player 365 days a year that ever lived."[5] And in his 1979 autobiography, JackKramer said that, based on consistent play, Budge was the greatest player ever.[6] Some observers, however, also feltthat Kramer deserved consideration for the title. Kramer was among the few who dominated amateur andprofessional tennis during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Tony Trabert has said that of the players he saw before thestart of the open era, Kramer was the best male champion.[7] By the latter half of the 1950s and 1960s, Budge andothers had added Pancho Gonzales and Lew Hoad to the list of contenders. Budge reportedly believed that Gonzaleswas the greatest player ever.[8] Gonzales said about Hoad, "When Lew's game was at its peak nobody could touchhim.  ... I think his game was the best game ever. Better than mine. He was capable of making more shots thananybody. His two volleys were great. His overhead was enormous. He had the most natural tennis mind with themost natural tennis physique."[9]

During the open era, first Rod Laver and then more recently Björn Borg and Pete Sampras were regarded by many of their contemporaries as among the greatest ever. Andre Agassi, the first of two male players in history to have

Tennis 18

achieved a Career Golden Slam in singles tennis (followed by Rafael Nadal), has been called the best servicereturner in the history of the game.[10] [11] [12] [13] He is the first man to win slams on all modern surfaces (previousholders of all slams played in an era of grass and clay only), and is regarded by a number of critics and fellowplayers to be among the greatest players of all time.[10] [14] [15] Roger Federer is now considered by many observersto have the most "complete" game in modern tennis. He has won 16 grand slam titles, the most for any male player.Many experts of tennis, former tennis players and his own tennis peers believe Federer is the greatest player in thehistory of the game.[16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] Federer's biggest rival Rafael Nadal is regarded as the greatestcompetitor in tennis history by former players and is regarded to have the potential to be the greatest of all time.[23]

[24]

In popular culture• David Foster Wallace, an amateur tennis player himself at Urbana High School in Illinois,[25] included tennis in

many of his works of nonfiction and fiction including "Tennis Player Michael Joyce's Professional Artistry as aParadigm of Certain Stuff about Choice, Freedom, Discipline, Joy, Grotesquerie, and Human Completeness," theautobiographical piece "Derivative Sport in Tornado Alley," and Infinite Jest, which is partially set at the fictional"Enfield Tennis Academy" in Massachusetts.

• The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) features Richie Tenenbaum (Luke Wilson), a tennis pro who suffers fromdepression and has a breakdown on court in front of thousands of fans.[26]

• Wimbledon (2004) is a film about a discouraged pro tennis player (Paul Bettany) who meets a young woman onthe women's tennis circuit (Kirsten Dunst) who helps him find his drive to go and win Wimbledon.[27]

• In The Squid and the Whale (2005), Joan (Laura Linney) has an affair with her kids' tennis coach, Ivan (WilliamBaldwin). In a symbolic scene, Joan's ex-husband, Bernard (Jeff Daniels), loses a tennis match against Ivan infront of the kids.[28]

• Woody Allen's Match Point (2005) features a love affair between a former tennis pro (Jonathan Rhys Meyers)who falls in love with his best friend's fiance (Scarlett Johansson).[29]

• Confetti (2006) is a mockumentary which sees three couples competing to win the title of "Most OriginalWedding of the Year". One competing couple (Meredith MacNeill and Stephen Mangan) are a pair ofhyper-competitive professional tennis players holding a tennis-themed wedding.

• There are several tennis video games including Mario Tennis, the TopSpin series, Wii Sports, and Grand SlamTennis.[30] [31]

• In the Japanese anime and manga series known as Prince of Tennis, the main character is Echizen Ryoma, atennis prodigy who recently moves to Japan and attends Seishun Academy. He joins the tennis club and hasdefeated many of his upperclassmen, gaining a spot in the team's regulars. The team's ultimate goal is to competein the National Middle School Tennis Championship but they must play against other teams along the way toreach their goal.

