What's the Racquet? Racquet Etiquette

Have you ever had a dispute with a fellow player over a call on the court that you couldn’t settle? Maybe you’re just curious about how some scenarios, from the common to the ridiculous, are resolved.

Question: During a match, my opponent broke his strings returning a first serve fault. Luckily, he had a backup racquet which he ran over to get.  When he returned, we weren’t sure if I was now serving a first or second serve. What is the proper procedure? 

Answer: Your opponent was lucky he had a back-up racquet. He must have been a Boy Scout growing up. Whenever there is a delay between a first and second serve, caused by the receiver, the server is allowed a first serve. This delay could be anything from washing out a contact lense to clearing a ball from court or like in this scenario, exchanging a broken racquet. 

This rule can be found in the Friend at Court under the ITF Rules of Tennis #23 The Let.

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For the "Friend at Court" handbook and more information on the rules of tennis, visit the rules and regulations homepage.