types of match
Standard types
- "Singles" involves two players, usually two men or two women. Singles matches do not include one of the parts of the tennis courts, the alley.
- "Doubles" involves two teams that consist of two players in each, usually all male or all female. The two players on the receiving side change positions after each point. When one of them stays at the net, the other gets nearer to the baseline to serve. Doubles matches include the alley, so the full court is used.
- "Mixed doubles" is the same as the doubles, but with one man and one woman per team this time. This is the rarest in the professional games. Men's tours are organized by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), and Women's Tennis Association (WTA) is responsible of women's tours, so they usually play separately. On the other hand, all four Grand Slam tournaments hold a mixed doubles competition.
other types
- "Canadian doubles" involves three players. The single player hits into a doubles court, but the team with two players hits into a singles court. The rules might be modified, so that the sides can be equilibrated.
- "Australian doubles" is an informal form of tennis, which has similar rules to the Canadian doubles. The only difference is that the players rotate court position after each game. This enables each player to play both singles and doubles over the course of a match.
- "Jordache tennis" involves three players, but the game takes place between two of them. A game win is worth 5 points for a game. The winner always remains in the game and the player who replaces the loser chooses who will serve. The first player to 50 wins.
- "Wheelchair tennis" can be played both as singles or doubles. The main difference is that the ball may bounce twice before it is hit again. Also, the second bounce may be outside the court. All four Grand Slam tournaments hold wheelchair tennis.
- "Mini-tennis" is a tennis game played in courts with modified sizes. Especially beginners may choose to start with mini-tennis, since the balls do not bounce as high or travel as fast as in standard tennis matches. Moreover, the smaller courts is an advantage for players to cover the court and to reach the other player's shots.