The double bounce in tennis is another way for a player to lose a tennis point. As a term, double bounce does not actually appear in the text of this rule. The phrase “double bounce” is introduced in “The Code,” within the context of which player is entitled to make the call.
The point is lost if:
The player does not return the ball in play before it bounces twice consecutively.
USTA Friend at Court, ITF Rules of Tennis, 24.b
I have been resisting the temptation to write about aspects of rules that are not introduced until later in “The Code,” but since that is where the widely recognized term double bounce appears, I am going to make an exception.
In the absence of an umpire, which is to say in the vast majority of all tennis played, the player who struck the ball following a double bounce is required to concede the point. “The Code” is clear that the opponent is not entitled to make the call.
In adult amateur tennis, asking whether a double bounce occurred is pretty much the only polite way to express displeasure if the concession is not immediately granted. In related news, from this point forward when I make this inquiry, I am going to use the phrase “Did the ball not bounce twice consecutively?” per the language in the actual rule. Probably it will be hard to not do so in a fake British accent, but I am willing to take that chance.
Before galvanizing yourself into the idea that your opponent may be intentionally cheating. It is important to keep in mind that sometimes it is really hard for the player who is striking the ball to correctly make this call. The following clip from a match between Novak Djokovic and Kyle Edmunds illustrates that point.
What I really like about this clip is that it also includes post-match commentary on the point between both players. The umpire apparently could not see the double bounce. The clip also includes the delicious irony that the ball that Edmund hit landed out, so there were actually two missed calls on the point.
This rule probably comes up at a disproportionately high frequency in my matches, because I have a military grade drop shot. I have also been known to hit a drop shot just to watch my opponent run from time to time. As a general tactic, it is advisable to be in position for the shot to come back. The player might actually get to the ball and frequently the returned shot is a sitter for an easy clean winner anyway.
In the cases where there is any doubt, it is best to continue because it is a loss of point for the player who stops play if the double bounce is not immediately called. It’s better to win the point outright than to hope for a concession that may never come.
- United States Tennis Association (2020) Friend at Court. White Plains, NY
