what is tennis

Tennis is a racket sport that can be played individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponents court. The objective of the game is to maneuver the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return. Tennis is played on a variety of surfaces, including grass, clay, and hard courts of concrete or asphalt topped with acrylic. It is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society and at all ages, including by wheelchair users. The sport is enjoyed by millions of recreational players and is a popular worldwide spectator sport, with the four Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open) being especially popular. Tennis is known for its physical demands and has produced global stars such as Rod Laver, Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams. The sport is also a great way to keep fit, develop hand-eye coordination, and make friends, and it is enjoyed by people of all ages, from 5 to 85.