Those who run both professional tennis tours are equally anxious to make sure that the game presents a family-friendly image, with players showing competitiveness but not straying beyond the bounds of what the tours consider appropriate professional behaviour.

They hope this will mean that more parents are likely to encourage their children to play the game, and sponsors will be keen to support the sport.

Tennis swearing is therefore something they seek to stamp out, and this article will look at some of the issues surrounding the ways in which they attempt to do this.

Tennis Swearing Meaning

Don’t worry, I am not going to attempt to define a long list of swear-words here: rather, I will look at what constitutes swearing in this context. The ATP Code and WTA Rulebook both make a distinction between ‘audible’ and  ‘visible’ obscenities.

The former covers ‘the use of words commonly known and understood to be profane and uttered clearly and loudly enough to be heard’, while the latter is defined as ‘the making of signs by a player with hands and/or racquet or balls that commonly have an obscene meaning’.

Is Swearing A Code Violation In Tennis?

Yes, swearing is a code violation in tennis.

Neither audible nor visual obscenities are allowed by either tour, and a fine of up to $5,000 is applied for each violation.

If the violation occurs during a match, the Point Penalty Schedule will be applied as for other code violations, leading to scoreboard penalties and, ultimately, a possible default.

If the officials consider a really serious offence to have been committed (as usual, words like ‘flagrant’ and ‘egregious’ are used in the code of conduct), the offence will be redefined as ‘Aggravated Behaviour’ which can incur a larger fine and a suspension. 

Which Tennis Player Swears A Lot?

Whilst many players swear occasionally, one man is particularly renowned for his colourful turn of phrase, and that is of course the enigmatic Nick Kyrgios.

The following video illustrates this, showing Nick advising a spectator that he would prefer them to be quiet, and the umpire administering a code violation due to the phraseology used to put this message across.

WARNING- this video contains profanity.

Kyrgios Earns A Swearing Violation

What Actually Counts As Swearing?

Some players of the past were allowed to behave in a way which would be unlikely to be allowed today, partly due to the fact that their outbursts were not easy to categorise as swearing.

The next video link shows some clips from a famous match at the 1991 US Open, where a 39 year old Jimmy Connors eventually overcame Aaron Krickstein. Connors calls the umpire all kinds of names, without really swearing, and uses any disputes to energise an already raucous crowd and get them behind him.

Connors Intimidates Umpire

It is highly unlikely that Connors was punished in any way for his behaviour, yet many would consider his actions far worse than those of Kyrgios in the previous video. This reflects the difficulty in defining the kind of behaviour that should be penalised, but also shows the extent to which officials were intimidated by the combination of Connors and a New York crowd.

Why Do We Worry About Swearing?

If you think about it, it is a little odd that certain words with no racial or homophobic implications are still considered taboo. The obligatory apology from TV companies when their microphones pick up what they might term ‘bad language’ seems rather archaic. This requirement can also lead to more trouble.

Sadly I cannot find a video of this incident, but, a few years ago, one of the UK sports channels was covering a Dan Evans match.

Dan made an error and muttered something barely audible under his breath. The commentators then began to debate whether they would need to issue an apology, but they did not realise that their microphones were still on.

What this meant was that, instead of moving on quickly from Evans’ muffled self-criticism, we were treated to one of the commentators, in disapproving tones, pronouncing loudly and clearly that ‘he said ‘Hit the ******* ball!’. If anything here was likely to offend the viewers, it was not Dan!

It is commendable that the tours try to keep the game as family-friendly as possible, but perhaps things need to be kept in proportion. It is hard to imagine that many tennis viewers are mortally offended by a player letting slip an impolite word at a moment of extreme stress.

TV companies should perhaps only consider apologising for the most ‘egregious’ offences and cease exaggerating the significance of a poor choice of words.

Multi-Lingual Swearing

This is another difficult area, as officials might not realise if a player is swearing in a language they do not speak. A classic example of this came in a Wimbledon final featuring Steffi Graf many years ago, when Steffi shouted a rather impolite German word beginning with ‘S’ at the top of her voice, and there was no reaction from the umpire, who presumably had not understood it. These days, officials tend to be multi-lingual and are better placed to pick up these incidents.

Summary

Here is a recap of tennis swearing;

• Tennis swearing is disapproved of by the professional tours, and is punished accordingly.

• A fine of up to $5,000 per incident can be applied.

• Code violations and penalty points can be applied during a match.

• Umpires need to be aware of players swearing in different languages.

• Some TV companies can overstate the significance of ‘bad language’.

How do you feel about swearing in tennis? Let us know via the comments.

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In this article we will compare clay vs hard courts to illustrate the impact different surfaces have on the game of tennis.

Characteristics Of Clay And Hard Courts

There are two principal types of clay court. Either will have base layers which provide solidity and smoothness, as well as facilitating drainage. The court types are normally described using the colour of the surface layer, which is a powdery layer of a material with a texture rather like sand.

A red clay court has a surface consisting of a coarse layer of a crushed material such as brick. A green clay court is normally surfaced with a layer of crushed metabasalt, often known as Har-Tru. Both types of court are characterised by the loose surface layer which makes them feel soft underfoot.

Hard courts consist of layers of asphalt or concrete topped, in more expensive versions, by a layer of cushioning. The courts which are used in tournaments are generally topped with an acrylic surface layer or paint. Some clubs have ‘all-weather’ hard courts topped with a layer of painted tarmac.

The major distinction between hard and clay courts is the fact that the former have a smooth, solid surface whereas the latter are topped with a layer of loose material. This has a number of consequences.

