This is the final post of what has turned out to be a lengthy examination of Principle 1 of The Code. Despite the brevity of that item within the behavioral norms of tennis, it is foundational to sportsmanship in the sport. To deepen our understanding, I have been leveraging a much more detailed version of this Principle, extracted from the 2001 Friend at Court. As we near the end of our deep dive on the first Principle of The Code, it’s time to focus on aspects of behaviour that can directly result in actual code violations in officiated matches and a litany of bad behavior: Losing your temper, using vile language, throwing a racquet, or slamming a ball in anger.
Courtesy is expected. Tennis is a game that requires cooperation and courtesy.
USTA Friend at Court 2025 , The Code, Principle 1
Courtesy. Tennis is a game that requires cooperation and courtesy from all participants. Make tennis a fun game by praising your opponents’ good shots and by not:
USTA Friend at Court 2001 , The Code, Principle 1
- Conducting loud postmortems after points;
- Complaining about shots like lobs and drop shots;
- Embarrassing a weak opponent by being overly gracious or condescending;
- Losing your temper, using vile language, throwing a racquet, or slamming a ball in anger; or
- Sulking when you are losing.
Each of these specific examples—temper tantrums, profanity, racquet abuse, and ball slamming—share a common thread. They all display a lack of respect, not just toward the opponent, but toward the game itself. Losing control in anger teaches spectators, particularly young ones, that frustration justifies bad behavior. The words yelled in the heat of the moment can linger longer than the points that caused them. No one should be the player responsible for expanding a child’s vocabulary in that way.
Slamming a ball in anger is an especially senseless act. The irony is that the impulse usually stems from being upset about poor control or errant shots. Sending a ball flying in frustration only reinforces that lack of precision, and the results can be dangerous. A ball struck in anger has no intended target, but could hit a nearby player, an official, or even a spectator. It is the height of stupidity.
Throwing a racquet is no better. I must confess that my own racquet still leaves my hand from time to time. Most often, it happens when I approach the bench during a changeover when I toss it onto the top of my equipment bag in frustration as a small cathartic release of irritation. On occasion, I also bounce it firmly off the top of the head in such a way that it rebounds back into my hands. I recognize that both behaviors are unwise. Even a controlled toss risks damaging the frame, and repeated impact to the top of the racquet head can create stress fractures and cracks over time. Let this serve as a reminder that racquet abuse doesn’t always mean a shattered frame and that even minor acts of frustration can be destructive over time.
The actions outlined in this Principle of the code, whether verbal or physical, erode the courtesy that is essential to the spirit of tennis. Every display of anger, every slammed ball, and every expletive diminishes the shared experience of the game. They disrupt focus, alienate opponents, and diminish enjoyment for everyone present. Worse yet, they can cause real harm to equipment, to others, and to the reputation of the player involved.
Principle 1 in the current version of the code is a simple statement about courtesy. However, its implications reach deep into the heart of tennis culture. The game is built on mutual respect, and maintaining composure under pressure is as much a test of character as it is of skill. In that light, the absence of temper tantrums and outbursts isn’t just good etiquette, it’s also good tennis.
- Friend at Court: The Handbook of Tennis Rules and Regulations, USTA, 2025
- Friend at Court: The USTA Handbook of Tennis Rules and Regulations, USTA, 2001. (Hardcopy.)
