What is Tennis?
The modern game is played in singles (one player versus another), doubles (teams of two) and mixed doubles (mixed-gender teams) and features differing scoring systems across international events.
Tennis has a long history, but the birth of the game played today is thought to have taken place in England.
By whom, where and when was Tennis invented?
The earliest recognisable relative to tennis, as we know it, was "jeu de paume", played in 11th century France. Played in a monastery courtyard, the game used the walls and sloping roofs as part of the court and the palm of the hand to hit the ball.
By the late 19th century, the popularity of lawn tennis had overtaken croquet in England. For this reason, the All England Croquet Club embraced the sport and designated certain croquet lawns to be used for tennis. It was this natural supply of venues combined with the already existing framework for a racquet game that resulted in the birth of the modern game in England.
In 1913, lawn tennis was becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Therefore, it seemed natural that the existing National Tennis Associations should join forces to ensure the game was uniformly structured. An international conference was held between 12 nations in Paris and the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) was created.
What are the rules of Tennis?
Played on a rectangular court lined for singles and doubles, players wield stringed rackets and hit the ball over a regulation tennis net, which divides the court in two.
Players alternate serving (an overhead motion with the racket) and must hit the ball into the lined service box. They get a first and second serve attempt to start each point, which then is played out by hitting the ball in the lines of the court - either singles or doubles depending on which is being contested.
The ball can bounce only once, and must be hit after the bounce or out of the air, which is known as a volley.
How is Tennis scored?
Buckle up! Tennis is made up of points, games and sets - which complete a full match.
A point is a single exchange in which opposing players win by either
- Hitting the ball within the lines but out of reach of their opponent;
- Their opponent hitting the ball outside the lines; or
- Their opponent hitting the ball into the net
To win a "game", players must win four points - but have to do so by a two-point margin. Long ago, tennis adopted a unique scoring system - win one point and you get 15, two you have 30, three is 40. When you win that fourth point, it is game.
Zero is known as love, which - the most prevalent theory claims - comes from the French word l’oeuf, meaning egg - or the shape of zero - which the English mis-heard as... "love."
Reaching four points to win a single game is complicated by needing to do so by a two-point margin. Should two players reach three points (or 40-all) each in a game, it's known as Deuce. From there, a player must establish a two-point margin to win said game.
Games make up a set, and to win a set you must win six games. Most tennis matches are played over best of three sets, though the men play best of five sets at the Grand Slams in singles (and in doubles at Wimbledon, too).
What is a Grand Slam in Tennis?
Professional tennis consists of two tours: the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for the men and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for the women.
Players compete on the tours year-round, traversing the globe and gaining ranking points at large-scale events in places like Miami, Rome, Madrid, Tokyo and beyond.
The Grand Slams are the four biggest events each year, held annually. The Australian Open, Roland-Garros (French Open), Wimbledon and the U.S. Open are known as the majors - or Grand Slams. They are not technically a part of the tours, but instead are the four mountaintops that players climb towards as they make their way around the globe.
Grand Slams consist of 128-player singles draws, the biggest in the sport. A player must win every round (seven) to win a Slam; once you lose, you're out.
Tennis and the Olympics
Tennis has a long Olympic history but withdrew from the programme after 1924. It did not return as a medal sport until 1988. Professionals are now welcome to compete, and the Olympic competition includes men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles, the last of which was added in 2012.
Best Tennis players to watch
After nearly two decades of dominance by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic, tennis has seen a younger generation rise to the top – especially in the women’s game.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is a three-time major champion already, while 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz shocked the sport by claiming the U.S. Open in September and occupying the world’s No. 1 ranking.
The competition is fierce: Stars like Olympic champions Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic represent a most established group trying to level up, but neither of those two players is yet to win a Slam.
Djokovic and Nadal are still top-tiered competitors, while Daniil Medvedev has a major to his name (2021 U.S. Open) and Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud have been Grand Slam runners-up.
Swiatek has been joined by Aryna Sabalenka (2023 Australian Open) and Elena Rybakina (2022 Wimbledon) recently as major champions, though Jessica Pegula, Ons Jabeur, Caroline Garcia and Coco Gauff are all knocking on the door of a Slam.
Tennis competition rules at Paris 2024
The five events – men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles, as well as mixed doubles – were all played under a single-elimination format, meaning you lose and you're out. The singles draws consisted of 64 players, doubles 32 teams, and mixed doubles 16 teams.
The two losing semifinalists faced off in each event in the bronze medal match.
The Olympics used "regular" tennis scoring – the same system used on the ATP and WTA tours: Matches were best of three sets, and a third-set tiebreak (played to seven points) determined the winner should a match reach that point.
Tennis was held at Roland-Garros, the home of the French Open, for Paris 2024.