Ball Behaviour On Clay vs Hard Court

The different construction of the court surface means that the ball bounces very differently on clay and hard courts. On a clay court, the surface absorbs some of the energy when the ball strikes it, resulting in the ball bouncing off the surface relatively slowly. This makes it more difficult to hit winners, as it gives your opponent more time to retrieve the ball.

Due to the nature of the surface, clay courts tend to produce long, tough rallies in which players attempt to grind their opponent down. They also reward drop shots, as players will tend to set up well behind the baseline, and a short ball will not bounce that high, as a result of the softness of the court. The surface tends to become rutted during play, so there can be some bad bounces.

“IBI14_Fabio Fognini” by Vale Alemanno is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Hard courts typically play quicker than clay courts, due to the smaller amount of energy absorbed by the court surface. The ball will bounce higher and faster on a hard court.  Although this is not really relevant to professionals due to the frequency of ball changes, these courts wear the felt off the tennis balls relatively quickly, which can result in fairly substantial changes in playing characteristics over the duration of a match.

Aside from the issue of ball wear, a hard court will provide a predictable, consistent bounce throughout a match. Drop shots are less effective than on clay courts due to the faster, higher bounce.

Player Adaptability

There are some players who have built a career around their performances on just one of these surfaces. Any genuine clay-court specialists are likely be from South America, where most courts are clay and from where it is very costly to travel to events on other surfaces in different continents.

Hard court specialists are rarer in today’s game, but they will generally be players who learned to play on hard courts and who have never really mastered the movement patterns required on clay courts.

Most professionals have learned to at least play competently on all tournament surfaces. This does require them to adapt their movement and tactics accordingly.

For example, it is helpful to slide into position for certain shots on clay courts, moving quickly and saving energy, and it is very difficult to compete at the highest level on the surface without having mastered this skill.

Players must also be patient on clay courts, as it is unlikely to be possible to blast an opponent off the court with power hitting on such a slow surface. Instead, aggressive shots with plenty of spin can be used to produce a cumulative effect, and drop shots and volleys can be employed as variations. High levels of fitness are required.

Hard courts do not require players to slide, although many have learned to do so. They reward aggressive players, and it is not necessary to employ as much spin as might be needed on clay. Rallies can be shorter, and powerful serves can be more effective.

To succeed on hard courts, players will need to perfect a slightly different movement style, with less sliding, and will benefit from flattening out some of their shots to gain extra pace. They will still need to be highly trained and strong, as hard courts can be tough on the joints.

Maintenance And Durability

Clay courts require quite a lot of maintenance. The surface needs to be swept following use, in order that a smooth surface is presented for the next users. Watering is also critical, and is required several times per day during a dry summer, in order to prevent the surface from becoming bumpy and dusty.

If properly maintained, clay courts should last for many years, although new topping material will need to be added periodically. Due to their ability to absorb moisture, a modest amount of rain should not prevent them from being played on.

In comparison, hard courts require little maintenance. There is no requirement for sweeping or watering. However, after a few years of use, the surface layer will become worn, and repainting will be required.

Hard courts can also be prone to accumulating layers of algae or other slippery material emanating from nearby vegetation. It will be necessary to thoroughly clean them from time to time to maintain the grippiness of the surface. Acrylic courts will become very slippery in damp conditions, and cannot be safely played upon until they are dry.

Eventually, the asphalt or concrete under a hard court will begin to deteriorate and will need to be replaced at considerable expense. Nonetheless, hard courts can last for around a decade of regular use.

Tournaments And Players

On the ATP Tour in 2016, 56% of tournaments were held on some kind of hard court, whilst 33% took place on a clay court. This pattern has not changed greatly since, so hard court events form the majority, but there is still plenty of opportunity for players to compete on clay.

At Grand Slam level, of course, the Australian and US Opens are held on acrylic hard courts, whereas the French Open is competed for on red clay. Although most players are adaptable enough to succeed on both surfaces to an extent, there are some whose achievements on their strongest surface are particularly outstanding.

There is little doubt that Novak Djokovic is the greatest hard court player ever to play the game. As at April 2023, he has won 13 Grand Slam titles on hard courts, including a remarkable 10 Australian Opens, and 27 hard court Masters events. He has won 88.6% of the matches he has played at hard court Grand Slam tournaments. 

Djokovic’s success partly emanates from his playing style, which is perfectly suited to hard court tennis. He is not a particularly heavy spinner of the ball, but his movement, accuracy and shot depth are second to none. He is renowned for his effective use of sliding on hard courts- with characteristic attention to detail he uses specially modified shoes to facilitate this.

Rafael Nadal is the undisputed all time king of clay. He has won a staggering 14 French Open titles, and between April 2005 and May 2007 he won 81 successive matches on the surface. Throughout his entire career, as at time of writing, he has won 91.3% of all of the matches he has played on clay courts.

It is astonishing to think that in 18 visits to date, Nadal has only ever failed to win the French Open on four occasions. His unique style is based on using his excellent fitness and strength to produce relentless heavy spin, and making it exhausting for players to stay with him during matches. In his latter years, he has made more use of his volleying skills and improved his serve in order that he can occasionally shorten points.

FAQs

1. Why is tennis on clay so different?

Clay courts are soft with a loose surface, which means that they slow the ball down and encourage long, gruelling rallies. It is helpful to slide into position for some shots, so the game looks different on clay both in terms of movement and style of rally.

2. How do you slide on hard courts?

It is not something that should be encouraged for beginners or seniors, but players like Djokovic can slide effectively on hard courts. This requires flexibility to get into the best position, and strength to avoid accidental hyper-extension of joints. A lot of practice is required to master this skill, and Djokovic uses specially designed shoes to assist him.

If you are keen to try sliding on hard courts, this YouTube video from ‘Foot Doctor’ will help with the technique.