ReferencesNotes[1] "About the Challenger Circuit" (http:/ / www. atptennis. com/ 3/ en/ tournaments/ challenger/ CScircuit. asp). Association of Tennis

Professionals. . Retrieved 2008-03-18.[2] "An appreciation of Andre Agassi" (http:/ / sports. espn. go. com/ sports/ tennis/ wimbledon06/ news/ story?id=2506393). ESPN, Matt

Wilansky. 2006-07-01. . Retrieved 2008-03-18.[3] "About the ITF Men's Circuit" (http:/ / www. itftennis. com/ mens/ circuitinfo/ index. asp). International Tennis Federation. . Retrieved

2008-03-18.[4] "Tilden brought theatrics to tennis" (http:/ / espn. go. com/ sportscentury/ features/ 00016509. html). .[5] "Don Budge's Comments After 1937 Davis Cup Semi-final Match Against Baron Gottfried von Cramm (1:07)" (http:/ / web. archive. org/

web/ 20070426051252/ http:/ / www. authentichistory. com/ 1930s/ sports/ 1937_Don_Budge_on_Davis_Cup_SF_Win_Over_Von_Cramm.

html). Archived from the original (http:/ / www. authentichistory. com/ 1930s/ sports/

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1937_Don_Budge_on_Davis_Cup_SF_Win_Over_Von_Cramm. html) on April 26, 2007. . Retrieved 2007-05-29.[6] The Game, My 40 Years in Tennis (1979), Jack Kramer with Frank Deford (ISBN 0-399-12336-9)[7] Richard Pagliaro (February 26, 2004). "The Tennis Week Interview: Tony Trabert Part II" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20070927024737/

http:/ / www. sportsmediainc. net/ tennisweek/ index. cfm?func=showarticle& newsid=10503& bannerregion). Archived from the original(http:/ / www. sportsmediainc. net/ tennisweek/ index. cfm?func=showarticle& newsid=10503& bannerregion) on 2007-09-27. . Retrieved2007-05-29.

[8] Will Grimsley, Tennis: Its History, People, and Events (1971)[9] (http:/ / www. jamesbuddell. com/ files/ hoad. pdf)[10] CBC Sports: "Tennis's love affair with Agassi comes to an end" (http:/ / www. cbc. ca/ sports/ columns/ newsmakers/ andre-agassi. html)[11] "Reed's shotmakers: Men's return of serve" (http:/ / uk. eurosport. yahoo. com/ tennis/ simon-reed/ article/ 1176/ ). Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved

May 15, 2010.[12] "Adjectives Tangled in the Net" (http:/ / www. nytimes. com/ 2005/ 09/ 13/ sports/ tennis/ 13tv. html). The New York Times. Retrieved May

15, 2010.[13] "Sampras, Agassi Have Just Begun to Fight" (http:/ / articles. latimes. com/ 1995-03-14/ sports/ sp-42741_1_andre-agassi?pg=1) Los

Angeles Times. Retrieved May 15, 2010.[14] Telegraph.co.uk: "Grand-slammed" (http:/ / www. telegraph. co. uk/ sport/ tennis/ wimbledon/ 3030108/ Grand-slammed. html)[15] BBC: "Stars pay tribute to Agassi" (http:/ / news. bbc. co. uk/ sport1/ hi/ tennis/ 5113548. stm)[16] "Roddick: Federer might be greatest ever" (http:/ / www. usatoday. com/ sports/ tennis/ wimb/ 2005-07-03-roddick-marvels_x. htm). USA

Today. Associated Press. 2005-07-03. . Retrieved 2007-03-02.[17] "Federer inspires comparisons to all-time greats" (http:/ / sportsillustrated. cnn. com/ 2004/ tennis/ specials/ us_open/ 2004/ 09/ 12/ bc. ten.

stevewilstein. ap/ index. html). CNN. Associated Press. 2004-09-12. . Retrieved 2007-03-02.[18] "4-In-A-Row For Federer" (http:/ / www. cbsnews. com/ stories/ 2006/ 07/ 09/ sportsline/ main1786534. shtml). CBS News. Associated

