Topic 5 pieces on this page

Terminology.

Tennis terminology defines string gauge, tension, racquet construction, and swing mechanics that shape how pros and beginners understand the game.

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Terminology ·6 min · May 2026

Tennis Terminology, One Number at a Time: What "Ace" Actually Counts

In the first round at Wimbledon in 2010, John Isner hit 113 aces in a single match. Mahut hit 103. The match ran 11 hours and 5 minutes across three days and finished 70-68 in the fifth set.

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Beginners ·5 min · May 2026

Deuce vs Ad Court: The One Piece of Tennis Terminology That Trips Up Every Beginner

Walk onto any public court and within ten minutes someone will tell you the rule of thumb: the ad court is on the left, the deuce court is on the right.

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Terminology ·6 min · May 2026

Ad Court vs Deuce Court: The Tennis Terminology That Trips Up Every Beginner

You have probably stood at the baseline, ball in hand, and felt a small jolt of doubt: which side am I supposed to serve from right now, and which one is the "ad court" everyone keeps mentioning?

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Terminology ·5 min · May 2026

Tennis Serve Technique and the Ace: What Actually Separates an Unreturnable Serve From a Lucky One

Most recreational players have asked some version of this question after a club match: the flat serve down the T that froze the returner on Saturday looked, on video, almost identical to the one that…

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Scoring ·5 min · May 2026

Tennis Scoring Explained: Why the First Point Is Worth 15

The first point of a tennis game is called 15. Not one. Not first. Fifteen. A player who has won exactly one point in the current game has a score of 15, and if you have never watched tennis before…