On the court
Tennis is a game of power and precision, and this word search gathers its essentials. You'll track down the shots — the SERVE, the FOREHAND, the BACKHAND, the VOLLEY and the SMASH — plus the unreturnable ACE and the cheeky LOB.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the match changes every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a Hard-mode rally once the diagonals and backwards words appear.
The strangest scoring in sport
Tennis has a scoring system all its own, and it baffles newcomers for good reason. A score of zero is called LOVE, and points count 15, 30, 40 rather than 1, 2, 3 — one popular story says it came from reading a clock face. When both players reach 40 it's DEUCE, and someone must win two points in a row to take the game. Games build into SETS, and sets into the MATCH, with a TIEBREAK to settle a close set.
On court, players trade a RALLY across the NET, hitting with TOPSPIN to dip the ball in, while an UMPIRE keeps score. You can play singles or DOUBLES, and the biggest prize of all is a GRAND SLAM — winning all four major tournaments, the most famous being WIMBLEDON.
Great for a PE topic
It pairs perfectly with a tennis lesson or club, and it's a fun way to learn that quirky scoring before stepping on court — Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words. Play online, print a PDF pack, or use our Make Your Own tool to build a grid from your own favourite players and shots.