Press. 2006-07-09. . Retrieved 2007-03-02.[19] Sarkar, Pritha (2005-07-04). "Greatness beckons Federer" (http:/ / www. rediff. com/ sports/ 2005/ jul/ 04wimb1. htm). Reuters. . Retrieved

2007-03-02.[20] Collins, Bud (2005-07-03). "Federer Simply In a League of His Own" (http:/ / www. msnbc. msn. com/ id/ 8455431/ ). MSNBC Website

(MSNBC.COM). . Retrieved 2007-04-09.[21] "BBC - Federer Breaks Sampras Record" (http:/ / news. bbc. co. uk/ sport1/ hi/ tennis/ 8133424. stm?). BBC News. 2009-07-05. . Retrieved

2010-01-06.[22] Metcalfe, Nick (2009-07-05). "Pete Sampras "In my books he (Roger Federer) is the greatest - Daily Mail" (http:/ / www. dailymail. co. uk/

sport/ tennis/ article-1197663/ WIMBLEDON-2009-Sampras-admits-Federer-greatest-Swiss-legend-wins-15th-Grand-Slam-title. html).London. .

[23] http:/ / www. worldtennismagazine. com/ archives/ 3348[24] http:/ / nickstennispicks. com/ 2010/ 07/ 06/

nadal-has-the-talent-to-be-the-greatest-of-all-time-%E2%80%93-but-only-if-his-knees-are-up-to-it/[25] "“Brief Interview with a Five Draft Man" (https:/ / www. amherst. edu/ aboutamherst/ magazine/ extra/ node/ 66410). Amherst Magazine. .

Retrieved 2009-06-28.[26] The Royal Tenenbaums on IMDB (http:/ / www. imdb. com/ title/ tt0265666/ ).[27] Wimbledon on IMDB (http:/ / www. imdb. com/ title/ tt0360201/ ).[28] Squid and the Whale on IMDB (http:/ / www. imdb. com/ title/ tt0367089/ The).[29] Match Point on IMDB (http:/ / www. imdb. com/ title/ tt0416320/ ).[30] TopSpin official website (http:/ / www. topspin3thegame. com/ US/ ).[31] Mario Tennis official website (http:/ / www. mariotennis. com/ ).

Further reading• We Have Come a Long Way. King, Billie Jean and Starr, Cynthia. (1998) McGraw-Hill ISBN 0-07024-625-9• The Tennis Junkie's Guide (To Serious Humor). Whitehead, Dave. (2002) iUniverse ISBN 0-595-65364-2

Tennis 20

External links• International Tennis Federation site (http:/ / www. itftennis. com/ )• ATP Tennis: Men's Professional Tennis (http:/ / www. atptennis. com/ 1/ en/ home/ )• Sony Ericsson WTA Tour:Women's Professional Tennis (http:/ / www. sonyericssonwtatour. com/ 1/ )• USTA: United States Tennis Association (http:/ / www. usta. com/ )• Tennis Grand Slam tournaments history (http:/ / www. grandslamhistory. com/ )

