90 Best Tennis Trivia Questions with Answers

Reckon you know your tennis? From the very first Wimbledon to Ash Barty’s fairytale Australian Open, this collection of tennis trivia questions and answers covers the basics right through to the genuinely tricky stuff. Good for a rain delay, a car trip, or settling an argument at the next family barbecue. Work through each section, then check your answers at the bottom.

Jump to a section: The Basics · Grand Slam History · Legends of the Game · Australian Tennis · Records & Milestones · Fun Facts & Quirky Moments · Women’s Tennis · Doubles & Team Events · Famous Matches & Moments

The Basics (Q1–10)

1. How many players are on the court in a singles tennis match?
2. What is the term for a serve that lands in the correct box but is unreturnable?
3. What is it called when the score is tied at 40-40?
4. What does “love” mean in tennis scoring?
5. How many games are needed to win a standard tennis set?
6. What is the term for winning a set without losing a single game?
7. What is a “let” in tennis?
8. What is the maximum number of sets in a men’s Grand Slam singles match (traditional format)?
9. What is the maximum number of sets in a women’s Grand Slam singles match?
10. What surface is the French Open played on?

Grand Slam History (Q11–20)

11. How many Grand Slam tournaments are there each year?
12. Which is the oldest of the four Grand Slam tournaments?
13. In what year was the first Wimbledon Championship held?
14. Which Grand Slam is played on grass courts?
15. Which Grand Slam is played on hard courts in North America?
16. What is the official name of the trophy presented to the Wimbledon men’s singles champion?
17. In what city is the US Open played?
18. What is the term for winning all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same calendar year?
19. Which surface is the Australian Open played on?
20. In what decade did the Australian Open move from grass to hard courts?

Legends of the Game (Q21–35)

21. Which male player holds the record for most Grand Slam singles titles as of 2024?
22. Which female player is known for the “Serena Slam,” winning four consecutive majors?
23. Who is the only player to win all four Grand Slam singles titles in the same calendar year in the Open Era?
24. Which Swiss player is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time for his elegant playing style?
25. Which Spanish player is nicknamed the “King of Clay” for his dominance at the French Open?
26. Which Serbian player has spent the most total weeks ranked world No. 1?
27. Which American sisters both reached world No. 1 and won multiple Grand Slam titles?
28. Which Australian is considered one of the greatest players in tennis history and has a stadium named after him at Melbourne Park?
29. Which player won 24 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in men’s tennis history as of 2023?
30. Who is regarded as the greatest female player of the pre-Open Era, winning 19 majors?
31. Which player is famous for completing the Golden Slam (all four majors plus Olympic gold) in 1988?
32. Which player’s rivalry with Rafael Nadal is considered one of the greatest in tennis history?
33. Which Australian player won Wimbledon as a teenager in 1971?
34. Which player retired with a record 109 ATP singles titles?
35. Which female player won a record 23 Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era?

Australian Tennis (Q36–50)

36. Which Australian player won the Australian Open in 2022, becoming the first home winner in decades?
37. What is the name of Melbourne Park’s main show court?
38. Which Australian singles legend is the stadium’s namesake, having won a record 200 career singles titles and two calendar-year Grand Slams?
39. Which Australian player famously won Wimbledon in 1987 with an all-attacking, serve-and-volley style?
40. In what Australian city is the Australian Open held?
41. Which Australian woman won the Australian Open in 1960, 1969, and 1971?
42. What is the retractable roof feature of Rod Laver Arena used for?
43. Which Indigenous Australian player won Wimbledon in 1971 and became a national icon?
44. Which Australian player reached the world No. 1 ranking in 2022 before retiring from singles?
45. What is the nickname of the Australian Open, referencing its location and relaxed summer atmosphere?
46. Which Australian city hosted the very first Australian Championships in 1905?
47. Which Australian player won the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002, becoming the first Aussie to win Wimbledon since Pat Cash?
48. What is the name of the annual exhibition event held in Australia before the Australian Open each January?
49. Which Australian doubles pair, nicknamed “The Woodies,” won 11 Grand Slam men’s doubles titles together, mostly through the 1990s?
50. Which surface did the Australian Open use before switching to hard courts in 1988?

Records & Milestones (Q51–60)

51. What is the longest tennis match in history, by time, played at Wimbledon in 2010?
52. Who were the two players in that record-breaking marathon match?
53. What is the fastest recorded serve in men’s professional tennis?
54. What is the extremely rare feat called when a player wins an entire set without losing a single point?
55. Which player holds the record for most Wimbledon singles titles in the Open Era (men’s)?
56. Which player holds the record for most French Open singles titles?
57. What is the youngest age at which a player has won a Grand Slam singles title in the Open Era (women’s)?
58. What is a “double bagel” in tennis slang?
59. What is the term for a player ranked outside the top seeds who makes a surprise deep run?
60. How many Grand Slam singles titles has Novak Djokovic won as of the end of 2023?

Fun Facts & Quirky Moments (Q61–70)

61. Why do players change ends after odd-numbered games?
62. What is the traditional colour requirement for clothing at Wimbledon?
63. What fruit-related nickname is given to a set won 6-0?
64. What is the term for a shot that just clips the net cord on a serve and still lands in?
65. Why do tennis balls have fuzz on them?
66. What’s the informal term for an easy, confidence-building match?
67. What is a tennis player’s racket string tension typically measured in?
68. Why are line judges being phased out at some tournaments in favour of electronic calling?
69. What does “deuce” mean, and where does the word come from?
70. What is the traditional prize given to Wimbledon champions besides the trophy and prize money?

