Tennis is not just a sport, but an entire universe, like the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the DC Universe. It has its own history, its own superheroes and its own set of rules. If you know it all, you have an advantage over others. However, if you aren’t familiar with the sport, there is no need to panic, as the Bluffer’s Guide to Tennis is here to let you know it all, without even stepping onto the tennis court.

You are not the only one who isn’t well-versed in tennis terms, many out there still get confused when they are told that 30 comes after 15, but 45 doesn’t come after 30. Similarly, many have no idea why zero is called love and what is deuce when they could have picked the common word draw. This book has all the answers you have in your mind regarding tennis and explains to you how it has evolved in the last century or so.

Divided into a dozen chapters, and followed by a glossary, this guide has everything you would need to know about one of the most followed individual sports in the world. Author Dave Whitehead uses his wits to explain the nitty gritty of the sports and by the time you are through the book, you might start inviting questions from your friends and family.

It might seem odd at first but out of the 12 chapters in the book, a full chapter is dedicated to the gear, another to the serve, one is about the history of the game and another is about gamesmanship, followed by one that talks about the legends of the game, and one about the Major Majors, i.e., the many tournaments of tennis.

Don’t be surprised to learn through this book that there are etiquettes for spectators as well as the players, and that nothing is easy when it comes to playing the sport, even if it seems so.

If you had no clue how a surface impacts a player, how many different kinds of surfaces players have to play and why some of the terminologies sound funny, don’t be surprised. The best thing about this book is that it changes you completely once you are done with it. Trust me, once you are done with the book, your misconceptions will clear and you will find the game and its terminologies fascinating.

There is no better time to educate yourself about tennis than during the year’s final Grand Slam tournament US Open, which is currently underway in New York. Teach yourself a game where Top Spin and Flat Shot have different meanings, where a Game is succeeded by a Set, and Sets are followed by the Match, and where winning four major tournaments in a year is a rarity. All you have to do is to go through this book and become a champ in no time.

Published in Dawn, Young World, September 9th, 2023