Doubles Tennis Basics: The Gentler Senior Format With Court Positions And Etiquette

Doubles is the senior format of choice for one practical reason. Each player covers roughly half the court, which means less running, shorter rallies, and longer playing careers. The court itself is slightly wider for doubles. The doubles sidelines, which add 4.5 feet of width on each side, are in play in doubles but out in singles. The result is a 36 foot wide court for doubles versus a 27 foot wide court for singles, on the same 78 foot length.

Standard doubles uses the one up one back formation on serve and the two up formation during a rally. On serve, the server stands behind the baseline and the partner stands at the net, usually about 10 to 12 feet from the net post. The receiver stands behind the baseline on the diagonal service box, and the receiver partner stands near the service line. Once the ball is in play, both teams aim to move forward to the net, where doubles points are won. The two up position covers the angles and forces the opponents into low difficult shots.

The two sides of the court are called the deuce side and the ad side. The deuce side is the right side of the court for each team, facing the net. The ad side is the left side. Each player chooses one side as a primary side for the season. The choice is usually based on shot strength. A right-handed player with a strong cross-court forehand often plays the deuce side, where forehand returns land in the deuce service box. A right-handed player with a strong cross-court backhand often plays the ad side. Partners coordinate so that the strongest forehand is at the net on critical points such as break points and set points.

Doubles etiquette is strict but learnable. The serving team controls the pace. The server announces the score before each point, with the server team score first. So 30-15 means the server team has 30 and the receiving team has 15. The receiving team does not bounce the ball or talk while the server is preparing. Line calls are made by the team on whose side the ball lands, and a close call is given to the opponent in friendly play. After a long rally point, players say nice shot or well played, not only to the partner but to the opponents. At the end of the set, teams switch sides on odd games. Sources include the USTA Friend at Court rule book at usta.com, the ITF Rules of Tennis at itftennis.com, and the USTA Code of Conduct.