Tennis

Kramer, for instance, still believes that Vines was the best ever.¹ Among the women, Lenglen and Wills Moody vie for the distinction of greatest of all time, along with several modern players: Court, Navratilova, Evert, and Graf. - Guide managers and employees on program and performance management, the National Environmental Policy Act, and socioeconomic analysis. Even among experts, however, no consensus exists as to who has been the greatest of all. - Build decision support systems based on the goals and outcomes set in NOAA’s strategic plan, and. Roger Federer is considered by many commentators to have the most "complete" game in modern tennis, with the potential to challenge the achievements of these past greats. - Support planning activities through greater opportunities for active participation of employees, stakeholders, and partners,. Since then, first Laver, then more recently Borg and Sampras, have been widely regarded as the greatest ever. - Foster strategic management among NOAA Line and Staff Offices, Goal Teams, Programs, and Councils,.

For much of the 1950s and 1960s, many thought Gonzales had claimed that title. PPI was created to address the needs to... Until the mid-1950s, Bill Tilden was generally considered the greatest player ever, his only rivals being Vines, Budge, and Kramer. The Office of Program Planning and Integration was established in June 2002 as the focus for a new corporate management culture at NOAA. Among the women are Margaret Smith Court, Maria Bueno, Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong, Chris Evert, Hana Mandlíková, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, and Justine Henin-Hardenne. Through NOAA and its academic partners, thousands of scientists, engineers, technicians, and graduate students participate in furthering our knowledge of natural phenomena that affect the lives of us all. Among the greatest male players of the Open era are Rod Laver, Jimmy Connors, John Newcombe, Stan Smith, Guillermo Vilas, Arthur Ashe, Björn Borg, John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg,Goran Ivanišević, Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, Marcelo Rios, Patrick Rafter, Andre Agassi, Gustavo Kuerten, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, and Roger Federer. The NOAA Research network consists of 12 internal research laboratories, extramural research at 30 Sea Grant university and research programs, six undersea research centers, a research grants program through the Office of Global Programs, and 13 cooperative institutes with academia.

Doris Hart was the first player to win all 12 possible singles, doubles and mixed doubles Grand Slam titles. NOAA research also develops innovative technologies and observing systems. Maureen Connolly was the first female player to win a Grand Slam in 1953. Research, conducted in OAR laboratories and by extramural programs, focuses on enhancing our understanding of environmental phenomena such as tornadoes, hurricanes, climate variability, solar flares, changes in the ozone, El Niño/La Niña events, fisheries productivity, ocean currents, deep sea thermal vents, and coastal ecosystem health. Among women the top two pre-Open era players are considered to be Suzanne Lenglen and Helen Wills Moody. NOAA's research, conducted through the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), is the driving force behind NOAA environmental products and services that protect life and property and promote sustainable economic growth. Other fine players of the pre-Open era include Maurice McLoughlin, "Little Bill" Johnston, the "Four Musketeers" (Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet, and René Lacoste), Vinnie Richards, Jack Crawford, Vic Seixas, and Tony Trabert. The NMFS has a marine fisheries research lab in Woods Hole, Massachusetts and is home to one of NOAA's five fisheries science centers.

Any one of these eleven would probably be competitive in today's game. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, which was initiated in 1871 to protect, study, manage and restore fish. Among them are "Big Bill" Tilden, Ellsworth Vines, Fred Perry, Don Budge, Bobby Riggs, Jack Kramer, Pancho Segura, Frank Sedgman, Pancho Gonzales, Ken Rosewall, and Lew Hoad. The National Marine Fisheries Service, also known as NOAA Fisheries, is the direct descendant of the U.S. Many great players played in the days before tennis's Open era, many of whom are unknown by modern sports fans. In 1979 NOAA's first polar-orbiting environmental satellite was launched. Each year, a grass-court tournament is hosted on the grounds that are home to the Tennis Hall of Fame, as well as an induction ceremony honoring new Hall of Fame members. In 1977 the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) deployed the first successful moored equatorial current meter - the beginning of the Tropical Atmosphere/Ocean (TAO) array.

