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This page explains what governing bodies, standards bodies and researchers publish. It is not a substitute for lessons from a qualified coach or for medical advice.
The rule book
The foreword to the ITF Rules of Tennis 2026 says the International Tennis Federation is tennis's governing body and that setting the Rules of Tennis is one of its duties. Changes pass through a chain: the ITF Rules of Tennis Committee watches the game and recommends changes to the ITF Board of Directors, which recommends them to the ITF Annual General Meeting, the final authority. The ITF can also approve trial variations for a limited number of events or a limited time, and those trials are not printed in the published rules.
The body's name is in transition. Member nations voted in October 2025 to rebrand as World Tennis, and Sportcal reported the trading name changing from 1 January 2026. The 2026 rule book itself still says references to the ITF mean ITF Limited, and that the English text prevails over any translation.
Besides the numbered rules, the 2026 book has appendices on the ball (I), the racket (II), player analysis technology (III), coaching (IV), advertising (V), alternative procedures and scoring (VI), court officials (VII), 10 and under competition (VIII), the court plan (IX), court marking (X), beach tennis (XI) and review and hearing procedures (XII), plus a separate section of wheelchair tennis rules.
The court and the net (Rule 1)
| Feature | ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 1 |
|---|---|
| Court length | 78 feet (23.77 m) |
| Court width, singles | 27 feet (8.23 m) |
| Court width, doubles | 36 feet (10.97 m) |
| Net height at the posts | 3.5 feet (1.07 m) |
| Net height at the centre | 3 feet (0.914 m), held down by a white strap |
| Net posts, doubles | Centres 3 feet (0.914 m) outside the doubles court on each side |
| Singles sticks | Hold a doubles net at 3.5 feet (1.07 m) for singles; centred 3 feet (0.914 m) outside the singles court |
| Post size | At most 6 inches (15 cm) square or in diameter |
| Singles stick size | At most 3 inches (7.5 cm) |
| Cord or cable | At most 1/3 inch (0.8 cm) in diameter, covered with a white band |
| Centre strap | At most 2 inches (5 cm) wide |
| Lines | Baselines at the ends, sidelines at the sides; most lines other than the baseline 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) wide |
Rule 1 also bars advertising on the court, net, strap, band, posts and singles sticks, except as Appendix V allows. Court surfaces and how the ITF classifies their pace are covered on the court surfaces and pace page.
Scoring a game (Rule 5)
A standard game is called Love, 15, 30, 40 and Game, with the server's score called first (Rule 5a). When both sides reach three points the score is Deuce. The next point gives Advantage, and a player or team needs two points in a row after Deuce to win the game.
A tie-break game is counted Zero, 1, 2, 3 and so on (Rule 5b). The first side to seven points with a two-point margin wins the game and the set, and play goes on until that margin exists. The player whose turn it is to serve takes the first point, the opponent serves the next two, and service then alternates every two points. Under Rules 5b and 10, players change ends after every six points of a tie-break.
Sets and matches (Rules 6 and 7)
Rule 6 names two main kinds of set:
- Advantage set: the first to six games wins, with a two-game margin, and there is no tie-break.
- Tie-break set: the first to six games with a two-game margin, with a tie-break game at six games all.
Rule 7 makes a match best of three sets or best of five. The format, including whether a final set is an advantage set or a tie-break set, must be announced before the event.
Approved alternatives (Appendix VI)
Appendix VI lists alternative procedures and scoring methods that events may adopt:
- No-Ad scoring: at Deuce a single deciding point is played, and the receiver chooses the side to receive from. In mixed doubles the player of the same gender as the server receives it.
- Short sets: the first to four games wins, with a tie-break at four games all, or at three all if the sanctioning body chooses.
- Short set tie-break: Appendix VI also lists a five-point Short Set tie-break.
- Match tie-break: a seven-point or ten-point tie-break replaces the deciding set. Appendix VI provides a 120-second set break before it, and says the balls should not be changed before it even if a change is due.
- Final set tie-break: a ten-point tie-break at six games all in the final set.
- No-Let rule: a serve that touches the net stays in play.
The majors' final set
On 16 March 2022 the Grand Slam Board announced that all four majors would play a ten-point tie-break, won by two, at six games all in the final set, as a trial approved through the ITF Rules of Tennis Committee, Tennis.com reported. Before then, according to the same report, Wimbledon played a seven-point tie-break at 12-12, the US Open a seven-point tie-break at 6-6, the Australian Open already used a ten-point tie-break, and the French Open had no final-set tie-break. The trial covered qualifying, men's and women's singles and doubles, wheelchair events and junior singles, with a review promised after a full year of majors. Whether and when the trial was made permanent could not be confirmed for this page.
Formats
Singles and doubles share one court with different widths (Rule 1). Mixed doubles appears in the No-Ad provisions of Appendix VI. Wheelchair tennis follows the same rules with exceptions set out in a separate section; those are on the wheelchair and para play page.
10 and under competition (Appendix VIII)
| Stage | Court | Net height at the centre | Ball recommended for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 3 (Red) | 36 to 42 feet long, 14 to 20 feet wide | 31.5 to 33 inches | Players up to 8 years old, on red courts |
| Stage 2 (Orange) | 58 to 60 feet long, 20 to 27 feet wide | 31.5 to 36 inches | Players aged 8 to 10, on orange courts |
| Stage 1 (Green) | Full court | Not given on this page | Advanced players aged 9 to 10 |
Appendix VIII limits 10 and under competition to these three balls, and attaches a racket length band to each stage. Ball approval and the racket rules are on the tennis balls and approval and tennis rackets and the rules pages.
Beach tennis
The 2026 rule book carries the Rules of Beach Tennis as Appendix XI. Beach tennis is a separate ITF discipline and is not covered on this site.
Who runs the game, the tours and the majors is on the tennis bodies and tours page.