How to be a good sportsperson: 12 unwritten rules of tennis behaviour for junior players
Learning the unwritten rules of tennis is just as important as knowing the official laws of the game.
If you’re setting out on your tennis journey and just starting to play matches and tournaments, follow these 12 rules and you’ll earn a good reputation – and get more from your tennis too…
“....If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster/ And treat those two impostors just the same…”
These words from Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem If are the last thing players read as they walk onto Centre Court at Wimbledon. They encapsulate an ideal of equanimity and self-control. If we could all genuinely take both the ups and downs of a tennis match easily in our stride then we’d all be perfect sports.
In reality, of course, to treat winning and losing exactly the same is pretty much impossible for ordinary humans, and especially for competitive types! It’s easy enough to be a good sport when you’re a set and 5-0 up, but when the chips are down it’s much more challenging to manage your emotions and behave well.
However, it can be done! As a player myself (and a very competitive person!) I’ve had to work hard to make sure I always deliver good sportsmanship, no matter what is happening on the court. That’s where following rules can help – even if they are unwritten rules.
These 12 principles of good tennis behaviour helped me in my junior playing career, and they can help you too. And just like your tennis shots, the more you practice them, the better you’ll get, until they become just a natural part of who you are…
1) Make line calls clearly and fairly
Bad line calls are the quickest way to get a reputation on the circuit for cheating. And once you get that reputation, it can be hard to shake.
Remember, any part of the line is in and unless you are 100% sure the ball is out you must give the benefit of the doubt to your opponent.
But when the ball does bounce out, immediately call it loudly and clearly, so your opponent knows. If you call it out and then suddenly realise you’re not so sure, don’t worry: you can offer to play a let, or give your opponent the point.
2) Accept your opponent’s line calls
Respecting your opponent’s line calls is absolutely critical in matches without umpires. Without that unwritten rule, grassroots tennis simply couldn’t function. You might not always agree with your opponent’s judgement, but unfortunately their call is final, so there’s no point getting wound up by it.
In a tournament, if you’re continuously unhappy with your opponent’s calls then don’t argue with them, but instead you can stop the match, hold your racket up and call for the referee. While they won’t be able to change the calls, it might help put your opponent on better behaviour.
Note for adults - this is important for parents and adult supporters too! Sometimes it’s easier for parents to see bad line calls, but it’s really important that you restrain yourselves! Remember, it’s the children’s match and up to them to deal with it.
3) Call the score before each point
After line calls, disagreeing on the score tends to be the thing that most often disrupts a match. Never mind the points, I’ve even seen players disagree on the game score, and they’ve had to replay half a set!
Always call the score before every point begins (with the server’s score first). Call the games when they finish and if you have a scoreboard be sure to update it at the change of ends. This will not only prevent disagreements but will help referees and fellow players keep an eye on the progress of the game and get an idea of when the next match might start.
4) Be a good ballkid
This falls under the category ‘respect your opponent’. When your opponent is serving, make sure you pass any balls your end to them in a sensible, timely, friendly way. Don’t deliberately make it awkward for them to retrieve balls, or whack balls petulantly into the fence behind them!
5) Applaud your opponent’s best shots
Give your opponent credit when they play a good point with a simple ‘good shot’ or a clap on your racket strings. Acknowledging the skills of the other player also helps stop you getting too down on yourself for your mistakes: you’re being positive, rather than turning negative energy inwards and dwelling on your failures. Sometimes they’re just too good; and that’s ok.
6) Apologise for flukes
It’s a longstanding unwritten rule of tennis that you always say sorry when a net cord or mishit wins you the point. Of course, none of us really means it when we apologise (!)...But that little bit of etiquette is an important reminder that we respect the sport and the skill and effort involved in good tennis play, and that we don’t just care about winning at all costs.
Similarly, when your opponent gets a fluke, don’t complain about it or call them a jammy so-and-so, but give a little wry laugh or smile – your turn to get lucky will come round soon enough.
7) Don’t talk to the sidelines
Tennis is unusual in that coaching from the sidelines during a match isn’t permitted. In fact, this goes for any interaction with people off the court. Sometimes parents just can’t help themselves (and I’ve seen coaches do it too) so don’t be afraid to ask your ‘supporters’ to stop or even leave if they’re causing you a distraction.
8) Respect neighbouring courts
Remember that everyone else’s match is as important to them as yours is to you, so treat their court as you’d like yours to be treated. This includes good court etiquette like waiting for the point to finish before walking across; keeping the volume down in between points as best you can so as not to distract anyone; and returning stray balls in a helpful manner.
9) Rise above it
If your opponent isn’t following the unwritten rules and is behaving unsportingly, it’s very important not to get dragged down to their level. If they’re screaming and shouting, making unfair line calls or disputing yours, don’t get into a tit-for-tat battle. Just rise above it and be the bigger person. It’s the right thing to do – and what’s more, your tennis will be the better for not being distracted or annoyed by the antics on the other side of the net.
10) Lose - and win - graciously
Whatever the result, always make sure you shake hands (or touch rackets) with your opponent, look them in the eye and say well-played. And just as important as being a good loser is being a good winner – don’t gloat!
11) Take responsibility for the result
It’s sometimes easy to blame everything else for a bad result – the weather, your opponent’s cheating, the surface… But adapting to the conditions and external factors is all part of being a good tennis player. So when things haven’t gone your way, take full responsibility for the result and take some positive learnings from it, so that next time you can find better ways to deal with them.
12) Respect the referee
It takes a lot of work for referees and officials to put on your tournament, so help make their job easier by always being on time, only calling them to the court as a last resort and being prompt with reporting the final score. And above all, show your appreciation by saying hello when you arrive, goodbye and thank you when you leave, and generally being polite.
Nobody ever said that being a good sport at all times is easy. But it’s important that we all work at our behaviour (whatever our age!) – and not only to become better tennis players. Life is full of challenges and days that don’t go our way, so the more practice we have at dealing with triumph and disaster on the court, the better we’ll be at handling those two imposters away from tennis too.
See also:
How to be a good tennis parent
Is it OK for my child to play only tennis?
Is it ok to serve underarm? – and other controversial questions about tennis behaviour
A gift for life - why every child should learn to play tennis
The Emma Raducanu Effect - What to do next if your child gets the tennis bug
How to choose the right size tennis racket for your child
Lizzie Flint is a writer and a practicing level 3 LTA professional tennis coach.
She has been in love with the game since picking up a racquet at the age of four – and she has seen it from every possible angle: playing, analysing and reporting on tennis all over the world. Read more about Lizzie here.