3. Clay vs Hard Court Tennis Balls. What is the difference?

Hard courts wear the felt off tennis balls very quickly, so hard court balls tend to have a thick outer layer of durable felt to enable them to remain playable for longer. This type of ball is not suitable for clay courts, as the sandy surface would tend to make the thick felt layer fluffy, resulting in a slow, dead-feeling ball. Hard court balls also tend to pick up too much moisture from clay courts.

A clay court ball generally has an outer felt layer with a higher wool content and shorter nap, this being woven more tightly than on a hard court ball. Due to the tighter weave, the ball is less likely to absorb clay and fluff up. In addition, it will not absorb so much moisture, so it is unlikely to become excessively heavy.

Summary

In this article we have compared the basics of clay vs hard court surfaces. To summarise:

• Clay is slower and softer, and encourages sliding.

• Hard courts are more stressful on the joints but can reward attacking play.

• Clay courts require more day-to-day maintenance, but can last longer.

• Poorly maintained hard courts can be dangerously slippery.

• The majority of professional tournaments are played on hard courts, but there are still a lot of clay court events.
• Players need to adapt their style to succeed on both surfaces.

• Djokovic is the best ever on hard courts, whereas Nadal deserves that accolade on clay.

• Heavier, more durable tennis balls are needed on hard courts.

Which surface do you prefer and why? Let us know via the comments.

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Best Tennis Players on Clay

For these reasons, professional tennis players are required to give their best effort at all times, and face punishment if they incur a tennis best effort violation.

What Is Best Effort Violation?

The ATP Code of Conduct and WTA Rulebook define a best effort violation in almost identical ways. They each require a player to use their best efforts during a match, and give the Supervisor and Chair Umpire the authority to penalise the player according to the standard ‘Point Penalty’ procedure.

Both governing bodies also allow for the most serious violations (defined using dramatic terminology like ‘flagrant’ and ‘egregious’) to be punished as the more serious offence of ‘Aggravated Behaviour’.

Penalties And Fines

If the Umpire or Supervisor believes that a player is not trying, they will begin to apply penalties according to the usual code violation scale, beginning with a warning for the first offence and increasing to loss of point, loss of game, and finally default.

This may not be thought to be much of a threat, as it simply speeds up the inevitable, but it officially records the Umpire’s disapproval, and may trigger a fine later. This fine may be up to $10,000 on the WTA Tour, or $20,000 on the ATP Tour.

For a major breach of the code of conduct (it is not stated what would constitute something more serious, but they definitely feel that the words flagrant and egregious would need to be merited!), both Tours could categorise the offence as ‘aggravated behaviour’.

The WTA, for example, can apply a fine of up to $25,000 (or the amount of prize money won at the relevant tournament if greater) for this, along with a suspension of between 3 weeks and one year.

Examples Of Best Effort Violation

There have been many examples over the years of players appearing not to try. A distinction should be made here between players who may not be fully fit giving away a set in which they have fallen significantly behind, in order to conserve energy and give themselves a better chance of winning the next one, and players who simply do not seem interested in winning.

Whilst players have been penalised for the former, it is the latter behaviour that the governing bodies are most keen to stamp out.

The YouTube video for which I have provided a link below includes some of the most infamous examples of lack of effort on the ATP Tour in recent times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsoAeSnizJU

Two Australians, Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic, feature prominently. The first section of the video shows Kyrgios taking on Mischa Zverev at the 2016 Shanghai Masters, a match in which it quickly became apparent that Kyrgios did not want to be there– the result was a $10,000 fine, which was then the maximum.

Tomic is a difficult player to assess, because he looks languid even when playing well, but in the cases on the video he was clearly not mentally engaged.

Benoit Paire is another good player who appears, throwing away a set against Filippo Volandri. Paire is a very moody player, but in this case he was a set up, so it is likely he was saving himself for the final set, and we have no way of judging his state of physical health on that day.

Some of the examples are mildly amusing, but of course they do call into question the mental state of the players. They are young people who spend most of the year away from home and go on court to perform and be judged even when feeling anxious, unhappy or depressed.

The tours need to be seen to punish lack of effort, but it is important to offer psychological help too.

Best Effort Violation Summary

In case you missed any of the important details, here’s a quick recap of Best Effort Violation in tennis;

• A tennis best effort violation is viewed by some as a badge of shame, but it can equally well be a cry for help.

• The code of conduct requires a player to give their best effort at all times.

• If the Umpire thinks a professional player is not trying they will be penalised via the Point Penalty Scale, and possibly fined later.

• Sometimes it makes sense for a player to let a set go if they are struggling physically, in order to regroup for the decider.

Have you ever encountered a player who was not trying in an important match? Tell us about your experience via the comments.

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Of course, in practice, players do not always adhere to these limits, and a time warning or time violation can be awarded.

Continuous Play Rules

The ATP and WTA have very similar rules in this area. Essentially, they require that play is continuous, and a player shall not ‘unreasonably delay’ a match for any cause. Players must be ready to play by the end of the allowed interval, and, in addition, the receiver must play to the reasonable pace of the server.

Official Time Limits

• A maximum of 25 seconds is allowed from the moment the ball goes out of play until the commencement of the next point.

• There should be no undue delay between first and second serves.

• 90 seconds are allowed between points at a change of ends.

• 120 seconds are allowed at the end of a set.

• The warm up will normally be timed at 4 minutes, with players then given 60 seconds to be ready to play.

• 3 minutes are allowed for a medical time-out.

Umpires are expected to enforce these limits strictly, unless there are external factors which prevent the players from continuing. In recent years, a shot-clock has been placed on court at most professional tournaments to make things clearer for both players and spectators.

Time Warning In Tennis

The first time a player breaches one of the official time limits, the umpire should administer a warning. Far and away the most common situation where this will happen is when a

takes slightly too long to serve, although there are occasions where a returner is clearly delaying the server, and in this event the former should be warned. 

