tennis

Tennis is a sport of skill and movement played on a rectangular court divided by a net. Two players (singles) or two teams of two players (doubles) use rackets to hit a felt-covered ball over the net, trying to land it inside the lines on the other side. The aim is to hit the ball in a way that the other player cannot return it correctly.

You might play tennis at a local club, watch Wimbledon on TV, or hear phrases like "tennis ball" or "tennis elbow." Sometimes people also talk about a "tennis match" in a loose, figurative way when describing a quick back-and-forth exchange. Overall, the word mainly refers to the sport itself.

Tennis is a racket sport played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players (doubles). The objective is to hit a hollow rubber ball covered in felt over a net using a strung racket so that it bounces within the marked court boundaries on the opponent's side in a way that prevents them from making a valid return. Points are won when a player fails to return the ball legally—hitting it out of bounds, failing to get it over the net, or letting it bounce twice on their side.

The game is scored using a unique system involving "love" (zero), 15, 30, 40, and "game." Matches are typically played as the best of three or five sets. Famous tournaments like Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open, and the Australian Open draw massive global audiences and showcase the pinnacle of athletic skill.

The word usually refers to the sport, its equipment, its scoring, or things connected with it, such as a tennis court, a tennis ball, a tennis racket, or tennis shoes. It also appears in fixed expressions like "tennis elbow," an injury that affects the arm near the elbow. In figurative language, English more often uses "tennis match" or compares an exchange to tennis, rather than using "tennis" alone to mean an argument. Whether you are talking about playing on court, watching a major final, or describing a lively exchange by comparison, the word suggests quick movement, control, and competition.