Tennis glossary: 58 terms as they are said in Mexico

Tennis has a vocabulary that mixes English, French and Spanish, and on a Mexican court you hear it all: "ace", "break" and "tiebreak" next to "dejada" (drop shot), "globo" (lob) or "iguales" (deuce). This glossary gathers 58 terms as they are used in the country's clubs, sports centres and parks, each with a short definition. The headwords are the Spanish (or Spanglish) words you will hear in Mexico, in alphabetical order; where a term comes from English, the original or the translation you may also hear is in brackets.

A

• Ace: a serve the opponent cannot touch, winning the point outright. It is the weapon of big servers.
• Árbitro de silla (chair umpire): the official who runs the match from the high chair beside the net: calls the score, rules on challenges and applies the rules.
• Arcilla (superficie) (clay): a court of crushed brick, like Roland Garros. It is slow, the ball bounces high and it favours long rallies.

B

• Bola de partido (match point): a point that wins the match if the player wins it. It can be saved and the match goes on.
• Bola de quiebre (break point): a point that, if the returner wins it, breaks the opponent's serve. Also called break point.

C

• Cabeza de serie (seed): a player the tournament places in separated spots of the draw according to ranking, so the best do not meet in the early rounds.
• Calentamiento (warm-up): the minutes before a match when both players hit, practise serves and get used to the surface. It usually lasts about five minutes.
• Cambio de lado (changeover): switching ends after the odd games of each set. It shares out the effect of sun and wind.
• Cancha (court): the playing area: 23.77 metres long by 8.23 wide for singles and 10.97 for doubles. In Mexico it is a cancha, never a pista.
• Cancha dura (hard court): a concrete or acrylic surface, the most common in Mexican parks and sports centres. Medium-fast bounce, and the surface of the US Open and the Australian Open.
• Cero (love) (love): the score of zero. "Quince a cero" is 15-love. In Mexico people simply say cero.
• Césped (grass): natural lawn, the Wimbledon surface. The fastest one: the ball bounces low and serves and volleys weigh heavily.
• Cortado (slice) (slice): a shot with backspin that slows the ball and makes it bounce low. Used on the backhand, in drop shots and to change the pace.
• Cruzado (cross-court): a diagonal shot from corner to corner. The safest because it crosses the net at its lowest point and has more court.

D

• Dejada (drop shot) (drop shot): a soft shot with spin that barely clears the net and drops short, forcing the opponent to run forward.
• Derecha (forehand) (forehand): the shot on the side of the hand holding the racket. The most used shot and, for most players, the one that wins the most points.
• Doble falta (double fault): when both serves in a row are missed. The point goes to the returner.
• Dobles (doubles): two against two. Played on the wide court, with the side alleys in play.
• Dobles mixtos (mixed doubles): doubles with a man and a woman in each pair. A category of its own in club and Grand Slam tournaments.
• Drive (drive): a flat, hard groundstroke, forehand or backhand, meant to gain depth and pressure the opponent.

E

• Empuñadura (grip) (grip): how you hold the racket. The most common are the continental (like a hammer), the eastern and the western, depending on the spin you want.
• Error no forzado (unforced error): a mistake made without pressure from the opponent, like sending an easy ball into the net or out.

F

• Falta (fault) (fault): a serve that does not land in the right box or hits the net. Twice in a row is a double fault.
• Falta de pie (foot fault): stepping on the baseline or into the court before hitting the serve. It counts as a fault.
• Fondo (línea de fondo) (baseline): the line at each end of the court. "Jugar de fondo" means staying behind it rather than coming to the net.

G

• Game (juego) (game): the unit won with four points and a two-point lead. Six games, with a two-game lead, win a set. In Mexico you hear game or juego.
• Globo (lob): a high, deep shot over a player at the net, to push them back or buy time.
• Golpe ganador (winner) (winner): a shot the opponent cannot reach, winning the point outright. If it is the serve, it is called an ace.

I

• Iguales (deuce) (deuce): when the game reaches 40-all. You must win two points in a row to close it: first advantage, then the game.
• Individuales (singles): one against one. Played on the narrow court, without the side alleys.

L

• Let (let): a point that is replayed. It happens, for example, when the serve clips the net and lands in, or when another ball enters the court mid-point.
• Línea de servicio (service line): the line closing the service boxes, 6.40 metres from the net. The serve must land short of it, never past it.
• Línea lateral (sideline): each of the long lines along the sides. Singles use the inner ones, doubles the outer ones.

M

• Medio voleo (half volley) (half volley): hitting the ball just after it bounces, almost at ground level. Used when you are caught in mid-court.

P

• Pasada (passing) (passing shot): a shot that gets past an opponent at the net, down a side, usually a forehand or a cross-court backhand.
• Pelota (bola) (ball): the tennis ball is rubber with yellow felt, 6.5 to 6.8 cm across. In Mexico you hear pelota and also bola.
• Peloteo (rally): an exchange of shots. It also means the pre-match minutes of hitting without keeping score.
• Punto de oro (golden point): a rule some leagues use: at 40-all one decisive point is played, no advantage. The receiving side picks the side.

Q

• Quince, treinta, cuarenta: how the points of a game are counted: love, 15, 30, 40 and game.

R

• Ranking (ranking): the list that orders players by points won over the last 52 weeks. ATP for men, WTA for women.
• Raqueta (racket): the tool of the game: an oval frame with strings and a handle. It weighs between 250 and 330 grams. In Mexico it is a raqueta; a pala is a padel racket.
• Red (net): the mesh dividing the court: 91.4 cm high at the centre and 1.07 metres at the posts. If the ball touches it and goes over, the point continues.
• Remate (smash) (smash): an overhead shot, similar to a serve, at a high ball. It almost always ends the point.
• Resto (return) (return): the shot that sends the serve back. A good return takes the advantage from the server and can start the break.
• Revés (backhand): the shot on the side opposite the hand holding the racket. It can be played with one or two hands.
• Revés a dos manos (two-handed backhand): a backhand with both hands on the handle. It gives more stability and power, and is the most common among newer players.
• Revés a una mano (one-handed backhand): a backhand with a single arm. It needs more technique but gives more reach and is favoured for slices and volleys.
• Rompimiento (break) (break): winning a game on the opponent's serve. Breaking serve is the most common way to win a set.

S

• Saque (serve): the shot starting every point: the ball is tossed up and hit overhead. It must land in the diagonal service box. The server changes every game.
• Saque y volea (serve and volley): a style of serving and rushing straight to the net to close the point with a volley. More common on grass.
• Segundo saque (second serve): the serve taken after missing the first. Usually slower and with spin, to make sure it goes in.
• Set (set): a block of the match won with six games and a two-game lead. At 6-6 it is normally decided by a tiebreak. Matches are first to two or three sets.
• Spin (spin): the rotation put on the ball with the racket: topspin, slice or sidespin. It changes bounce and trajectory.

T

• Tiebreak (muerte súbita) (tiebreak): the special game played when a set reaches 6-6. First to 7 points with a two-point lead wins. Serve changes every two points.
• Topspin (liftado) (topspin): forward spin: the ball rotates, dips quickly after crossing the net and bounces high. It lets you hit hard with margin.
• Torneo (tournament): a competition with a draw, categories and prizes. It may be a club, regional or professional event.

V

• Ventaja (advantage): the point won after deuce. With advantage, one more point closes the game; if the opponent wins it, it returns to deuce.
• Volea (volley): hitting the ball before it bounces. Hit near the net with little arm swing.