History UsefulNotes / Tennis

Believe it or not, the scoring rules are actually ''even more complicated than this''; there are special rules made for tiebreaker games, for instance (Which ironically is the only part of the scoring system that uses a very simple 1,2,3,4,5 counting system rather than the 15, 30, 40, Ad nonsense); variations such as 'No Ad' scoring (playing a single decisive point when both players reach 40) and different combinations of all the above scoring systems. However, this basically captures how you keep score in tennis. Hell of a job.

* '''Steffi Graf (Germany)''': Mr. Agassi's lovely wife, who achieved a Career Year Golden Slam; i.e., doing the Career Golden Slam ''in the same year''. Nicknamed "Fraulein Forehand" by fans due to the power and accuracy of her signature shot. Holder of an all-time record 22 major titles.

* '''Serena and Venus Williams (USA)''': Powerhouse sisters; achieved a ''doubles'' Career Golden Slam together, with Serena also achieving one in singles. Playing in singles, [[SiblingRivalry they have been pitted against each other eight times in Grand Slam finals.]] In addition to their remarkable achievements, they are also distinctive for being the most successful African American players ever, for either gender.

* '''Andy Roddick (USA)''': Formerly World No. 1; formerly held the record for the fastest serve, at 155 mph (250 km/h) before it was broken by Ivo Karlovic, who fired a 157 mph (251 km/h) serve in Davis Cup. Known for his friendly rivalry with Roger Federer (it became a running joke that Roddick could not get through a press conference or interview without Federer being mentioned). Retired at the 2012 US Open quarter-finals.

* '''Roger Federer (Switzerland)''': Current World No. 1 (a ranking he has held for longer than any other ATP player); he holds a record 17 Grand Slam singles titles including a record equalling 7 Wimbledon, 5 US Open and 4 Australian Open titles[[hottip:*: and 1 French Open, but that's not a record]], also has an Olympic gold medal in men's doubles and a silver in singles. Is often cited as the greatest player of all time. If one were to look up ATP tennis records on the OtherWiki [[TheAce one would find his name on 90%]]. During his 2012 Wimbledon run he [[SerialEscalation broke a record in every match he played]] after the third round.

Tennis is largely an individual and pair sport, but team events are not unheard of. The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis_Cup Davis Cup]] is a men's event (ladies get the Fed Cup) that involves teams from different countries playing each other in a knockout tournament. Serbia is the most recent champion of the tournament.

* '''Roger Federer (Switzerland)''': Current World No. 1 (a ranking he has held for longer than any other ATP player); he holds a record 17 Grand Slam singles titles including a record equalling 7 Wimbledon, 5 US Open and 4 Australian Open titles[[hottip:*: and 1 French Open, but that's not a record]], also has an Olympic gold medal in men's doubles and a silver in singles. Is often cited as the greatest player of all time. If one were to look up ATP tennis records on the OtherWiki [[TheAce one would find his name on 90%]]. During his 2012 Wimbledon run he [[BeyondTheImpossible broke a record in every match he played]] after the third round.

The basic game is easy to grasp: one player serves the ball, and they proceed to whack it back and forth over a net until one player a) hits it into the net, b) hits it out of the court, or c) lets the ball bounce in-bounds past him. Any of those will grant the person who didn't do it a point. The game is notable for its ludicrous scoring system:

* '''Roger Federer (Switzerland)''': Current World No. 1 (a ranking he has held for longer than any other ATP player); he holds a record 17 Grand Slam singles titles including a record equalling 7 Wimbledon, 5 US Open and 4 Australian Open titles[[hottip:*: and 1 French Open, but that's not a record]], also has an Olympic gold medal in men's doubles and a silver in singles. Is often cited as the greatest player of all time. If one were to look up ATP tennis records on the OtherWiki [[TheAce one would find his name on 90%]].

* '''Jimmy Connors (USA)''': The first of the notable players to emerge at the advent of the Open Era, Jimmy Connors was a ferocious power baseliner whose heart and will were only matched by his pugnacious attitude towards others. Widely regarded as a tremendous asshole on court, Connors nevertheless is one of the game's greats, owning eight major titles and having played in three decades, with one of his most memorable moments coming in his run to the US Open semifinal at the age of 39 in 1992 before losing to Jim Courier.