The building contains a large collection of tennis memorabilia as well as a hall of fame honoring prominent members and tennis players from all over the world. In 1984 the Tropical Ocean-Global Atmosphere program (TOGA) program began. In 1954 James Van Alen founded the International Tennis Hall of Fame, a non-profit museum in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1983 NOAA assumed operational responsibility for LANDSAT satellite system. Since the 1970s great champions have emerged from Germany (Boris Becker, Steffi Graf), the former Czechoslovakia (Ivan Lendl, Martina Navratilova, and Hana Mandlikova), Sweden (Björn Borg, Stefan Edberg and Mats Wilander), Brazil (Gustavo Kuerten), Russia (Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin), Belgium (Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne), Switzerland (Martina Hingis and Roger Federer) and from many other countries. In 1975 Tiros-1 (also known as GEOS-1), NOAA's first owned and operated geostationary satellite was launched. With the beginning of the Open era, the establishment of an international professional tennis circuit, and revenues from the sale of television rights, tennis has spread all over the world and has lost its upper-class English-speaking image. The service operates and manages many geosynchronous satellites.

In 1968, commercial pressures led to the abandonment of this distinction, inaugurating the Open era, in which all players could compete in all tournaments, and top players were able to make their living from tennis. NESDIS also runs the:. Once a player turned pro he or she could not compete in the major (amateur) tournaments. NESDIS also operates the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) in Boulder, Colorado, the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) in Silver Spring, Maryland, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) and the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC) which are used internationally by environmental scientists. For 42 years professional and amateur tennis remained strictly separate. Air Force, the Federal Aviation Administration, and meteorological services around the world, are housed at the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, North Carolina. The most notable of these early professionals were the American Vinnie Richards and the Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen. Navy, U.S.

("Cash and Carry") Pyle established the first professional tennis tour with a group of American and French tennis players playing exhibition matches to paying audiences. Data collected by the NWS, U.S. In 1926 promoter C.C. The National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) was created by the NOAA to operate and manage the United States environmental satellite programs, and manage the data gathered by the NWS and other government agencies and departments. Winning the Grand Slam, by capturing these four titles in one calendar year, is the highest ambition of most tennis players. When it was covered in scaffolding for renovations in 1999, NGS surveyors confirmed the height and stability of the structure. Together these four events are called the Grand Slam (a term borrowed from bridge). An example of the work the NGS does is the work they did taking measurements of the Washington Monument.

Open, the French Open and the Australian Open (dating to 1905) became and have remained the most prestigious events in tennis. Aviation safety, in particular the orientation of runways, depends on this system. Thus Wimbledon, the U.S. The NGS specifies latitude, longitude, height, scale, gravity, and orientation throughout the United States. It was also popular in France, where the French Open dates to 1891. waterways. Tennis was for many years predominantly a sport of the English-speaking world, dominated by the United States, Britain and Australia. It also introduced electronic nautical charts which they combine with GPS to enhance the safety and efficiency of navigation of U.S.

The Davis Cup, an annual competition between national teams, dates to 1900. The NOS protects 12 National Marine Sanctuaries and is an advocate for coastal and ocean stewardship. National Women's Singles Championships were first held in 1887. National Ocean Service (NOS) was formed from the old Coast and Geodetic Survey, and in turn created a new division called the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). The U.S. Many of their products are broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio, a network of radio transmitters that broadcasts weather forecasts, severe weather statements, watches and warnings 24 hours a day. Open, was first held in 1881 at Newport, Rhode Island. The NWS operates NEXRAD, a nationwide network of doppler radars which can detect precipitation and atmospheric movement.

National Men's Singles Championship, now the U.S. NOAA data is also relevant to the issues of global warming and ozone depletion. U.S. They issue more than 734,000 weather and 850,000 river forecasts, and more than 45,000 severe weather warnings annually. rules promulgated in 1924 have remained remarkably stable in the ensuing eighty years, the one major change being the addition of the tie-breaker system designed by James van Alen. They are charged with issuing weather forecasts, advisories, watches, and warnings on a daily basis. The comprehensive I.L.T.F. The National Weather Service (NWS) is tasked with providing "weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy." This is done through a collection of national and regional centers, and more than 120 local weather forecast offices (WFOs).

In 1881 the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (now the United States Tennis Association) was formed to standardize the rules and organize competitions. They are a commissioned officer corps of men and women who operate NOAA ships and aircraft, and serve in scientific and administrative posts. The first championships at Wimbledon, in London were played in 1877. In addition, NOAA research and operational activities are supported by the Nation's seventh uniformed service, the NOAA Corps. In 1881 the desire to play tennis competitively led to the establishment of tennis clubs. NOAA works toward its mission through these six major organizations in addition to several special program units:. at the home of Mary Ewing Outerbridge on Staten Island, New York in 1874. 4 of 1970.

