How to Play Tennis for Beginners

New to tennis and wondering how to play tennis? It might seem confusing at first, but it’s easier than it looks.

This guide will walk you through how to play tennis, including rules, scoring, court layout, and more so you can start playing with confidence.

At its core, tennis is about hitting the ball over the net and into your opponent’s court. You win points when they can’t return it.

Now you might ask yourself: How to play tennis as a beginner? To answer this you will first need to understand the gameplay, tackle basic rules, and learn the scoring system.

How to Play Tennis

Basic Gameplay

To learn how to play tennis you must first know the basics of how the game flows. In tennis you must first serve the ball towards the opponents side of the court. The ball must go over the net and bounce and land in the correct service box. If the ball hits the net or goes out you get another serve ( you have 2 serves in total).

After you serve the ball and your opponent returns it, you have to hit it back into their side of the court. If you fail to return the ball, you lose the point.​ If your opponent cannot return your shot, you win the point.

This is the basic flow of how to play tennis. Next, you need to understand scoring.

How Does Tennis Scoring Work?

​In tennis the correct way to count points is not 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. It's Love (0), 15 (1), 30 (2), 40 (3), and game. For example a score of 2-1 would be called 30-15 in tennis scoring. 

When serving, you always say your score first, followed by your opponent's score. If your opponent is serving, their score comes first.

If the score reaches 40-40 (called deuce), a player must win two consecutive points to win the game

---

Understanding the Tennis Court Layout

A Tennis Court Viewed from Above

How to Serve in Tennis

As a beginner learning how to play tennis, it's best not to focus too much on advanced serving techniques at first. The main goal is to get the ball over the net and into the correct service box. However, you should understand where to serve in tennis. Players serve for an entire game before switching.

• If the total score is even, you serve from the right side of the court (deuce side)

• If the total score is odd, you serve from the left side of the court (ad side) Refer to the diagrams below​

• When serving, stand behind the baseline and hit the ball diagonally into your opponent’s service box. If the ball lands inside the box, it is considered in. Refer to the diagrams below.

Where to Stand and Serve When the Score is Even

Where to Stand and Serve When the Score is Odd

Singles Vs Doubles

After learning the serve, you need to understand the court boundaries during rallies.

Tennis can be played as: 

• ​Singles (one vs one)

• Doubles (two players per team)

In singles, the court is narrower. In doubles, the full width of the court is used. Any ball landing outside the boundaries is considered out. Refer to the diagrams below

Singles Court Boundaries and When the Ball is Out

Doubles Court Boundaries and When the Ball is Out

---

Practical Tips

Tip 1: Prepare your body early and position yourself before the ball reaches you

Tip 2: Aim to hit the ball in the center of the racket (sweet spot)

Tip 3: After hitting the ball, continue your motion with a follow-through

Now you know how to play tennis and you're ready to start your learning journey. Remember this is only the beginning, any sport or any challenge in life requires patience and constant learning. So go, start practicing, and enjoy!

Continue learning tennis

Ready to improve your shots? Learn the basics of the tennis forehand with a step-by-step guide and tips