* '''Bjorn Borg (Sweden)''': Archrival of John McEnroe, nicknamed the Iceman because of his steely and cool demeanour on court. Famed for his prowess at the French Open, Borg won 6 championships at Roland Garros, surpassed only by Rafael Nadal. His tireless baseline game was the model for claycourters in the years to come. Retired suddenly in 1983 and attempted a failed comeback in 1991. He was also noted for 5 consecutive Wimbledon titles, a record [[WorthyOpponent he watched Roger Federer equal in spite of previously saying he never wanted it touched]].
* '''Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia)''': A name that's probably better regarded now then it was during the man's prime, Lendl took the Connors game plan and refined it, turning baseline tennis into a brutal slugfest and ushering in the era of the power-baseliner. Was not popular due to the politics of the time; at the heart of the Cold War, the robotic, seemingly emotionless Lendl was easy to root against, as Connors and McEnroe can attest to. Known for his power off the ground and his tendency to drill the ball straight at volleyers instead of attempting a passing shot. Now Andy Murray's coach.
* '''Andre Agassi (USA)''': One of the biggest legends in tennis; one of three people to achieve the singles Career Golden Slam. Retired due to spine issues. Known earlier in his career for his wild power off the ground, which gradually changed to a more measured, steady baseline attack in his later years. Married to Steffi Graf (between them they hold 30 singles titles).
* '''Pete Sampras (USA)''': Held the world record for Grand Slam singles titles until Roger Federer stole his thunder. However, he still has the record for being ranked World No. 1 for the most years in a row, with six years under his belt. Widely regarded as one of the greatest grass-courters of all time, holding a joint record seven {{Wimbledon}} titles (with Federer).
* '''Michael Chang (USA)''': Known for being the first Asian male to win a major title (the 1987 French Open) at the age of seventeen. Chang was renowned for his frightening foot speed and retrieval ability, and was the first American to win a major in his generation, before being followed by Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi.

* '''Serena and Venus Williams (USA)''': Powerhouse sisters; achieved a ''doubles'' Career Golden Slam together, with Serena also achieving one in singles. Playing in singles, [[SiblingRivalry they have been pitted against each other eight times in Grand Slam finals.]] In addition to their remarkable achievements, they are also distinctive for being the most successful African American players ever, for either gender.

* The first scoring level is the ''game.'' For some reason, unlike other sports who are content to just use "zero," a score of zero is called "love" in tennis. This originated from referring to 0 by the French word ''l'oeuf'' meaning "egg." From "love," you go to 15, 30, 40,[[hottip:*:actually shortened from 45]] and then the game is over...unless both players are at 40, in which case one player must win by 2, necessitating 40 > Advantage > Game.

Believe it or not, the scoring rules are actually ''even more complicated than this''; there are special rules made for tiebreaker games, for instance (Which ironically is the only part of the scoring system that uses a very simple 1,2,3,4,5 counting system rather than the 15,30,40,Ad nonsense). However, this basically captures how you keep score in tennis. Hell of a job.

* Grass courts were the courts that game started on (a reason why tennis began as 'lawn tennis') and in terms of pop culture is easily the most recognizable due to the prestige of Wimbledon. In terms of playing conditions, grass courts are 'fast', meaning the ball penetrates the courts more upon impact which takes time away from the opposing player. What complicates this, however, is the low bounce that grass provides, meaning that low skidding balls are often the norm with extreme topspin being more difficult to impart. Historically, grass rewards big servers and skilled volleyers, exemplified by Pete Sampras holding seven Wimbledon titles. That said, baseliners have won their fair share of grass tourneys, with Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal being Wimbledon winners and Jim Courier and Andy Roddick being Wimbledon finalists. (It can be argued that a change in the grass composition around 2001 to make the court play much slower contributed to this; a clay court specialist like Nadal wouldn't have bothered turning up to Wimbledon 30 years ago.) Outside of Wimbledon, grass is used sparingly, for smaller tournaments like Queens Club or Halle (unsurprisingly, both warm-ups for the All England Championships) though Newport boasts a grass tournament as well.

* '''Andy Roddick (USA)''': Formerly World No. 1; formerly held the record for the fastest serve, at 155 mph (250 km/h) before it was broken by Ivo Karlovic, who fired a 157 mph (251 km/h) serve in Davis Cup.