It was first played in the U.S. NOAA was established under the Department of Commerce via the Reorganization Plan No. Tennis spread rapidly among the leisured classes in Britain and the United States. They were: The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey formed in 1807, the Weather Bureau formed in 1870, and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries formed in 1871. Seeing the commercial potential of the game, Wingfield patented it in 1874, but never succeeded in enforcing his patent. NOAA formed on October 3, 1970 after Richard Nixon proposed creating a new department to serve a national need "...for better protection of life and property from natural hazards...for a better understanding of the total environment...[and] for exploration and development leading to the intelligent use of our marine resources..." NOAA formed a conglomeration of three existing agencies that were among the oldest in the Federal Government. According to most tennis historians, modern tennis terminology also derives from this period, as Wingfield borrowed both the name and much of the French vocabulary of royal tennis and applied them to his new game:. The five "fundamental activities" are:.

He based the game on the older sport of indoor tennis or real tennis ("royal tennis"), which had been invented in 12th century France and was played by French aristocrats down to the time of the French Revolution. Recognizing that it is essential that we understand the challenges that we face as part of the Earth system in order to create appropriate solutions, NOAA conducts an end-to-end sequence of activities, beginning with scientific discovery and resulting in a number of critical environmental services and products. In December 1873, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield devised a similar game for the amusement of his guests at a garden party on his estate at Nantclwyd, Wales. NOAA plays several specific roles in society, the benefits of which extend beyond the US economy and into the larger global community:. The Courier of 23 July 1884 recorded one of the first tennis tournaments, held in the grounds of Shrubland Hall (demolished 1948). Specifically, NOAA operates to:. In 1874 they formed the Leamington Tennis Club, setting out the original rules of the game. Each goal corresponds phenomenologically to activities focusing on ecosystems, climate, weather and water, and commerce and transportation.

Wellesley Tomkins to found the first lawn tennis club in the world, and played the game on nearby lawns. In support of its vision and mission, has four goals to guide its suite of operations. A. The agency's mission is “to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet our nation’s economic, social, and environmental needs.”. Frederick Haynes and Dr. NOAA's strategic vision is “an informed society that uses a comprehensive understanding of the role of the oceans, coasts, and atmosphere in the global ecosystem to make the best social and economic decisions.”. Pereira joined with Dr. .

In 1872 both men moved to Leamington Spa, and with two doctors from the Warneford Hospital, played pelota on the lawn behind the Manor House Hotel (now residential apartments). NOAA warns of dangerous weather, charts seas and skies, guides the use and protection of ocean and coastal resources, and conducts research to improve understanding and stewardship of the environment. The game was played on a lawn in Edgbaston. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a scientific agency of the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere. In 1859 Major Thomas Henry Gem, a solicitor, and his friend Batista Pereira, a Spanish merchant, who both lived in Birmingham, England played a game they named "pelota", after a Spanish ball game. NEPA Compliance home page. Tennis has a long history (deriving from the 'jeu de paume'), but its establishment as the modern sport can be dated to two separate roots. NOAA Economics & Social Science home page.

system called the National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP): 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, etc.) which is adjusted periodically to maintain competitive matches. Strategic Planning Office home page. According to how well a person does in sanctioned play, he or she is given a rating (examples from the U.S. Program Planning and Integration home page. Players may also be matched by their skill level. Oceanic and Atmospheric Research website. In the four grand slams, the draw (the maximum number of players allowed in a particular category of the tournament) is 128 people. National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service home page.

There are also tournaments for handicapped players. International & Interagency Affairs Office. Tournaments may be arranged for specific age groups, with upper age limits for youth and lower age limits for senior players. NPOESS Integrated Program Office. Common tournament configurations include men's singles, women's singles, doubles (where two players of the same sex play on each side), and mixed doubles (with a member of each sex per side). Office of Research & Applications. Tournaments are often organized by gender and number of players. Office of Satellite Data Processing & Distribution.

