The Rules of Tennis
In the second round of the Australian Open, Pablo Carreno Busta hit an unusual “around the net post” winner against Tallon Griekspoor. It is a perfect example that highlights one of the more obscure rules of tennis. In fact, it is a rules interpretation that the ESPN announcer didn’t get exactly right.
The shot was set up when Griekspoor framed an overhead off the very tip of his racquet. The resulting shot went almost straight up into the air and had a lot of backspin. It is a credit to Carreno Busta that he realized that the ball might land on his side of the net and closed quickly. Most players probably would have still been standing on the baseline. The point was making the highlight reel either way.
After the ball landed on Carreno Busta’s side of the net, the bounce took it directly back over the net. He alertly ran around the net to play the ball from his opponent’s side of the court. Carreno Busta elected to play the ball almost parallel with the net. It would have also been allowable had he hit the ball directly into the net which would have made the ball completely unplayable.
The announcer indicated that the play was legal as long as he didn’t touch the net. That is correct, but only partially so. The player also cannot touch the opponent’s court when the ball is in play. While Carreno Busta stepped into the double’s alley on his opponent’s side of the net, that is not a part of the court in singles play. Here is the precise wording of that part of the rule from the ITF rules of tennis.
The point is lost if:
The player or the racket, whether in the player’s hand or not, or anything which the player is wearing or carrying touches the net, net posts/singles sticks, cord or metal cable, strap or band, or the opponent’s court at any time while the ball is in play;
ITF Rules of Tennis, 24.g.
It didn’t come up in this case, but some players also erroneously believe that you cannot strike a ball on the opposite side of the net. It is legal to hit the ball that has already passed over the net on the opponent’s side of the court. Here is the precise wording of that rule.
The point is lost if:
The player hits the ball before it has passed the net
ITF Rules of Tennis, 24.h.
The ball had already passed the net, so it was within the rules for the first strike to be across the net.
Had the ball landed in the center of the court, it is unlikely that Carreno Busta would have had a play on it. Additionally, the point would have gone the other way if the match was doubles rather than singles due to the fact that he stepped into the doubles alley in order to contact the ball. The alley is a part of the court when playing doubles.
- ITF Rules of Tennis, 2022.