Article Sources and Contributors 21

Article Sources and ContributorsTennis  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=405941186  Contributors: (jarbarf), 10shistory, 1exec1, 2008Olympian, 205ywmpq, 212.211.70.xxx, 212.211.72.xxx, 212.45.41.xxx,272727, 30, 4twenty42o, 5 albert square, 95mateusz, A State Of Trance, A.K.A.47, A.arvind.arasu, ABF, ACSE, ARUNKUMAR P.R, Aaantav, Aaron Bruce, Aaroncrick, Abce2, Abdullais4u,Abu badali, Academic Challenger, Access Denied, Acks-accy, Acq3, Acroterion, Adam Carr, Adambro, Addshore, AdjustShift, Aerion, Aesalon, Aflumpire, After Midnight, Agamemnon2,Agathoclea, AgentPeppermint, Agmcdonnell, Ahoerstemeier, Ahtih, Aitias, Ajent, Ajoski, Akersmc, Alansohn, Ale jrb, Alex.tan, AlexiusHoratius, Alias Flood, Alison, Alonsornunez,Alphachimp, Amazonien, Ambarish, Ambassador Dunlop, Amilosingit, Ammar zah, Anclation, Anders Torlind, Andonic, Andres, Andrevan, Andrew c, Andrewpmk, Andrewrussell9879,Andrwsc, Animum, Anirishwoman, Anna Lincoln, AnonGuy, Anonymous Dissident, Anonymous editor, Antandrus, Antonio Lopez, Anwhite, Anythingyouwant, Appraiser, Aqwis, Archer3,Aree, Aremith, Arpegium, Arteyu, Asphaltjungle, Atanakappp, Atarr, Atlant, Attilios, Aubergine, AuburnPilot, Auror, Avala, Avatar 06349, Avicennasis, Avmlab, Avs5221, Awood17,Ayyhwang, Azer Red, AznXbiker, Azndragon98, Aznpr1d3555, B33R, Back2buk, Bacon eggs12, Banuelos73, Barek, Barn1523, BaronLarf, Bart133, Barticus88, Batista1220, Batmanand,Bayscribe, Bearcat, Becky2705, Belovedfreak, Ben Jos, Ben Tibbetts, Bencherlite, Benny Tong, Benscripps, Bercg, Beyond My Ken, Bhathiya9999, Bihco, Biruitorul, Bjbillow, Blake-,Blanchardb, Blindfreddy84, Blu Aardvark, Bluelion, Bmearns, Bnc44, Bo99, Bobo192, Boing! said Zebedee, Bonadea, Bondegezou, Bongwarrior, BorisG, Borisblue, BostonMA, Boudicca1998,Boywhoisbeastatbball, Bqdemon, Braden10118, Bradeos Graphon, Branddobbe, Brandmeister, Bremen, Brendan Madley, Brett Dunbar, Brianga, Bridgecross, Brightvette, Briguy52748,Brisingr380, Brothejr, Brr5092, Brucevdk, Brushy30, Bryan Derksen, Bubba hotep, Burrowsari, Butlerkid5, CHJL, CWenger, CWii, Cabr0706, Cacophony, Calgaryflames3, Calmer Waters,Calor, Caltas, Calum MacÙisdean, Calvin 1998, CambridgeBayWeather, Can't sleep, clown will eat me, Canadian-Bacon, CanadianLinuxUser, Candice, Candycane707, Canzione, CapitalR,Capt. James T. Kirk, Captainamazing121, CardinalDan, Carlo Colussi, Carlossuarez46, Carpenoctem, Casull, Catalyst in Society, Catch496909, Cate, Catgut, Caulde, Cburc, Chamal N,Chaognosis, Chaoticfluffy, Chazyb01, Chenzw, Chicken0099, Chico101, ChicosBailBonds, Cholga, Chrisg21090, Chriskhong, Chrislk02, Christian75, Christina Silverman, Christopher Connor,Christopher Parham, Christopherwenjay, Chunitaku, Chuq, Chzz, Cincykid10, Cipriano72795, Closedmouth, Cls14, Cmdrjameson, Coasterlover1994, CobraWiki, Codetiger, Cohen, ColoniesChris, CommonsDelinker, Conversion script, Cool Genius, Courcelles, Coursekiller, Cowspaceboy80, Cp111, Cpstewart81292, CraigKeogh, CrashTestSmartie, Crazycomputers, Crazytim77,Creet, Cremepuff222, CrueDude, Crystyano, Css, Curps, Curtbash, Czar Yah, D, D.d.13, D6, DAJF, DARTH SIDIOUS 2, DEFJAM2, DJ Clayworth, DMG413, DMacks, DVD R W, Da monsterunder your bed, Dabanhfreak, Dajes13, Dale Arnett, Dalgrum123, DanielCD, DanielRigal, Danno uk, Dark Shikari, Dark51110, DarkFalls, DarkSerge, Darkieboy236, Darknsassasn,Darrenhusted, Darsura, Davichen, David.Mestel, David242xx, DavidB601, Dawn Bard, Dcljr, Deademery, Deathawk, Debigboy, Debresser, Deidre Glodjo, Delldot, Dendodge, Dennispage,Denny, Deor, DerHexer, Designed for me and