Women’s Tennis (Q71–78)

71. Which trophy is awarded to the WTA year-end world No. 1 ranked player’s tournament?
72. Which Australian, alongside Ash Barty, has also reached a Grand Slam singles final in the 2020s?
73. What is the term for a female player who both serves powerfully and volleys effectively at the net?
74. Which sisters faced each other in four consecutive Wimbledon finals in the early-to-mid 2000s?
75. What historic first did Naomi Osaka achieve as an Asian player in Grand Slam tennis?
76. Which trophy is awarded to the Australian Open women’s singles champion?
77. In what year was equal prize money first awarded to men and women at all four Grand Slams?
78. Which Australian doubles player has won multiple Grand Slam doubles titles in wheelchair tennis?

Doubles & Team Events (Q79–84)

79. What is the name of the annual men’s international team tennis competition, similar in format to a World Cup?
80. What is the equivalent international team competition for women called?
81. What is the term for a doubles match involving one man and one woman per team?
82. How many players are on court during a doubles match?
83. Which Australian pair is among the most successful men’s doubles teams in tennis history?
84. What is the scoring format often used for doubles instead of a third full set?

Famous Matches & Moments (Q85–90)

85. What is the “Battle of the Sexes” match, played in 1973, best known for?
86. Who were the two players involved in the Battle of the Sexes?
87. Which player famously won the 2019 Wimbledon final in a deciding-set tiebreak after 4+ hours of play?
88. What emotional milestone did Ash Barty achieve by winning the 2022 Australian Open?
89. Which player announced their retirement from tennis during the 2022 US Open, drawing an emotional send-off?
90. What is the term for a match that ends with a player unable to continue due to injury?

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Answers

1. Two
2. An “ace” (or a “winner,” if unreturnable but touched — an ace specifically means the receiver doesn’t touch it)
3. “Deuce”
4. Zero
5. Six games (win by two, unless a tiebreak applies)
6. A “bagel” (winning 6-0)
7. A point replayed due to a let cord serve or outside interference
8. Five sets
9. Three sets
10. Clay (red clay)
11. Four
12. Wimbledon
13. 1877
14. Wimbledon
15. The US Open
16. The Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy
17. New York City (Flushing Meadows)
18. The “Calendar Grand Slam”
19. Hard court (Plexicushion/GreenSet)
20. The 1980s (1988)
21. Novak Djokovic
22. Serena Williams
23. Steffi Graf (1988)
24. Roger Federer
25. Rafael Nadal
26. Novak Djokovic
27. Venus and Serena Williams
28. Rod Laver
29. Novak Djokovic
30. Margaret Court
31. Steffi Graf
32. Roger Federer (and Novak Djokovic — the “Big Three” rivalry)
33. Evonne Goolagong Cawley
34. Jimmy Connors
35. Serena Williams
36. Ashleigh Barty
37. Rod Laver Arena
38. Rod Laver — the only player to win the calendar Grand Slam twice (1962 and 1969)
39. Pat Cash
40. Melbourne
41. Margaret Court
42. To allow matches to continue during rain or extreme heat
43. Evonne Goolagong Cawley
44. Ashleigh Barty
45. The “Happy Slam”
46. Melbourne
47. Lleyton Hewitt
48. The Kooyong Classic
49. Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde
50. Grass
51. The 2010 Wimbledon first-round match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut, lasting 11 hours and 5 minutes
52. John Isner and Nicolas Mahut
53. Around 263 km/h (held by Sam Groth)
54. A “golden set” — it has happened only twice in top-level professional tennis, most famously by Yaroslava Shvedova at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships
55. Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic (tied at 8 titles each)
56. Rafael Nadal (14 titles)
57. 16 years old (Martina Hingis, 1997 Australian Open)
58. Winning a match 6-0, 6-0
59. A “Cinderella run” or “giant-killer” run
60. 24
61. To keep conditions (sun, wind) fair for both players
62. All-white (predominantly white) clothing
63. A “bagel”
64. A “let” — replayed if it happens on a serve
65. To slow the ball down slightly and create predictable bounce and air resistance
66. A “gimme” match or “confidence booster”
67. Pounds (lbs) or kilograms, depending on region
68. To increase accuracy and reduce human error and controversy
69. It means the score is tied and a player must win two clear points in a row; from the French “à deux,” meaning “to two”
70. An engraved silver dish or plate replica, alongside the trophy presentation
71. The WTA Finals
72. Various players have; commonly cited example includes Barty herself and other Australians in WTA events — this can be updated to reflect the most current player
73. A “serve-and-volleyer”
74. Venus and Serena Williams
75. She became the first Asian player to hold the world No. 1 ranking in singles
76. The Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup
77. 2007 (Wimbledon was the last major to move to equal prize money)
78. Dylan Alcott
79. The Davis Cup
80. The Billie Jean King Cup (formerly the Fed Cup)
81. “Mixed doubles”
82. Four (two per team)
83. Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde
84. A 10-point match tiebreak (played as a “match tiebreak” instead of a third set)
85. A high-profile exhibition match highlighting the gender pay and respect gap in professional sport
86. Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs
87. Novak Djokovic (defeating Roger Federer)
88. She became the first Australian woman to win the Australian Open singles title since 1978
89. Serena Williams
90. A “retirement” (the match is recorded as won by the opponent via retirement)

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