Tennis Serve Time Violation

If the shot clock shows zero time remaining before a player has started their service action, a time violation has occurred and a warning should be issued. Subsequent offences will result in ‘loss of serve’, so, essentially, the player’s first serve is taken away.

If the umpire believes the receiver to be the one delaying play, they can warn that player, with subsequent offences being punishable by a point penalty.

Player Opinions About Time Violations

This tends to depend upon their playing style.

As an attacking player, Roger Federer always liked fairly strict adherence to the time limits, as he would rather see opponents struggling to recover after he had forced them to move all over the court.

As a grinder, Rafael Nadal would rather he was allowed extra rest following a point where he has worked hard, in order that he can do the same again on the next one.

Examples Of Time Violations

Players never like being called for marginal time violations.

Here are three examples involving Thanasi Kokkinakis, Nick Kyrgios and Rafael Nadal. The circumstances differ, but the common factor is that all are displeased.

Kokkinakis is unhappy because he feels that he was not the cause of the delay. Kyrgios has an even stronger point, as replays show that he was actually in the middle of his service action when time elapsed.

The Nadal example is a little more nuanced. Many umpires are intimidated by Nadal, and would not give him a time violation even if he was consistently a second or two over the time. This umpire was prepared to give him a time violation, but undoubtedly did not do so at the earliest opportunity, leading Nadal to believe he had just waited for an important point.

Summary

Time violations are a controversial issue in tennis, as players like to take as much recovery time as possible prior to following a rigid pre-serve routine. Nonetheless, from the viewpoint of the audience, they do not really want to spend 25% of the match time watching players robotically bouncing a ball while mentally rehearsing their strategies. Time  violations and warnings must be handed out to keep things moving.

My personal preference is for umpires to strictly enforce the time limits, as it discourages attacking play if baseliners are allowed to rest for as long as they like between points. They can then continue to play a defensive counterhitting game, and it becomes extremely difficult to wear them down with positive plays like moving to the net and rushing them.

Where do you stand on this debate? Let us know via the comments.

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Periodically during a tennis match, the players change ends. This is intended to ensure that, where a match takes place outdoors, one player is not particularly favoured by conditions such as the angle of the Sun or the direction of the wind. In this article I will look at the tennis changeover rules in detail.

Tennis Changeover Rules – ITF

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) are the body who set most of the rules governing all levels of the sport. The official changeover rule is copied below:

The players shall change ends at the end of the first, third and every subsequent odd game of each set. The players shall also change ends at the end of each set unless the total number of games in that set is even, in which case the players change ends at the end of the first game of the next set. During a tie-break game, players shall change ends after every six points

The rule largely speaks for itself. Of course, in practice, this does not mean that the changes of ends come at regular intervals, as a single game can take as little as 60 seconds if the server is dominating, or as much as 20 minutes if there are many deuces.

How Long Is A Tennis Changeover?

The ITF rule states:

When the players change ends at the end of a game, a maximum of ninety (90) seconds are allowed. However, after the first game of each set and during a tie-break game, play shall be continuous and the players shall change ends without a rest. At the end of each set there shall be a set break of a maximum of one hundred and twenty (120) seconds.

Again, the practical impact of this rule is not quite as consistent as the ITF no doubt intended. For example, after the first game of a set or during a tie-break play is not really ‘continuous’, as players saunter over to their bag to take a drink and towel down. Very few players simply stride purposefully to the other end of the court, ready to resume play immediately.

Seniors Tennis Changeovers

In Seniors tennis, you will sometimes come across players who have been in the game for a very long time and who are not familiar with the current changeover rules, which can lead to confusion and disputes.

They still believe that they should take a break of around 90 seconds at the completion of every odd game, during which they are allowed to sit down. They have not processed the change, made many years ago, requiring a two minute break at the end of a set, irrespective of the number of games completed, and the associated removal of the interval after the first game of each set.

There is one area in which the changeover rules for ITF seniors (‘Masters) tournaments differ from those from other events. If a tie-break is played, players must change ends after the first point, as well as after every subsequent four points until the tie-break is decided. Play should be continuous at each change, so there is too be no sitting down- some older players need to be monitored carefully at this stage of a match.

In ITF Masters events, therefore, you need to be aware of players who do not know the rules, as well as those who try to circumvent them to gain an advantage. The tie-break rule can be confusing to everyone, and can seem illogical, although it is intended to make things fairer by giving players two service points from each end following every change.

Changeover Controversies

In professional tennis, players tend to follow the rules to whatever extent the umpire asks them to, so while there is not absolute consistency, there is rarely any real controversy. Although the break itself is not normally an issue, players do have to walk past one another through what can be a narrow gap alongside the court. This led to one infamous incident at the US Open.

In 1997, Irina Spirlea of Romania was enjoying her career-best year, during which she would break into the top 10 and reach the semi-final of the US Open.

During that latter match, Spirlea felt that at changes of ends her opponent, a young Venus Williams, was simply marching to her chair and expecting Spirlea to get out of her way. Spirlea decided part way through the second set that she would not do this any more, and very consciously blocked Venus’ path, resulting in a ‘bump’.

Spirlea undoubtedly hoped that standing her ground would unsettle the young American, and it almost worked as she came within a point of victory in the third set before Venus ultimately prevailed.

Summary

The tennis changeover rules are quite clear and simple, although in practice they can result in very different frequencies of changeover.

• Players change ends after every odd-numbered game, and at the end of a set.

• In a tie-break, ends are changed after every six points, except in ITF Masters events where the change occurs after the first point and every subsequent four.

