Four majors. Three surfaces. The most grueling individual sport in the world. Whether you're brand new to tennis or getting back into it, start here.
TheFour11 coverage timed to the biggest moments on the tennis calendar.
Roland Garros, Paris — May 25 – June 8, 2026. The most demanding Grand Slam, played on slow red clay. Nadal's kingdom, Swiótek's stage.
All England Club, London — June 29 – July 12, 2026. The world's most prestigious Grand Slam on grass. Sinner and Swiótek defend their titles.
Tennis's four most prestigious tournaments — collectively called "the Slams."
Late May – early June. The only Grand Slam on clay — the slowest, most physical surface. Rallies are longer, fitness matters more than anywhere else, and the gaps in skill are magnified. Known as the most demanding major.
Late June – early July. The oldest Grand Slam and the most prestigious. Grass favors big servers and aggressive players. Strict all-white dress code, strawberries and cream, and the most famous court in the world: Centre Court.
Late August – early September. Played on hard courts under the lights of New York City. The loudest, most electric atmosphere of the Slams. Night sessions at Arthur Ashe Stadium are unlike anything else in sport.
January. The first Grand Slam of the year, played in summer heat in Melbourne. Hard courts favor all-around baseliners. Novak Djokovic won here a record 10 times. The "Happy Slam" for its party atmosphere.
The surface changes everything — speed, bounce, strategy, and which players have the advantage.
The basics, explained in plain English.
Tennis scoring is unique: points go Love (0), 15, 30, 40, then game. Win a game by two points from deuce. Win a set by reaching 6 games (with a 2-game lead, or a tiebreak at 6-6). Win a match by winning 2 sets (women) or 3 sets (men) at Grand Slams.
Grand Slams use a 128-player single-elimination draw. The top 32 players are "seeded" — placed in the draw to avoid meeting each other early. Seeds 1 and 2 are placed on opposite sides, so they can only meet in the final. Seven wins are needed to become champion.
Watch for break points — moments when the returner can take the server's game. These are the decisive moments of a set. In tennis, holding serve is expected; breaking serve is the difference-maker. When someone gets broken, the game often swings dramatically.
Grand Slams run both singles (one player per side) and doubles (two players per side) simultaneously. Most fans follow singles. Mixed doubles is also played, pairing one man and one woman per team. The schedule runs across 14 days with multiple matches on each court.