* '''Novak Djokovic (Serbia)''': Yet another former World No. 1. Was constantly overshadowed by Federer and Nadal early on in his career [[OvershadowedByAwesome despite being World No. 3]], until he went on a spectacular 43-0 game winning streak in 2011 and became the only tennis player on the planet capable of defeating these two. ''Some'' of the time.
* '''Andy Murray (UK)''': Britain's current greatest tennis player. Is the only British male player to make it to the {{Wimbledon}} finals since WWII (he lost to Federer) and, to quote his entry on the OvershadowedByAwesome article, is "a great player in a time of amazing players". Has an Olympic gold medal in singles and a silver in mixed doubles. Finally broke a 76-year national hoodoo in 2012 by becoming the first male Brit to win a major - the US Open - since the beginning of the Open Era (the last male Brit to win a Slam was Fred Perry, in 1936).

* '''Andy Murray (UK)''': Britain's current greatest tennis player. Is the only British male player to make it to the {{Wimbledon}} finals since WWII (he lost to Federer) and, to quote his entry on the OvershadowedByAwesome article, is "a great player in a time of amazing players". Has an Olympic gold medal in singles and a silver in mixed doubles. Finally broke a 76-year national hoodoo in 2012 by becoming the first male Brit to win a major - the US Open - since Fred Perry.

* Clay courts are the polar opposite of grass in every possible way - while grass accentuates speed and lowers bounce, clay courts are notoriously slow and provide more extreme bounce. Thus, the surface rewards a more defensive mindset - instead of the all-out offense of a grass-courter, a typical clay-court player will utilize heavy topspin to move the opponent around the court, trying to force an error or generate a ball short enough to put away. This is easier said than done, of course, which is why clay matches can be very physically draining, though the resulting brand of tennis does reward point construction more than grass or hard courts do. Clay tournaments are played primarily in Europe, where the surface is more commonplace than hard courts - as a result, most of the notable clay-courters in tennis history are European, such as Rafael Nadal[[hottip:*: Spanish]] (possessing a record seven French Open titles), Bjorn Borg[[hottip:*: Swedish]], Gustavo Kuerten[[hottip:*: actually Brazillian - the exception to prove the rule]] and Sergi Bruguera[[hottip:*: Spanish]]. North Americans are not totally foreign to the surface, however, utilizing a slightly faster form of clay. This surface is only used for the French Open.

* '''Andy Murray (UK)''': Britain's current greatest tennis player. Is the only British male player to make it to the {{Wimbledon}} finals since WWII (he lost to Federer) and, to quote his entry on the OvershadowedByAwesome article, is "a great player in a time of amazing players". Has an Olympic gold medal in singles and a silver in mixed doubles. Finally broke a 76-year national hoodoo in 2012 by becoming the first Brit to win a major - the US Open - since Fred Perry.

* '''Andy Murray (UK)''': Britain's current greatest tennis player. Is the only British male player to make it to the {{Wimbledon}} finals since WWII (he lost to Federer) and, to quote his entry on the OvershadowedByAwesome article, is "a great player in a time of amazing players". Has an Olympic gold medal in singles and a silver in mixed doubles.

* '''Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia)''': A name that's probably better regarded now then it was during the man's prime, Lendl took the Connors game plan and refined it, turning baseline tennis into a brutal slugfest and ushering in the era of the power-baseliner. Was not popular due to the politics of the time; at the heart of the Cold War, the robotic, seemingly emotionless Lendl was easy to root against, as Connors and McEnroe can attest to. Known for his power off the ground and his tendency to drill the ball straight at volleyers instead of attempting a passing shot.

* '''Andy Murray (UK)''': Britain's current greatest tennis player. Is the only British player to make it to the {{Wimbledon}} finals since WWII (he lost to Federer) and, to quote his entry on the OvershadowedByAwesome article, is "a great player in a time of amazing players". Has an Olympic gold medal in singles and a silver in mixed doubles.

* '''Roger Federer (Switzerland)''': Current World No. 1 (a ranking he has held for longer than any other ATP player); he holds a record 17 Grand Slam singles titles including a joint record 7 Wimbledon, 5 US Open and 4 Australian titles[[hottip:*: and 1 French Open, but that's not a record]], also has an Olympic gold medal in men's doubles and a silver in singles. Is often cited as the greatest player of all time. If one were to look up ATP tennis records on the OtherWiki [[TheAce one would find his name on 90%]].

