Grand Slam tournaments, circuit legends, little-known rules and all-time records. Tennis is a sport full of fascinating numbers and stories.
Grand Slam tournaments, title records, court surfaces, score etymology... This quiz will test your real knowledge of the sport.
Tennis is one of the world's most popular sports with over 87 million players. It is played on four different surfaces depending on the tournament: grass (Wimbledon), clay (Roland-Garros), hard court (US Open, Australian Open). The rivalry between Djokovic, Federer and Nadal dominated the modern era, with Grand Slam records continuing to fall.
This quiz covers the four Grand Slam tournaments, title records, specific rules, legendary champions and a few stories about tennis history that even regular fans often don't know.
Want to warm up before playing or double-check something? Open any question to reveal the correct answer and a short explanation.
Correct answer: Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic holds the record with 24 Grand Slam singles titles, ahead of Rafael Nadal (22) and Roger Federer (20). He has won all four Grand Slam tournaments and is the only player in the Open Era to achieve the Golden Slam (4 Grand Slams plus the Olympic gold in the same year).
Correct answer: Roland-Garros
Roland-Garros, held in Paris in late May and early June, is the only Grand Slam played on clay. This surface slows the ball down and favours long rallies. Rafael Nadal won it a record 14 times, earning the nickname King of Clay.
Correct answer: Grass
Wimbledon, the oldest Grand Slam tournament (founded in 1877), is played on natural grass. This surface is the fastest and rewards powerful servers. The tournament is held each year in London in June and July.
Correct answer: From the French word for egg ("l'oeuf"), which resembles a zero
The most widely accepted theory is that "love" comes from the French "l'oeuf" (the egg), because an egg resembles a zero. Other theories point to the Dutch "lof" (honour, playing for honour with nothing at stake). The egg hypothesis remains the most cited in sports literature.
Correct answer: Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal won Roland-Garros 14 times (2005-2008, 2010-2014, 2017-2020, 2022), an all-time record at any single Grand Slam tournament. His record in Paris stands at 112 wins and just 4 defeats.
Correct answer: Best of 5 sets
Men's Grand Slam matches are played as best of 5 sets (first to win 3). This is unique to men's tennis at Grand Slam level: women play best of 3. This format can produce very long matches, like the legendary Isner-Mahut match at Wimbledon 2010 (11 hours and 5 minutes).
Correct answer: Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova holds the record with 9 Wimbledon singles titles (1978-1979, 1982-1987, 1990). Serena Williams won 7. Navratilova is considered one of the greatest players in history with 18 Grand Slam singles titles.
Correct answer: A winning serve that the opponent cannot touch, giving the server the point directly
An ace is a serve so good that the opponent cannot touch it, awarding the point directly to the server. The career ace record is held by Ivo Karlovic with over 13,000 aces. John Isner holds the record for the fastest serve officially recognised at 253 km/h.
Correct answer: United States
The United States dominates Davis Cup history with 32 victories, ahead of Australia (28) and France (10). The Davis Cup is the premier team tennis competition between nations. It was created in 1900 and now involves over 130 countries.
Correct answer: A deciding game played when the score reaches 6 games all in a set
A tie-break is a deciding game played when both players are level at 6 games all in a set. Play continues to 7 points, with a 2-point margin required to win. Invented by Jimmy Van Alen in the 1960s, it was gradually adopted by major tournaments to prevent endless sets.