• There is a break of 90 seconds at most changes of ends. In a tie-break and after the first game of a set, play is ‘continuous’, so competitors cannot sit down and should quickly resume play.

• At the end of a set a two minute break is allowed.

• Players should also try not to bump into their opponent at changes of ends!

Have you had any interesting experiences with the change of ends rules? Let us know via the comments.

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Tennis Disqualification Rules And How They Are Applied

An umpire or referee will judge the seriousness of any breach of the code of conduct and determine what penalty to apply.

Typically, each offence will bring an escalating punishment beginning with a warning, then a point penalty, a game penalty, and finally disqualification. A particularly egregious breach will result in immediate default, but this is rare.

For professionals, being disqualified from a match has repercussions beyond simply the loss of that contest. On the ATP and WTA Tours, a player is likely to be withdrawn from all other events at the tournament, and they will lose all prize money, ranking points and hotel accommodation.

The only likely exception to this is where only one of a doubles pair is deemed to have been at fault, in which case the additional penalties apply solely to the guilty party.  

What Might Cause A Disqualification?

At professional level, most disqualifications occur due to verbal or (often accidental) physical abuse of an official.

Players very rarely get defaulted for an accumulation of offences, as when they receive a game penalty they realise that their next code violation is likely to result in an expensive disqualification and tend to control their behaviour accordingly.

More often, a disqualification will result from intemperate remarks made to the umpire, or a ball or racket propelled in anger inadvertently striking someone.

Famous Disqualifications

Given the fact that disqualifications are relatively rare, some instances are very well remembered. You will have seen that even the greats of the game like Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams have been defaulted from major events in the past. Here, I will look at a few cases with which you may be less familiar, illustrated by YouTube videos.

Nalbandian disqualified at Queen’s

At Queen’s Club in 2012, former Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian angrily kicked the wooden frame around a line-judge’s chair.

Unfortunately for both parties, the wood splintered and cut the official’s leg. Although there was some discussion  afterwards, it was inevitable that the Argentinian would be disqualified.

Medvedev suggests Young is a friend of the umpire

Daniil Medvedev is now one of the very top players in the game, but in 2016 he was still scrapping his way up the rankings, playing against former American golden boy Donald Young at the Savannah Challenger in the USA.

After a ruling from the umpire with which he disagreed, Daniil demonstrated his tendency to make ill-judged comments when frustrated by implying that the official was favouring Young because they were of the same ethnicity. This soon led to his being disqualified for making remarks with racist connotations.

Shapovalov strikes umpire with ball

At a Davis Cup tie in 2017, a young Denis Shapovalov was in the process of losing to Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund. A missed backhand caused his frustration to boil over, and he struck a ball hard, with the intention of hitting it out of the arena.

Unfortunately, on that day, he could not even do that accurately, and the ball struck the umpire in the eye, leaving the shaken official no option but to default the Canadian.

Disqualification Compilation

If you enjoy watching the different ways in which players have managed to get themselves defaulted, you will like the following 12 minute Disqualification Compilation.

In addition to the three examples above, you can see Darian King accidentally felling a line judge as though she were a small oak tree.

My personal favourite is seeing the perceived bad boy of tennis, Jeff Tarango, look on in horror as the supposedly saintly Tim Henman demolishes a ball girl who found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Tennis Disqualification Rules Summary

The tennis disqualification rules are somewhat subjective, but there are certain things players know they cannot do, including:

• Verbally abuse an official
• Make racist remarks
• Strike an official with racket or ball

If any of the above occur, they are on borrowed time.

If a professional is disqualified, they are likely to be punished by:

• Removal from other events at the tournament and loss of hotel accommodation
• Loss of ranking points
• A fine
• For really serious incidents, a ban may also be considered.

Have you ever been involved in a disqualification at a tournament? Tell us about it via the comments.

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We have considered the rules of tennis, as set down by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), elsewhere on this site. The regulations are designed to be specific, in order to remove all doubt about what needs to be done in any given situation, and they include helpful examples.

Despite this, at any level of tennis, there are some widely followed unwritten rules.

Why Unwritten Rules Matter In Tennis

There are two ways of looking at this:

on one hand, if a rule was that important it would be written down, but, on the other hand, if rules are followed by the majority of people who play the game then they matter for that reason alone.

If you are a serious, competitive player, at or close to professional level, and follow high ethical standards, there are few unwritten rules that you need to concern yourself with.

If, however, you are a beginner wishing to join a long-established tennis club, you had better learn the etiquette or else you won’t be a member for long!

Etiquette For Serious Players

Competitive players work extremely hard to give themselves the best chance of winning, but they often travel to tournaments alone, so building relationships with their fellow players can be helpful.

A co-operative relationship with other players will ensure that practice partners are available when needed, and can limit the inevitable loneliness.

Regularly breaking the unwritten rules of sportsmanship will not win a player many friends.

The Code

The USTA, with an apparent total lack of recognition of the irony, have produced an eight-page, 46 paragraph, document called ‘The Code’ in which they write down a long series of supposedly unwritten rules which they would like players to follow.

In fairness, some of the points they make are either listed in or closely related to something appearing in the formal rules. Much of the document boils down to: ‘play fair and don’t cheat or try to put your opponent off’.

The Code seems to be more of a box-ticking exercise than anything else, as any player who would stoop to the kind of cheating and sharp practice they are trying to deter is hardly likely to take the time to read an eight-page document about how to behave on court!

Nonetheless, if you are anxious about doing the right thing on court, and are relatively new to the game, it may be worth a read.

Pros Breaking Unwritten Rules

Professional tennis players are trained to take every advantage within the rules in order to win, as their livelihoods depend upon it.

Here below will take you to a fascinating 12-minute YouTube video illustrating many examples from the WTA Tour of players behaving in ways which would certainly be considered unsporting at club level.