Finally, if an opponent is deep in his court, a player may suddenly employ an unexpected drop shot, softly tapping the ball just over the net so that the opponent is unable to run in fast enough to retrieve it. Office of Satellite Operations. If the lob is not hit deeply enough into the other court, however, the opponent may then hit an overhead smash, a hard, serve-like shot, to try to end the point. Office of Systems Development. 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 position or to win the point outright by hitting it over the opponent's head. Office of Coast Survey (OCS). The half-volley is made by hitting the ball on the rise just after it has bounced, once again generally in the vicinity of the net. National Geodetic Survey (NGS).

A volley is made in the air before the ball bounces, generally near the net, and is usually made with a stiff-wristed punching motion to hit the ball into an open area of the opponent's court. National Ocean Service (NOS).
. Storm Prediction Center. A small number of players, notably Monica Seles, use two hands on both the backhand and forehand sides. National Hurricane Center. Ken Rosewall, another player noted for his one-handed backhand, used a deadly accurate slice backhand with underspin through the 1950s and '60s. Aviation Weather.

The player long considered to have had the best backhand of all time, Don Budge, had a very powerful one-handed stroke in the 1930s and '40s that imparted topspin onto the ball. Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. Two hands give the player more power, while one hand can generate a slice shot, applying backspin on the ball to produce a low trajectory bounce. Ocean Prediction Center. The two-handed grip gained popularity in the 1970s as Björn Borg, Chris Evert, Jimmy Connors and later Mats Wilander used it to great effect, and it is now used by a large number of the world's best players, including Andre Agassi and the Williams sisters. NOAA Radar images. The first notable players to use two hands were the 1930s Australians Vivian McGrath and John Bromwich. National Weather Service.

For most of the 20th Century it was performed with one hand, using either an eastern or a continental grip. Program Planning and Integration. It can be executed with either one or both hands. NOAA Research. The backhand, which is struck by swinging the racquet away from one's body in the direction of where the player wants the ball to go, is generally considered more difficult to master than the forehand. The National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service. In the 1940s and 50s the Ecuadorian/American player Pancho Segura used a two-handed forehand to devastating effect against larger, more powerful players, and many female and young players use the two-handed stroke today. The National Marine Fisheries Service.

No matter which grip is used, most forehands are generally executed with one hand holding the racquet, but there have been fine players with two-handed forehands. The National Ocean Service. Few top players used the western grip after the 1920s, but in the latter part of the 20th century, as shot-making techniques and equipment changed radically, the western forehand made a strong comeback and is now used by many modern players. The National Weather Service. For a number of years the small, apparently frail 1920s player Bill Johnston was considered by many to have had the best forehand of all time, a stroke that he hit shoulder-high using a western grip. Managing resources for the betterment of society, economy and environment. The most important ones are the Continental, the Eastern, and the Western. Engaging, advising, and informing the public and partner organizations with important information.

There are various grips for executing the forehand and their popularity has fluctuated over the years. Assessing and predicting the changes of these systems over time. Then swing up and across to get the right amount of spin. Understanding and describing Earth systems through research and analysis of that data. The forehand is accomplished by starting the racquet above the height of the ball, and then dropping the racquet head behind your body. Monitoring and observing Earth systems with instruments and data collection networks. A winning serve that is not touched by the opponent is called an ace. A Leader in Applied Scientific Research. NOAA is intended to be a source of accurate and objective scientific information in the four particular areas of national and global importance identified above: ecosystems, climate, weather and water, and commerce and transportation.

Some servers are content to use the serve simply to initiate the point; advanced players often try to hit a winning shot with their serve. In coordination with federal, state, local, tribal, and international authorities, NOAA manages the use of these environments, regulating fisheries and marine sanctuaries as well as protecting threatened and endangered marine species. A reverse spin serve is hit in a manner that spins the ball opposite the natural spin of the server, the spin direction depending upon right- or left-handedness, while a severely sliced serve is sometimes called a sidespin. A Provider of Environmental Stewardship Services. NOAA is also the steward of US coastal and marine environments. The server may employ different types of serve: a flat, a top-spin, an American twist (or kick), a reverse spin, or a slice serve. This is clearly manifest in the production of weather warnings and forecasts through the National Weather Service, but NOAA’s information products extend to climate, ecosystems, and commerce as well. The serve is initiated by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it (usually near the apex of its trajectory) into the diagonally opposite service box without touching the net. A Supplier of Environmental Information Products. NOAA supplies information to its customers and partners pertaining to the state of the oceans and the atmosphere.