* '''Bjorn Borg (Sweden)''': Archrival of John McEnroe, nicknamed the Iceman because of his steely and cool demeanour on court. Famed for his prowess at the French Open, Borg won 6 championships at Roland Garros, surpassed only by Rafael Nadal. His tireless baseline game was the model for claycourters in the years to come. Retired suddenly in 1983 and attempted a failed comeback in 1991. He was also noted for 5 consecutive Wimbledon titles, a record [[WorthyOpponent he watched Roger Federer equal in 2009]].

* '''Steffi Graf (Germany)''': Mr. Agassi's lovely wife, who achieved a Career Year Golden Slam; i.e., doing the Career Golden Slam ''in the same year''. Nicknamed "Fraulein Forehand" by fans due to the power and accuracy of her signature shot. Holder of 22 major titles.

* '''Serena and Venus Williams (USA)''': Powerhouse sisters; achieved a ''doubles'' Career Golden Slam together. Playing in singles, [[SiblingRivalry they have been pitted against each other eight times in Grand Slam finals.]] In addition to their remarkable achievements, they are also distinctive for being the most successful African American players ever, for either gender.
* '''Pete Sampras (USA)''': Held the world record for Grand Slam singles titles until Roger Federer stole his thunder. However, he still has the record for being ranked World No. 1 for the most years in a row, with six years under his belt. Widely regarded as one of the greatest grass-courters of all time, holding a joint record seven {{Wimbledon}} titles (with Federer).

* '''Roger Federer (Switzerland)''': Current World No. 1; he holds a record 17 Grand Slam singles titles including a joint record 7 Wimbledon titles, also has an Olympic gold medal in men's doubles. Is often cited as the greatest player of all time. If one were to look up ATP tennis records on the OtherWiki [[TheAce one would find his name on 90%]].

* '''Rafael Nadal (Spain)''': Former World No. 1. One of only three people to achieve a singles Career Golden Slam, which entails winning all four Grand Slam championships ''and'' the Olympic gold medal. Extremely dominant on clay courts, holding a record seven French Open singles championships.

* '''Andy Murray (UK)''': Britain's current greatest tennis player. Is the only British player to make it to the {{Wimbledon}} finals since WWII (he lost to Federer) and, to quote his entry on the OvershadowedByAwesome article, is "a great player in a time of amazing players".

* '''John [=McEnroe=] (USA)''': Retired ages ago, but still famous, notably for his hair-trigger temper as well as his devastating serve and volley prowess.
* '''Bjorn Borg (Sweden)''': Archrival of John McEnroe, nicknamed the Iceman because of his steely and cool demeanour on court. Famed for his prowess at the French Open, Borg won six championships at Roland Garros, surpassed only by Rafael Nadal. His tireless baseline game was the model for claycourters in the years to come. Retired suddenly in 1983 and attempted a failed comeback in 1991.

Tennis is a popular worldwide racket sport, originating as a racket-less game in France during the MiddleAges. In addition to the BondOneLiner provided above, it is also the source for [[http://www.tennisforum.com/showthread.php?t=340653 numerous sex jokes]] (Even when we're not scoring, we're in love!). It's regulated by the International Tennis Federation and the most important championships are {{Wimbledon}}and the Australian, French, and US Opens. Those four together make the Grand Slam.

Tennis is a popular worldwide racket sport, originating as a racket-less game in France during the MiddleAges. In addition to the BondOneLiner provided above, it is also the source for [[http://www.tennisforum.com/showthread.php?t=340653 numerous sex jokes]] (Even when we're not scoring, we're in love!). It's regulated by the International Tennis Federation and the most important championship is {{Wimbledon}}. There are also the Australian, French, and US Opens. Those four together make the Grand Slam.

* '''Novak Djokovic (Serbia)''': Yet another former World No. 1. Was constantly overshadowed by Federer and Nadal early on in his career [[OvershadowedByAwesome despite being World No. 3]], until he went on a spectacular 43-0 game winning streak in 2011 and was actually able to beat Nadal ''some'' of the time.

