The Rules of Tennis
It is a generally accepted practice that players can bring written notes to the court during a match. This is captured in a USTA Comment within the ITF Rules of Tennis published in the Friend at Court.
A player may bring to the court written notes that were prepared before the start of the match and may read these notes during the match. While on court or during a match, a player may not receive information via electronic devices capable of receiving communications such as cell phones and smartwatches.
USTA Comment 30.1, USTA Friend at Court
Emphasis should be placed on the phrase “prepared before the start of the match.” This makes it clear that a coach is not permitted to pass a note to a player during the match. It is a little fuzzier as to whether the player can amend or update their notes during a break when coaching is allowed. I am assuming that it is permitted because there would be no practical way to detect violations.
This comment also contains one of the locations in the USTA Friend at Court that explicitly indicates that a player may not receive electronic communication via phones or smart watches. Most USTA umpires will require players to remove their smart watches during tournament competition.
Sir Andy Murray’s On Court Notes
Andy Murray was seen referring to written notes during a match in Rotterdam in 2015. Those notes were later recovered by a Dutch journalist. The contents and some stills of Murray referring to them were revealed in a series of tweets.
The advice rendered during the match were fairly concise and straight forward.
1. Be good to yourself
2. Try your best
3. Be intense with your legs
4. Be proactive during points
5. Focus on each point and the process
6. Try to be the one dictating
7. Try to keep him at the baseline, make him move
8. Keep going for your serve
9. Stick to the baseline as much as possible
10. Stay low on passes and use your legs
Transcription of Andy Murray’s On Court Notes
I have prepared written notes before a match on a few occasions, but in practice rarely consult them. I blame a chronic lack of the attention span required to remember that help is in my bag.
Additionally, I carry a blank notebook in my bag to capture notes and observations with details that I might forget following the completion of the match. I do occasionally use that resource. Usually what is recorded there is a litany of berating myself over poor footwork and questionable shot selection.
I am going to try to step up my match preparation note game in 2021. I think I will start by plagiarizing Andy Murray’s list. The vast majority of those items would work for me in almost any circumstances.
- United States Tennis Association (2020) Friend at Court. White Plains, NY
- Andy Murray has notes leaked with tennis star’s tactical and mental approach revealed, Stuart Fraser, The Daily Mail (UK), 17 February 2015.