Nonetheless, you should remember that all of them will have been taught to respect the decision of the umpire, whether it goes for or against them (and even if it is obviously wrong), as such things tend to even out over a match.

Several of the things you will see players doing in this video are certainly against the spirit of ‘the Code’, although some of them may be blameless, as, for example, it is not easy to tell whether a ball has taken a second bounce just before you hit it.

Dancing around waving your arms and legs whilst hitting the ground with your racquet as your opponent is about to play, as demonstrated by Iga Swiatek and Maria Kirilenko, is probably covered by the (written) hindrance rule, and Kirilenko is shown being penalised for this.

Many of the disputes on the video actually arise from poor officiating, as the umpire has failed to observe that something is amiss.

Underarm Serving

Underarm (or ‘underhand’ in the USA) serving deserves a section of its own here, as it is a completely valid tactic which has the added advantage of providing extra entertainment for the crowd.

Despite this, there is still an opinion in some quarters that it is somehow contrary to the spirit of the game unless you advise your opponent beforehand that you intend to do it. This is manifestly absurd, as it is equivalent to being required to advise your opponent if, during a rally, you plan to play a drop-shot!

Here is an example of the mercurial Alexander Bublik making full use of his underarm serve by playing it six times in one game against Frances Tiafoe:

Tennis Unwritten Rules Summary

Tennis unwritten rules are numerous, but there are two main points to remember:

• The most important thing is to follow the formal rules of the game. Break these and you will be penalised.
• The unwritten rules will vary according to whom you plan to play with. At an old-fashioned club they will be far more numerous than at a modern facility aimed at juniors and performance players.

In general:

• If you act ethically and do not try to cheat or distract your opponent, you will not breach many unwritten rules.
• If you are concerned about the expectations of a new club, read ‘the Code’, which covers pretty much everything you may need to know.
• Do not let anyone tell you that underarm serving is unsporting or needs to be announced in advance.

Have you had any bad experiences with unwritten rules? Let us know via the comments.

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The best tennis players on clay usually are the ones with a variety of skills, speed, power, and resistance which makes them able to go on for a match for a reasonable amount of time.

In this article, we will take a look at the best tennis players of all time on clay in the ATP, and highlight their achievements on this surface.

The Demographics of Clay Court Tennis Players

On this surface, especially in the southern European and southern American areas most players grow from a young age playing exclusively on clay. This is due to the nicer weather and the sun and dry climate that clay needs to be maintained.

For this reason, rarely you’d find a great English player on clay or an American player as it’s mostly played by Europeans, Spanish, Italians, Argentinians, and Brazilians mostly.

10 Best Tennis Players on Clay in ATP

#1: Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal is the greatest clay court player of all time, winning a record-breaking 14 French Open titles, 63 total titles on clay, the most by any player in the Open Era. 

His ability to slice, spin and hit with incredible topspin on the clay has made him nearly unbeatable on the surface. Nadal’s dominance on the clay courts of Roland Garros is unparalleled, earning him the nickname “The King of Clay” and cementing his legacy as one of the greatest players in tennis history.  

#2: Björn  Borg

A legend in the world of tennis. Everyone heard his name and the Swedish country had never seen a better tennis player before. He is the second-best tennis player of all time on clay 6 French Open and 32 titles all around.

His aggressive style on the court marked an era of change in the world of tennis. His great rival is another well-known world champion, John McEnroe, playing against each other on 14 occasions during their career.

#3: Ivan Lendl

Ivan Lendl is a Czech tennis player who reached great results during his era in the 1980s and early 90s. He managed to win 3 French open and 28 clay titles, making him one of the best players of clay of all time.

His speed on the court was fantastic and shocked many players, changing the way tennis was played before the great American players arrived at the top level (Sampras and Agassi) arrived in the ATP.

#4: Mats Wilander

Mats Wilander another great Swedish tennis star won the French Open 3 times and 20 clay titles in his career. He is regarded as one of the best tacticians of all time, making the serve and volley his most recognized way of playing.

Nowadays he is a commentator at the top level in the world of tennis.

#5: Gustavo Kuerten

The Brazilian native, Gustavo Kuerten is a player that had to compete against probably the best players of all time in tennis, Sampras and Agassi, and managed even to play against Federer when the latest was at the beginning of his career.

He won in his career 3 times the Roland Garros and 14 ATP tournaments on clay.

#6: Novak Djokovic

The Serbian star Novak Djokovic took part in one of the best duels in the history of tennis. His era, one of the big three, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal lead him to play in the final against the above-mentioned multiple times.

He won a total of 2 Roland Garros and a total of 18 ATP titles on clay while in 2023 he’s altogether with Nadal the player to have won the greatest number of Grand Slams, 22 in the entire history of tennis.

His greatest accomplishment was winning the French Open 2021 after defeating Rafael Nadal in the semifinals and ultimately becoming the champion by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final while being 2 sets down, completing the comeback in 5 sets.

#7: Sergi Bruguera

In the same epoque of Jim Courier who you’ll find also in this top 10 list of the best players on the clay of all times.

Sergi Bruguera, nowadays in 2023 a coach had his success. As a Spanish native of Barcelona his practice since a young age was done mostly on clay and the results arrived in the mid-90s when he won 2 Roland Garros titles, total 14 ATP titles to complete his record of achievements. 

#8: Jan Kodeš

The Czechoslovakian player was at his best on the clay during his career spent almost in the late 60s and the following decade of the 70s.

The game of tennis was very different than the one we have seen in the last years however he won 2 French Open and 7 ATP titles on clay, making him one of the first European players to dominate on this surface.

#9: Jim Courier

Jim Courier, always wearing a baseball cap during his matches is an American ex-tennis player who reached his peak around the early 90s.