* '''Rafael Nadal (Spain)''': Former World No. 1. One of only three people to achieve a singles Career Golden Slam, which entails winning all four Grand Slam championships ''and'' the Olympic gold medal. Extremely dominant on clay courts, holding a record seven French Open singles championships.

* '''Bjorn Borg (Sweden)''': Archrival of John McEnroe, nicknamed the Iceman because of his steely and cool demeanour on court. Famed for his prowess at the French Open, Borg won six championships at Roland Garros, tied for the lead with Rafael Nadal. His tireless baseline game was the model for claycourters in the years to come. Retired suddenly in 1983 and attempted a failed comeback in 1991.

* '''Andre Agassi (USA)''': One of the biggest legends in tennis; one of three people to achieve the singles Career Golden Slam. Retired due to spine issues. Known earlier in his career for his wild power off the ground, which gradually changed to a more measured, steady baseline attack in his later years.

* '''Roger Federer (Switzerland)''': Currently World No. 2; he holds a record 16 Grand Slam titles. Was also World No. 1 for a ''very'' long time, and is often cited as the best player of all time. If one were to look up ATP tennis records on the OtherWiki [[TheAce one would find his name on 90%]].

* '''Rafael Nadal (Spain)''': Former World No. 1. One of only three people to achieve a singles Career Golden Slam, which entails winning all four Grand Slam championships ''and'' the Olympic gold medal. Extremely dominant on clay courts, holding six French Open singles championships.

* '''Pete Sampras (USA)''': Held the world record for Grand Slam singles titles until Roger Federer stole his thunder. However, he still has the record for being ranked World No. 1 for the most years in a row, with six years under his belt. Widely regarded as one of the greatest grass-courters of all time, holding a record seven {{Wimbledon}} titles.

* Clay courts are the polar opposite of grass in every possible way - while grass accentuates speed and lowers bounce, clay courts are notoriously slow and provide more extreme bounce. Thus, the surface rewards a more defensive mindset - instead of the all-out offense of a grass-courter, a typical clay-court player will utilize heavy topspin to move the opponent around the court, trying to force an error or generate a ball short enough to put away. This is easier said than done, of course, which is why clay matches can be very physically draining, though the resulting brand of tennis does reward point construction more than grass or hard courts do. Clay tournaments are played primarily in Europe, where the surface is more commonplace than hard courts - as a result, most of the notable clay-courters in tennis history are European, such as Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg (both possessing six French Open titles), Gustavo Kuerten and Sergi Bruguera. North Americans are not totally foreign to the surface, however, utilizing a slightly faster form of clay. This surface is only used for the French Open.

* '''Roger Federer (Switzerland)''': Currently World No. 2; he holds a record 16 Grand Slam titles. Was also World No. 1 for a ''very'' long time, and is often cited as the best player of all time.

* '''Roger Federer (Switzerland)''': Currently World No. 3; he holds a record 16 Grand Slam titles. Was also World No. 1 for a ''very'' long time, and is often cited as the best player of all time.

Believe it or not, the scoring rules are actually ''even more complicated than this''; there are special rules made for tiebreaker games, for instance. However, this basically captures how you keep score in tennis. Hell of a job.

* Grass courts were the courts that game started on (a reason why tennis began as 'lawn tennis') and in terms of pop culture is easily the most recognizable due to the prestige of Wimbledon. In terms of playing conditions, grass courts are 'fast', meaning the ball penetrates the courts more upon impact which takes time away from the opposing player. What complicates this, however, is the low bounce that grass provides, meaning that low skidding balls are often the norm with extreme topspin being more difficult to impart. Historically, grass rewards big servers and skilled volleyers, exemplified by Pete Sampras holding seven Wimbledon titles. That said, baseliners have won their fair share of grass tourneys, with Andre Agassi and Rafael Nadal being Wimbledon winners and Jim Courier and Andy Roddick being Wimbledon finalists. Outside of Wimbledon, grass is used sparingly, for smaller tournaments like Queens Club or Halle (unsurprisingly, both warm-ups for the All England Championships) though Newport boasts a grass tournament as well.