me, Dffgd, Diannaa, Diebee501, Discospinster, Discounttenniswarehouse, Dispenser, DivineAlpha, Djbrewer, Dkim27, Dlohcierekim, Dno.dno,Docski35, Dogman10, Doobie11, Dorftrottel, DoubleBlue, DougsTech, Download, DrGi, DraxusD, Drbreznjev, Dreaded Walrus, Dreadstar, Drmies, DropDeadGorgias, Duckingham,Dudesleeper, Dumahel, Dustari, Dycedarg, Dysepsion, Dze27, EJF (huggle), ESkog, Eagle4000, Eaglesfan5936, Easel3, Echuck215, Ed g2s, EdGl, EdH, Edoroth, Eekerz, Efgn, El lupi,Eldereksoami, Eliz81, ElizabethFong, Elkman, Ellabarker, Ellbeecee, Elleinad, Emmahoff1, Empirecontact, Emtown, En1gm4996, EnOMaNTR, Engunneer, Enviroboy, Eoghanacht, Epbr123,Eran of Arcadia, Eraserhead1, Esanchez7587, Escape Orbit, EscapingLife, Espnlive3456, Essjay, Etarai, Eu.stefan, Eubulides, Eugenwpg, Everyking, Everyme, Evetsllub, Excirial, Exert, FJPB,Falcon8765, Farside6, Fastilysock, Ffransoo, Fieldday-sunday, FisherQueen, Fizzy10101, Fostennis, Frans Fowler, Freakofnurture, FreeKresge, FreeT, Frenzy9, Fritz28408, FruitMonkey, Fui interra aliena, Funky Monkey, Furrykef, Fyunck(click), Fæ, Gadfium, Gail, Gaius Cornelius, Garion96, Garzo, Gblaz, Gdarin, Gdaym8, Gdo01, Ged UK, Gertrude Toad, Gholam, Gicmo, Gilliam,Gimmetrow, Girolamo Savonarola, Gitter46, Gjd001, Glane23, Glass Sword, Glassbreaker5791, Glennobrien, Gnangarra, Gnixon, Gnowor, Gogo Dodo, GoldenGoose100, Gonzo fan2007,Goodnightmush, Gotexas123, Gothgirlangel1981, GraemeL, Grafen, Gragox, Graham87, Greenguy1090, Greentryst, Greeves, GregOdenFan20, Guat6, Gurch, Guydudeperson, Gwalla, Gwernol,HJensen, HOUZI, Hadal, Hamtechperson, Hapsiainen, Haseo9999, Hatmatbbat10, Hayford Peirce, Hector10203040, Heimstern, Hello32020, Henburylaughs, Hennessey, Patrick, Henry Kaspar,HenryLi, Henrygb, Hephaestos, Hey girlz, Hhst, HiLo48, Hilaryduff2008, Hires an editor, Hitendra.thakor, Hmains, Hoo man, Houshyar, Hqb, Hrothberht, Hrvatska, Hurricane111, Hvn0413, Idream of horses, IDGC, IXIA, Iamcuriousblue, Ian Page, Iapetus, Ice Cold Beer, Idrivebig, Ignaciomella, Igorima, Imap0werpuffgirl, Immunize, Imperial Star Destroyer, Indon, Instinct, InvisibleNoise, Ionescuac, Iran09, Irbisgreif, Iridescence, Iridescent, Irishguy, Iritscen, IronGargoyle, Island, Italiantennisqg, Iwanttoridemyunicyclebutikeepfallingoff, Iwearshoess, Ixjr, J.delanoy,JDUB142, JForget, JFreeman, JNW, JRHorse, JaGa, Jackol, Jad5606, Jadd09, Jahiegel, Jakewill3, Jamaican g 89, Jamcib, James67dawg, JamesBWatson, Jamesontai, [email protected],Jamessummers12, Jammus, Janderk, January, Jao, Jared Hunt, Jared Preston, Jared129, Jaufrec, Jay, JayW, Jayden54, Jbitsman, Jbk12385, Jcbarr, JeDi, Jebba, Jeffrey Mall, JeremyA, Jerzy,JetLover, Jimbo Wales, Jimhanks, JimmyGuano, JimmyMac82, Jj137, Jmlk17, Jnc, Jo.jo, JoanneB, Joe Dick, Joedoedoe, Joelmills, Joeyclovis, Joeyzb, Johankian, John Vandenberg, John ofReading, John254, JohnJHenderson, Johndbeatty, Jokes Free4Me, Jonaboff, Jonathanszwec, Jonnysamleland, Jons63, Jose77, Joyous!, Jpgordon, Jplarkin, JrTiller, Jrtayloriv, Julian Mendez,Juozas Rimas, Jwoodger, Jwpark, K33wud, KGasso, Ka Faraq Gatri, Kablammo, Kaisershatner, Kakadinho2210, Kamran the Great, Katalaveno, Keelm, Keeper76, Ken2849, Keneke45,Kennyroks111, Kernitou, Kevdo, Kevin B12, KevinDM84, Khoikhoi, Khukri, Kieff, Kiko4564, Kilburgp, King of Hearts, Kingboyk, Kinglax, Kingsage5, Kirilmatt, Kneestress, Kokin,Kongfucats, Konnetikut, Korlzor, Kosebamse, Ks9290, Kubigula, Kukini, Kungming2, Kunnskap, KuroiShiroi, Kuru, Kzdragon1, L Kensington, Labalius, Lairor, Lakataj, Lalakers luvr, Larry V,Larry laptop, Latics, Lavenderx, Laxerman2011, Lazyr, LcawteHuggle, Lcp12, Leagueoflegendspro, Leedeth, Leithp, Lemartin, Lemuel Caution, Leowanok, Lesmills, Life, Liberty, Property,Lightmouse, 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Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 22

