Tennis, a popular sport worldwide, has become more engaging as the years have passed. Now, only a few people know how tennis is played. Before I get into how it’s played, here are some quick facts about tennis. Tennis originated in France during the 12th century. The game was played with bare hands until the racket was created later. Another point is that the longest tennis match was 11 hours and 5 minutes, played over three days. This is surprising as the tiebreak was created in 1970 to avoid long matches. The last fact I have is that the balls used to be white before they became bright yellow. Tennis is a game I admire very much, so here’s my creative take on how the game is played.
Tennis can be played on three main surfaces: clay, grass, and hard court. The different surfaces influence the ball’s speed and bounce, making the game challenging or easy. Pro players are often encouraged to have experience with all of the surfaces to understand the game entirely. The most common surface would be the hard court, which is utilized most of the time over the others. Changing the type of court could also be like changing the difficulty level in a video game.
The game begins with a coin flip, giving one player the power to serve, receive the ball, or pick the side of the court. Each player starts considering their opponent’s strengths and weaknesses on the court. The serve is very powerful as it determines whether you can win the point or if you will play the point out. When the ball is served, it requires a lot of force and strategic thinking on where to place it in the box. It is encouraged to put it in a spot that makes it difficult for your opponent to respond.
Throughout the game, the player and their opponent constantly hit the ball back and forth, known as a rally. These are the intense portions of the game where you try to keep the ball on the court and off your side. The rally consists of many of the strokes used in tennis, such as forehand, backhand, volley, and serve. When the ball finally stopped moving, the point ended. The person who served their score will always be called first. The scoring reads love(0), 15,30, and 40 (game), with the exceptions of Ad and Deuce. After all of this, a successful round of tennis has been played.
Tennis is a big mental battle as players must think strategically to outsmart their opponent and score. A player must be focused, resilient, and have composure while playing in intense situations. The game is swift-paced and constantly changing, so you never know when the opponent will strike back. Players must be ready for anything, as the ball doesn’t just stop after an excellent play. Tennis is a game that can be challenging but very fun when the game is learned. The game tests your strength and strategic thinking, which ultimately contributes to good health.