* Clay courts are the polar opposite of grass in every possible way - while grass accentuates speed and lowers bounce, clay courts are notoriously slow and provide more extreme bounce. Thus, the surface rewards a more defensive mindset - instead of the all-out offense of a grass-courter, a typical clay-court player will utilize heavy topspin to move the opponent around the court, trying to force an error or generate a ball short enough to put away. This is easier said than done, of course, which is why clay matches can be very physically draining, though the resulting brand of tennis does reward point construction more than grass or hard courts do. Clay tournaments are played primarily in Europe, where the surface is more commonplace than hard courts - as a result, most of the notable clay-courters in tennis history are European, such as Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg (both possessing six French Open titles), Gustavo Kuerten and Sergi Bruguera. North Americans are not totally foreign to the surface, however, utilizing a slightly faster form of clay.

* Hard courts are by far the most common kind of tennis courts in North America and most iconic in France, and unlike the other two they can vary wildly in terms of speed and bounce. For instance, the hard courts used for the Australian Open (Rebound Ace, Plexicushion) have always had a lower speed and higher bounce then the courts used for the U.S Open (DecoTurf), despite both being hard courts. The surface itself is a reinforced cement base, with rubber or acrylic going on top depending on the desired playing characteristics. As a result, different types of hard courts suit different players; defenders like Andy Murray or Lleyton Hewitt may prefer slower playing hard courts, whereas more aggressive players like Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer would find their style more suited for faster courts. Ultimately a versatile surface, as it can reward all styles of play at one tournament or another.

* '''Roger Federer''': Currently World No. 3; he holds a record 16 Grand Slam titles. Was also World No. 1 for a ''very'' long time.
* '''Andy Roddick''': Formerly World No. 1; formerly held the record for the fastest serve, at 155 mph (250 km/h) before it was broken by Ivo Karlovic, who fired a 157 mph (251 km/h) serve in Davis Cup.
* '''Rafael Nadal''': Former World No. 1. One of only three people to achieve a singles Career Golden Slam, which entails winning all four Grand Slam championships ''and'' the Olympic gold medal. Extremely dominant on clay courts, holding six French Open singles championships.
* '''Jimmy Connors''': The first of the notable players to emerge at the advent of the Open Era, Jimmy Connors was a ferocious power baseliner whose heart and will were only matched by his pugnacious attitude towards others. Widely regarded as a tremendous asshole on court, Connors nevertheless is one of the game's greats, owning eight major titles and having played in three decades, with one of his most memorable moments coming in his run to the US Open semifinal at the age of 39 in 1992 before losing to Jim Courier.
* '''John [=McEnroe=]''': Retired ages ago, but still famous, notably for his hair-trigger temper as well as his devastating serve and volley prowess.
* '''Bjorn Borg''': Archrival of John McEnroe, nicknamed the Iceman because of his steely and cool demeanour on court. Famed for his prowess at the French Open, Borg won six championships at Roland Garros, tied for the lead with Rafael Nadal. His tireless baseline game was the model for claycourters in the years to come. Retired suddenly in 1983 and attempted a failed comeback in 1991.
* '''Ivan Lendl''': A name that's probably better regarded now then it was during the man's prime, Lendl took the Connors game plan and refined it, turning baseline tennis into a brutal slugfest and ushering in the era of the power-baseliner. Was not popular due to the politics of the time; at the heart of the Cold War, the robotic, seemingly emotionless Lendl was easy to root against, as Connors and McEnroe can attest to. Known for his power off the ground and his tendency to drill the ball straight at volleyers instead of attempting a passing shot.
* '''Andre Agassi''': One of the biggest legends in tennis; one of three people to achieve the singles Career Golden Slam. Retired due to spine issues. Known earlier in his career for his wild power off the ground, which gradually changed to a more measured, steady baseline attack in his later years.
* '''Michael Chang''': Known for being the first Asian male to win a major title (the 1987 French Open) at the age of seventeen. Chang was renowned for his frightening foot speed and retrieval ability, and was the first American to win a major in his generation, before being followed by Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi.
* '''Steffi Graf''': Mr. Agassi's lovely wife, who achieved a Career Year Golden Slam; i.e., doing the Career Golden Slam ''in the same year''. Nicknamed "Fraulein Forehand" by fans due to the power and accuracy of her signature shot. Holder of 22 major titles.
* '''Billie Jean King''': Won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. In 1973, she won the second (and possibly most famous) "Battle of the Sexes", a three-set promotional match against former Wimbledon men's singles champion Bobby Riggs. Long an advocate for women's equality in sport and society, she is the founder of the Women's Tennis Association, the Women's Sports Foundation, and owner of World Team Tennis, which was founded by her former husband, Larry King and three others.
* '''Chris Evert''': Won 18 Grand Slam singles championships, including a record seven championships at the French Open and a record six championships at the U.S. Open. She was the year-ending World No. 1 singles player in 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, and 1981. Her career win-loss record in singles matches of 1,309-146 (.900) is the best of any professional player in tennis history. Known for her calm, steely demeanor on court, she was nicknamed the "Ice Maiden" of tennis.
* '''Martina Navratilova''': Won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 Grand Slam women's doubles titles (an all-time record), and 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles; she is the only man or woman to have won 8 different tournaments at least 7 times. Originally from Czechoslovakia, she asked for political asylum in the US in 1975, was stripped of her Czech citizenship (later restored by the Czech Republic), and became a US citizen in 1981. She also came out as a lesbian in 1981, and she has been an activist for gay rights, filing a lawsuit in 1992 against Amendment 2 (a Colorado ballot proposition designed to deny legal protections to gays and lesbians overturned in Romer v. Evans).
* '''Maureen Connolly Brinker''': Also known as Little Mo, she was the first woman, and only the second person, to win the world's four major "Grand Slam" tennis titles in the same year (1953). She lost only one set in those four tournaments. Her retirement was sadly short-lived; she died after a three-year battle with stomach cancer at 34.
* '''Serena and Venus Williams''': Powerhouse sisters; achieved a ''doubles'' Career Golden Slam together. Playing in singles, [[SiblingRivalry they have been pitted against each other eight times in Grand Slam finals.]] In addition to their remarkable achievements, they are also distinctive for being the most successful African American players ever, for either gender.
* '''Pete Sampras''': Held the world record for Grand Slam singles titles until Roger Federer stole his thunder. However, he still has the record for being ranked World No. 1 for the most years in a row, with six years under his belt. Widely regarded as one of the greatest grass-courters of all time, holding a record seven {{Wimbledon}} titles.
* '''Anna Kournikova''': Russian women's tennis is exceptional in general (they dominated so much in Beijing '08 that all women's medal matches were between Russians), but Miss Kournikova stands out from the crowd. Typically more successful in doubles than singles (she has partnered with both Julie Halard and Martina Hingis). She retired in 2003 due to injuries, but not before getting six doubles titles under her belt and a World No. 1 doubles standing in 1999. Unfortunately, her singles career did not live up to the lofty expectations placed on her, as she never won a WTA title during her career.