Image Sources, Licenses and ContributorsFile:US_Open_2007,_Maria_Sharapova_serving.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:US_Open_2007,_Maria_Sharapova_serving.jpg  License: Creative CommonsAttribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors: Stan Wiechers from New YorkImage:Lawn-tennis-Prang-1887.jpeg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Lawn-tennis-Prang-1887.jpeg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Prang (L.) & Co.Image:Tennis court imperial.svg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Tennis_court_imperial.svg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.5  Contributors:User:NielsFImage:Peer Vs Chakvetadze.JPG  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Peer_Vs_Chakvetadze.JPG  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: User:AlexisraelImage:Tennis umpire.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Tennis_umpire.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.0  Contributors: Spicks & SpecksImage:Tennis shake hands after match.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Tennis_shake_hands_after_match.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Contributors: kanceImage:Tim Henman Wimbledon 2005 1.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Tim_Henman_Wimbledon_2005_1.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Contributors: FlickreviewR, Lobo, Pfctdayelise, Spyder Monkey, WikimolImage:Roger Federer 2.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Roger_Federer_2.jpg  License: Public Domain  Contributors: Original uploader was Aleksmot aten.wikipediaImage:Nadal-2006.2.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Nadal-2006.2.jpg  License: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0  Contributors: User:MachocariocaImage:Justine henin hardenne medibank international 2006 02.jpg  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Justine_henin_hardenne_medibank_international_2006_02.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.5  Contributors: Deeb, Grondin, Lobo, Spyder Monkey, Windsok, 1 anonymous edits

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