His style was one of a fighter, never giving up and the clay courts helped to achieve the major trophy of Ronald Garros 2 times while he won total 5 ATP titles in his career.

#10: Guillermo Vilas

The South American Guillermo Vilas was a legend of his own. He won only 1 title at Roland Garros but a total of 49 clay titles in his career, he was a beast on clay.

On this surface, his slice and great forehand were the major skills at his disposal. He is still nowadays one of the most successful players ever being on a court on the clay.

FAQs

Q1: Who is the second-best clay court player?

The second-best clay player in the world, based on the titles and matches won is Bjorn Borg.

Q2: Why is Nadal so good on clay?

He has a combination of slide, spin, speed, and court knowledge that is above any other player for the last 15 years.

Q3: Is Djokovic good on clay?

Novak Djokovic is a great player all-around and won even 2 times the Roland Garros. He is also in 2023 the only player who beat Nadal in all 3 main clay events in the world, Roland Garros, Rome, and Madrid.

Q4: How many Roger Federer clay court titles?

He even managed to win one Ronald Garros title in his career in 2009. All around Roger Federer won 11 ATP titles on clay in his entire career.

Who Will Be the Next Best Clay Court Players?

As the current crop of tennis greats age and retire, the question on everyone’s mind is who will be the next best players on clay? Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, or Jannik Sinner who will take up the mantle and dominate the clay court circuit?

With the increasing competitiveness and athleticism in the sport, the race to become the next best tennis player on clay promises to be an exciting one, and only time will tell who will rise to the top and make their mark in the history of the game.

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The tennis hindrance rule was introduced to prevent any tactics designed to affect a player’s concentration or psychological state during a match, and is designed to make sure that opponents cannot put us off our shot, either deliberately or accidentally.

This rule is in stark contrast to the football World Cup Final in 2022, where Argentinian goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was able to distract and unsettle opposing penalty takers by means of various ploys designed to affect them psychologically, which is legitimate (if not universally approved of) in football. But what constitutes a hindrance, and how does the rule work?

Tennis Hindrance Rule – Wording

The ITF hindrance rule which governs the vast majority of tennis events is as follows:

‘If a player is hindered in playing the point by a deliberate act of the opponent(s), the player shall win the point. However, the point shall be replayed if a player is hindered in playing the point by either an unintentional act of the opponent(s), or something outside the player’s own control (not including a permanent fixture).’

In other words, if your opponent puts you off by accident, a let should be played. If they put you off on purpose, it is your point. However, this kind of ruling will only be made when there is an umpire, as the players are unlikely to agree!

Voice Hindrance

One of the most controversial applications of the hindrance rule is where an umpire hears a player speak or shout out during a singles point. In this event they will normally deem it a deliberate hindrance and award the point to the opponent. In doubles, players are allowed to speak to their partner, but not when their opponent is about to hit the ball.

In reality, examples of voice hindrance rulings are rarely clear-cut, as the next section illustrates.

Tennis Hindrance Examples

Apart from voice hindrance, a hindrance can be called for causing a distraction, perhaps by your hat flying off in the wind, or a tennis ball falling from your pocket. These will be deemed unintentional the first time they happen, and a let called. Any repetition will be deemed deliberate, and a penalty point awarded.

Grunting can be regarded as a hindrance if an umpire considers it excessive. While they do have the option to penalise players under the hindrance rule, this is rarely done. This example, involving Robin Haase, is therefore very unusual:

Voice hindrance examples often cause bewilderment among the players, who may very rarely have encountered such a ruling. The next example shows Serena Williams being penalised in the 2011 US Open for bellowing ‘Come on!’ before opponent Sam Stosur had a chance to try to return the ball. The hindrance call is quite correct, but Serena was not pleased!

A slightly more amusing example is the following one featuring Daniil Medvedev versus Alexander Bublik. Medvedev almost hits a vulnerable Bublik and says ‘Sorry!’, but Bublik somehow manages to return the ball. Medvedev puts the easy ball away, but is docked a point for speaking during the rally.

The Raised Hand Trick

There are cases where a hindrance should be awarded, but the umpire is not alert enough to realise.

One famous case took place in the 2003 French Open, where, with Serena Williams serving, Justine Henin raised a hand to indicate that she was not ready as Serena hit her first serve. Serena asked for another first serve, but did not get one, as the umpire had not seen the hand and Henin refused to confirm that she had raised it! (13mins 50sec on video).

Possibly even worse was this example featuring Hsieh Su-Wei and Aryna Sabalenka. As Su-Wei’s second serve lands, Aryna ostentatiously raises a finger to challenge the call of ‘in’ and walks off, casually slicing the ball gently over the net. Su-Wei does not react, feeling that Aryna had stopped the point, but the umpire puzzlingly awards the point to Sabalenka!

Tennis Hindrance Summary

The tennis hindrance rule is designed with the best of intentions, to avoid players losing points due to being unfairly distracted. To sum up:

1. An accidental distraction should result in the point being replayed.

2. A deliberate distraction by an opponent should result in the point being awarded.

3. Examples of hindrances include:

• Speaking during the point

• Excessive Grunting

• Dropping things on court

• Signalling in a distracting manner

4. Umpires can be a little unpredictable in their application of the rule.

5. Some players do not help by denying what they did if they think the umpire did not see it.

Have you ever been involved in a match where a hindrance was called, or should have been? Share your experience via the comments.

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We’ll be comparing them across the most important aspects of the game: Power, Spin Potential, Comfort and Feel, Control and Durability.

Key takeaways: Solinco Confidential vs RPM Blast

When compared head to head, both Solinco Confidential and Babolat RPM Blast excel at different areas of the game.

