If you want to know more about a brand new sport, or just watched Challengers and got obsessed with the whole tenniscore vibe, you are in the right place! Here’s your starter guide to becoming a fan of the sport.
SCORE AND BASIC RULES
The scoring can be confusing when you watch tennis for the first time. The points are scored as 15, 30, 40, and the fourth is called game point. If you win four points in a row, you win a game. If you win six games, you take the set. If you win two sets, you win the match!
When two players are tied at 40, it’s called deuce and, from there, one of them has to win two points in a row to win the game. If the score reaches 6-6, then it’s time for a tiebreak, with its scoring system running on regular points, just like other sports like volleyball use. Whoever gets to seven points first (with a two-point lead), wins the set.
In volleyball, if you win a point, you serve. But in tennis, each game has one player serving, and they only switch when the game ends. To have a valid serve, the player must hit what we call the service box. If they miss it, it’s a fault. If they miss two serves in a row, it’s called a double fault, giving their opponent a free point.
Just like in volleyball, if the ball goes out of the court’s limits, the point goes to your opponent. The ball is allowed to bounce only once before a player returns it, and matches are usually best of three sets, with the only exception being in men’s Grand Slam, where they have to play best of five matches.
BIG TOURNAMENTS TO WATCH
There are four major tournaments called Grand Slams: the Australian Open, Roland Garros (also known as the French Open), Wimbledon, and the US Open. These are the biggest stages in tennis, and the tournaments every player wants to win.
Besides the Slams, there’s also the WTA 1000s and ATP Masters 1000s, which happen throughout the year and are packed with top-tier talent. “WTA” is the abbreviation for Women’s Tennis Association, or what we called Women’s Tour, and “ATP” is the Men’s Tour.
There are also ATP and WTA 500 and 250 events. These numbers are the ranking points the players earn if they win the tournament. If you’re Brazilian, keep an eye on the ATP 500 Rio Open tournament, which happens every year in February!
Brazilians in the history books
Tennis history goes way back to the 12th and 13th centuries in France, when the game first started to take shape. Since then, it evolved into the fast-paced, high-energy sport we know today. And when it comes to Brazilians killing it on the court, we have a list of names you need to know.
Maria Esther Bueno was the first Brazilian, between male and female, ever to win a Grand Slam, taking the Wimbledon title in 1959 and making history. Guga, or Gustavo Kuerten, became the first Brazilian to reach world number 1 in the Open Era and won Roland Garros three times during his career. Luisa Stefani and Laura Pigossi made their mark by becoming the first Brazilian pair to win an Olympic medal in tennis, bringing home the bronze at Tokyo 2020 in a totally unexpected run.
João Fonseca is one of the brightest rising stars. He won the US Open Junior in 2023 and became the tenth youngest player in history to win an ATP title in 2025.
At last, but not least, Bia Haddad Maia is, without a doubt, the biggest current name in Brazilian women’s tennis. She is a semifinalist at Roland Garros 2023, won the Elite Trophy, and finished runner-up at the WTA 1000 in Toronto 2022. After Guga, she was the one who put Brazil back on the tennis map.
Top of the ranking
At the top of the stage, Aryna Sabalenka is one of the most electric players to watch. Charismatic, powerful and emotional, she’s currently world’s number one and already has three Grand Slam titles. Her forehand is one of the most aggressive on tour, and she plays with so much intensity, it’s impossible to ignore her presence. She also has a special connection with Brazil, because her boyfriend is from São Paulo!
The number two in the world, Iga Swiatek, is a six-time Grand Slam champion and olympic medalist. She has held the number one spot for 125 weeks, making her the seventh player with the most weeks at the top of the ranking.
Coco Gauff, number three in the world, is also dominating the women’s game. At just 21, she’s already won both the US Open and Roland Garros, and her backhand is a weapon that sets her apart from her opponents.
On the men’s side, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are the stars you should keep your eyes on if you’re just getting into tennis. Their matches are always full of energy, talent, and drama, like this year’s Roland Garros final, where Alcaraz saved three match points and won the title.
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The article above was edited by Maria Esther Cortez.
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