* ''Sets'', the second scoring layer, are groups of games, usually played until one player reaches 6 games; but as with games, they must win by a margin of 2. As this used to lead to very long sets, a tie-breaker game is now played when the score reaches 6-6. However, there is no tie-breaker in the final set of some events, such as the Grand Slam championships apart from the US Open, so occasionally very long sets still occur (e.g. at Wimbledon in 2010, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut had a 5th set that lasted for [[BeyondTheImpossible over 8 freaking hours, finishing at 70-68]]).

* Hard courts are by far the most common kind of tennis courts in North America, and unlike the other two they can vary wildly in terms of speed and bounce. For instance, the hard courts used for the Australian Open (Rebound Ace, Plexicushion) have always had a lower speed and higher bounce then the courts used for the U.S Open (DecoTurf), despite both being hard courts. The surface itself is a reinforced cement base, with rubber or acrylic going on top depending on the desired playing characteristics. As a result, different types of hard courts suit different players; defenders like Andy Murray or Lleyton Hewitt may prefer slower playing hard courts, whereas more aggressive players like Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer would find their style more suited for faster courts. Ultimately a versatile surface, as it can reward all styles of play at one tournament or another.

* The first scoring level is the ''game.'' For some reason, unlike other sports who are content to just use "zero," a score of zero is called "love" in tennis. This originated from referring to 0 by the French word ''l'oeuf'' meaning "egg." From "love," you go to 15, 30, 40, and then the game is over...unless both players are at 40, in which case one player must win by 2, necessitating 40 > Advantage > Game.