Tennis Games Glossary
This tennis games glossary
is divided into 3 parts that includes an introduction and a learning
games section for new tennis players and fans.

Tennis games glossary is dedicated to passionate game players and fans.
Tennis learning games
section:
Tennis became popular in the 19th century among the high society in
England as a lawn game.
Tennis is a game played between two individuals or two teams of two
players on a field or court with a net placed between to separate the
sides.
A hollow ball, typically made of hard rubber and covered in a type of
felt, is used and hit back and forth across the net with paddle-like
racquets that are strung to hit the ball into their opponents half of
the court.
Tennis courts were traditionally made of grass but can also be made of
clay or some other type of hard surface such as concrete or asphalt and
occasionally even carpet in the case of indoor tennis.
Tennis Games Glossary: A
- Ace:
a serve that is in bounds on the opposing
player's side of the net that goes untouched, resulting in a point
awarded. A smooth move!
- Ad Court:
the side of the court to each player’s
left.
- Advantage:
a point more than deuce in a tie game,
giving the player that scores it the advantage and positioning him/her
one point from winning.
- Advantage in:
jargon for server advantage.
- Advantage out:
refers to receiver advantage.
- All:
scoring term for a tie, example 40-all.
- All-court: a type
of play encompassing many
different playing styles.
- Alley:
the outer sidelines on the court between
the singles and doubles sidelines.
- Approach Shot:
a shot close to the net, typically
with spin on the ball.
- Australian
Formation: in doubles tennis, the strategy of
both players playing the same side of the court prior to start of the
point.
Tennis Games Glossary: B
- Backcourt:
court area from service line to baseline.
- Backhand:
hitting the ball with the traditional
back of the racquet.
- Backspin:
a shot in which the ball has a reverse
spin on it upon contact caused by hitting the ball in an upward slicing
motion.
- Backstop:
term for area behind the court end where tennis
balls are held.
- Backswing:
the part of the swing where the
player’s arm is making a backward motion in order to build momentum to
return the ball.
- Bagel:
tennis games glossary term for the “O” that
represents a bagel in a 6-0 win or a 0-6 loss.
- Ball boy or
Ball girl: male or female given the
task of chasing the balls during a match.
- Ball toss:
occurs before executing a serve.
- Baseline:
the end boundary stretching the width
of the court.
- Baseline Game:
method of play where most shots are near the
baseline.
- Baseline Judge:
game official who duties are calling the
shots in or out.
- Baseline
Player: term for player utilizing a baseline
method of play.
- Big Serve:
lingo for a powerful serve usually in a clutch
situation. Faster than a speeding bullet!
- Block:
typically a service return, the act of using the
racket to block the ball, rather than hit it.
- Breadstick:
slang for the shape of the 1 in a 6-1
win or loss.
- Break:
the winning of a game when player is not
the server, hence the breaking of the serve.
- Break Back:
jargon for a successful receiver play after a
service break.
- Break Point:
one point away from the end of the
match.
- Buggy Hit:
the act of hitting the ball with no
follow through but a short whip-like motion.
- Bye:
occurs when top players qualify to advance without
playing a match.
Tennis Games Glossary: C
- Call:
the umpire's decision to rule on a play
during a match.
- Cannonball:
lingo for a hard serve usually on a
flat trajectory.

- Carry:
illegal action where the ball is held/carried as
opposed to hitting the ball.
- Carve:
a groundstroke hit with spin on it.
- Center Court:
premium seating location for the tennis court
venue.
- Centerline
judge: game official who is responsible for
monitoring and calling the center service line.
- Center Mark:
term for baseline midpoint that is 2 X 14
inches.
- Center
Service Line: marks the boundary for both service
courts.
- Chair:
tennis games glossary for the location of the game
umpire.
- Changeover:
the time when players switch ends of
the court between matches.
- Chip:
a shot with under spin that is typically a
block.
- Chop:
jargon for tennis shot struck with a rapid downward
action, having plenty of backspin. Whoa, that's a spinner!
- Clean Winner:
tennis shot that the opposing player is
unable to reach and play.
- Closed Grip:
motion where the racket face is point down.
- Closed Racket:
jargon for a racket held with a closed grip.
- Closed Stance:
hitting the ball with your back
turned to your opponent and your body parallel to the
baseline.
- Court or
Tennis Court: measures 78 feet X 27 feet wide for
singles and 36 feet wide for doubles with a net in the middle. Service
lines are marked 21 feet from each side of the net and parallel to it.
- Crosscourt: a shot
that travels diagonally into
the opponent's side of the court.
- Cut To:
quick, slicing downward movement resulting in
sideways and backspin.
- Cyclops:
a computer powered device used to
determine if a serve is in bounds or out.
Tennis
Games Glossary is followed by terms D - P
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