Solinco Confidential is rated as a more control-oriented tennis string, whilst also being more comfortable, and providing great ball-pocketing feel. In regards of durability, both are very closely matched, but Solinco Confidential has a slight edge over Babolat RPM Blast.

Babolat RPM Blast excels at the areas of power and spin potential just slightly because both strings are very closely rated. Regarding the feel, Babolat if superior over Solinco Confidential.

However, keep in mind that for some players this might not be the case due to both strings being quite similarly matched.

Comparison Table

Solinco Confidential vs RPM Blast are compared in each aspect below, with the winner of each category presented in the table.

Power:

Neither Babolat RPM Blast, nor Solinco Confidential are designed to create power primarily, and some players may find that the strings do not contribute much power to their shots.

The strings are intended to produce exceptional control and spin, which can be beneficial for players who prefer accuracy and placement over power.

However, Babolat RPM Blast has a slightly better power rating, thus players looking for more power should opt for Babolat RPM Blast over Solinco Confidential.

Spin Potential:

Babolat RPM Blast is one of the best strings on the market when it comes to generating spin. The string’s unique shape and texture allow players to grip the ball better, which results in more spin on their shots.

This is particularly useful for players who rely on spin to control the ball and create angles. Babolat RPM Blast is a much better choice between the two in terms of spin.

Control:

Solinco Confidential is known for its exceptional control. The string’s design allows for excellent precision and accuracy, which is particularly useful for players who rely on placement and consistency.

When compared in the control aspect, the Solinco Confidential is a better option than Babolat RPM Blast.

Comfort:

Solinco Confidential is made of a stiff polyester material, which may not be the most comfortable option for some players. However, the string’s exceptional control can make up for this for players who value these factors over comfort.

Despite not being the most comfortable string on the market, Solinco Confidential is still a little more comfortable than Babolat RPM Blast and consequently the winner in this category.

Feel:

Babolat RPM Blast is comprised of a stiff polyester material, which some players may find harsh and lacking in feel and touch. While the string’s unusual shape and texture assist players to hold the ball better and generate more spin, it may lack the feel and touch of softer strings.

Nonetheless, Babolat RPM Blast is still the winner in this category as it provides a slightly better feel than Solinco Confidential. Keep in mind that this may vary depending the player’s preference. 

Durability and Tension Maintenance:

Solinco Confidential is a very durable string and can last for a long time. However, some players have reported that the string may lose tension faster than other strings, which can affect its performance over time.

However, players stated that Babolat RPM Blast tends to lose tension even faster, so Solinco Confidential is a clear winner here.

Solinco Confidential Characteristics

Solinco Confidential is an exceptional control-oriented string that provides lots of spin potential. It features a stiff monofilament construction and a four-edged shape. It has been masked by the more popular Solinco Hyper-G, but due to all of its great features, it made a name for itself.

What I like about Solinco Confidential:

• Incredible control
• Amazing top-spin generation on almost all shots
• Great ball-pocketing effect

What I dislike about Solinco Confidential:

• Tends to lack power on some shots
• Not beginner-friendly

Babolat RPM Blast Characteristics

Babolat RPM Blast is a octagonally-shaped black string introduced by Rafael Nadal. Since its release, it’s become one of the most popular tennis string on the market. It features incredible top-spin whilst maintaining decent control. In addition to this, it is very well-known for its amazing durability.

What I like about Babolat RPM Blast:

• Great control
• Exceptional spin capacity
• Solid durability

What I dislike about Babolat RPM Blast:

• Firmness
• Tends to be underpowered on slow shots for some players

Solinco Confidential vs RPM Blast on Popular Racquets

It would not be a string comparison if we didn’t compare them on some of the most popular racquets on the market.

1. Wilson Blade 98

Wilson Blade 98 is known as a control-oriented racquet, therefore the better choice here would be Babolat RPM Blast due to the additional power and spin potential that it provides.

On the other hand, if you’re not lacking physical power, Solinco Confidential is also a very viable option.

2. Babolat Pure Aero

Babolat Pure Aero, endorsed by Rafa is one of the most popular top-spin generating racquets on the market, it is really a spin beast.

Therefore, we can conclude that you’re not going to lack power and spin on your shots, so the better choice here would be the Solinco Confidential as it provides you with more control and comfort.

3. Head Speed MP

As one of the most string-sensitive racquets on the market, Head Speed MP is a very hard racquet to choose the right string for.

If you’re looking for more power and top-spin on your shots, you should opt for Babolat RPM Blast. However, if you lack control or feel that your racquet gives you a harsh feedback, try the Solinco Confidential because it offers you additional control and comfort.

4. Yonex Ezone

Yonex Ezone isn’t known for incredible power generation. A far better choice here would be the Babolat RPM Blast because it provides you with enough power and top-spin to get the ball swiftly off of your racquet. But, if you’re looking for better placement on your shots, try the Solinco Confidential.

5. Wilson Pro Staff 97

Wilson Pro Staff 97, endorsed by Roger Federer, is definitely an exceptional racquet. Choosing between the two strings here is very tough, and the choice should be based on your personal preference.

For more power and spin generation, opt for the Babolat RPM Blast as it excels in these areas of the game.

On the other hand, if you need more control and comfort, the better choice would be opting for the Solinco Confidential.

Summary

To conclude this comparison, both Solinco Confidential and Babolat RPM Blast are excellent tennis strings that excel at the areas of control, top-spin and durability.

If you’re in the market for a string that features more power and spin potential, Babolat RPM Blast is the string for you. But, if control and comfort are you’re preferred features of a tennis string, you should consider Solinco Confidential.

It all comes down to what you’re looking for in a string, and your personal preference, of course. The best thing you can do, is demo both strings on your racquet before making the final decision.

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