A serve (or, more formally, a service) in tennis is a shot to start a point. Provide weather, climate, and ecosystem information to make sure individual and commercial transportation is safe, efficient, and environmentally sound. A competent tennis player has eight basic shots in his or her repertoire: the serve, forehand, backhand, volley, half-volley, overhead smash, drop shot, and lob. Provide data and forecasts for weather and water cycle events, including storms, droughts, and floods. The first player or team to four points wins the game. Understand changes in climate, including global climate change and the El Niño phenomenon, to ensure that we can plan and respond properly. No-ad: You play through the match without any ads. Ensure the sustainable use of resources and balance competing uses of coastal and marine ecosystems, recognizing both their human and natural components.

This is played like a regular tie-break but you go to ten instead of seven. It decides who wins instead of a third set. Super tie-break: This is played sometimes after players split sets (Each wins one set). All other rules apply.

A pro set is first to 8 games instead of 6. Pro set: Instead of playing best out of three sets, players may play one pro set. During highschool tennis team matches players may have to follow a few different rules:. The scoring is the same as a regular game.

For the single person, single court rules apply (such that the ball must be within the singles court lines) but on the side of the doubles team, doubles court rules apply (the alleys are considered in). This involves three players, with one person playing against a doubles team. Another tennis format is called "Australian doubles" (Sometimes referred to as "Canadian doubles" or "Korean doubles"). In such cases, the extra bounce is permitted for the wheelchair users only.

It is possible for a doubles team to consist of a wheelchair user and a legs user, or for a wheelchair user to play against a legs user. This rule makes it possible to have mixed wheelchair and legs matches. In wheelchair tennis, in which the players move in wheelchairs instead of using legs, an extra bounce is permitted. There is an exception for those who are only able to propel themselves using a foot.

The use of legs or feet is then prohibited, and the player is required to remain seated in the wheelchair. Wheelchair tennis can be played by able-bodied players as well as people who require a wheelchair for mobility. 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 done using a separate set of balls, and use of the match balls is resumed only when play resumes. The first such change occurs after only seven games, because the first set of balls is also used for the pre-match warm-up.

Balls wear out quickly in serious play, and therefore are changed after every nine games. Other than this, breaks are permitted only when forced by events beyond the players' control, such as rain, damaged footwear, or the need to chase an errant ball. This is increased to 90 seconds when the players change ends (every two games), and a 120 second break is permitted between sets. In most cases, service is required to occur no more than 20 seconds after the end of the previous point.

Stamina is a relevant factor, so arbitrary delays are not permitted. A tennis match is intended to be continuous. This is the case for many high school and college level matches. In some leagues players will make their own calls based upon the honor code.

The referee, who is usually located off the court, is the final authority on the rules. They have no adjudicative role. Ball boys or girls (who are usually children) may be employed to retrieve balls, pass them to the players, and hand players their towels. There may also be a net umpire who determines whether the ball has touched the net during service.

The chair umpire may be assisted by line umpires, who determine whether the ball has landed within the required part of the court and who also call foot faults. The umpire has absolute authority to determine matters of fact. In serious play there is an officiating chair umpire (usually referred to as the umpire), who sits in a raised chair to one side of the court. See Tennis score for a description of both tie break scoring and its history.

A tiebreak game, played under a separate set of rules, allows one player to win one more game and thus the set, to give a final set score of 7-6. A tiebreak game is sometimes played when the score for the set is presently 6-6. Should the player in the lead take any one of those points, he wins the game (set, etc.). If the player who is serving has a score of 40-love, he has a triple game point (triple set point, etc.).

For example, if the player who is serving has a score of 40-15, he has a double game point (double set point, etc.). It may happen that the course of play has been such that the player who is in the lead in the game has more than one chance to score the winning point, even if his opponent should take the next point(s). It is of importance in professional tennis, since service breaks happen less frequently with professional players. A break point occurs if the returner, not the server, has a game point.

The terminology is extended to sets (set point), matches (match point), and even championships (championship point). A game point occurs in tennis whenever the player who is in the lead in the game (the smallest unit of play) needs only one more point to win the game. The running score of each game is described in a manner particular to tennis: scores of zero to three points are described as "love" (or "zero"), "fifteen", "thirty", and "forty" respectively. A game consists of a sequence of points played with the same player serving, and is won by the first player to have won at least four points and at least two points more than his opponent.

