Glossary of Tennis Terms - R

R

• racquet (racket): Bat with a long handle and a large looped frame with a string mesh tautly stretched across it, the frame made of wood, metal, graphite, composite, or some other synthetic material, used by a tennis player to hit the tennis ball during a game of tennis.
• racquet abuse (racket abuse): When a player slams their racket into the ground or net in frustration. Can result in a warning from the umpire or docking of points.
• rally: Following the service of a tennis ball, a series of return hits of the ball that ends when one or other player fails to return the ball within the court boundary or fails to return a ball that falls within the play area.
• receiver: Person who is being served to.
• referee: Person in charge of enforcing the rules in a tournament, as opposed to a tennis match. See also umpire.
• reflex volley: Volley in which the player has no time to plan the shot, and instead reacts instinctively to get the racket in position to return the ball. This occurs frequently in doubles and in advanced singles.
• retirement: Player's withdrawal during a match, usually due to injury, causing the player to forfeit his/her place in the tournament. For a pre-match withdrawal, see walkover.
• retriever: Defensive baseliner. See tennis strategy.
• return ace: Shot in which the opponent serves, the receiver returns the serve, and the opponent does not hit the ball.
• rising shot: Shot in which the ball is hit before it reaches its apex; also hitting on the rise.
• round of 16: Round of a tournament prior to the quarterfinals in which there are 16 players remaining, corresponds to the fourth round of 128-draw tournament, the third round of a 64-draw, and second round of a 32-draw tournament.
• round robin (RR): Tournament format in which players are organised into groups of three or four players and compete against all other members of the group. Players are then ranked according to number of matches, sets, and games won and head-to-head records. The top one, two, or four players then qualify for the next stage of the tournament.
• rubber: Individual match, singles or doubles, within a Davis Cup tie.