If a tiebreak is played, the set is determined by the winner of the next game, and is scored as 7-6. It has become common, however, to play a one game tiebreak when each player has won six games. Typically, a player wins a set when he wins at least six games and at least two games more than his opponent. A set consists of a sequence of games played with service alternating between games, ending when the count of games won meets certain criteria.

Some matches may consist of five sets (the winner being the first to win three sets), while most matches are three sets (the winner being the first to win two sets). The match ends as soon as this winning condition is met. Matches consist of an odd number of multiple sets, the match winner being the player who wins more than half of the sets. A set consists of a number of games, and games, in turn, consist of points.

A tennis match usually comprises one to five sets. The first player or team to fail to make a legal return loses the point. It then travels back over the net and bounces in the court on the opposite side. A legal return consists of the player or team hitting the ball exactly once before it has bounced twice or hit any fixtures.

A legal service starts a rally, in which the players alternate hitting the ball across the net. If the second service is also faulty, this is a double fault and the receiver wins the point. If the first service is otherwise faulty in any way, the serving player has a second attempt at service. If the ball hits the net but lands in the service court, this is a let service, which is void.

In a legal service, the ball travels over the net (without touching it) and into the diagonally opposite service court. When the receiver is ready, the server will serve. The receiver may stand anywhere on his side of the net, usually behind the diagonally opposite service box. For each point, the server stands behind his baseline, between the center mark and the sideline.

Service alternates between the two halves of the court. One player is designated the server, and the opposing player, or in doubles one of the opposing players, is the receiver. The players (or teams) stand on opposite sides of the net. Open and Australian Open use hardcourts (though they used grass courts and clay courts in the past), the French Open is played on clay, and Wimbledon is played on grass.

Of the Grand Slam tournaments, the U.S. Grass courts add an additional variable, with bounces depending on how healthy the grass is and how recently it has been mowed. Hardcourts and grass are "fast" surfaces, where fast, low bounces keep rallies short, and powerful, hard-serving and hard-hitting players have an advantage. On clay courts, line calls are easily reviewable because the ball leaves a visible mark.

Clay courts are considered "slow," meaning that the balls lose speed as they hit the court and bounce relatively high, making it more difficult for a player to hit an unreturnable shot, called a winner. Hardcourt encompasses many different surfaces, ranging from old-fashioned concrete courts to coated asphalt to wooden gymnasium surfaces to artificial grass similar to AstroTurf. Each surface provides a difference in the speed and bounce of the ball. There are three main types of courts, depending on the materials used for the court surface.

The net is 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) high at the posts, and 3 feet (914 mm) high in the center. A net is stretched across the full width of the court, parallel with the baselines, dividing it into two equal ends. Additional clear space around the court is required in order for players to reach overrun balls. The court is 78 feet (23.77 m) long, and its width is 27 feet (8.23 m) for singles matches and 36 feet (10.97 m) for doubles matches.

Tennis is played on a rectangular flat surface, usually of grass, clay, or concrete (hard court). . Along with its millions of players, millions of people follow tennis as a spectator sport, especially the four Grand Slam tournaments. Its rules have remained remarkably unchanged since the 1920s.

Tennis is now an Olympic sport that is played at all levels of society and by all ages in many countries around the world. Originating in England in the late 19th Century, the game spread first throughout the English-speaking world, particularly among the upper classes. In some places, tennis is still called lawn tennis, to distinguish it from real tennis (also known as royal tennis or court tennis), an older form of the game that is played indoors on a very different kind of a court. Player(s) use a stringed racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered in felt over a net into the opponent's court.

Tennis is a racquet sport played between either two players ("singles") or two teams of two players ("doubles"). The convention of numbering scores "15," "30" and "40" comes from quinze, trente and quarante, which to French ears makes a euphonious sequence. Love may come from l'oeuf, the egg, a reference to the egg-shaped zero symbol; however, since "un oeuf" is more commonly used, the etymology remains in question. Deuce comes from à deux le jeu, meaning "to both is the game" (that is, the two players have equal scores).

Racquet comes from raquette, which derives from the Arabic rakhat, meaning the palm of the hand. Tennis comes from the French tenez, the imperative form of the verb tenir, to hold: This was a cry used by the player serving in royal tennis, meaning "I am about to serve!" (rather like the cry "Fore!" in golf). Hardcourt. Grass court.

Clay court.