The Wide Words of Sports: The Smashing Lexicon of Tennis

The primary sense of ace is a playing card that has two meanings or functions: it takes the place of one, but it’s also the most valuable card in the deck. In tennis, an ace is also valuable: it refers to serving with such power and speed that your opponent can’t hit the ball back. Serena Williams is great at acing opponents. If you get 100, you can say you aced a test. Among other meanings, ace can be an adjective for someone really talented at what they do, like an ace pilot.

This is a word that applies to many situations that involve one plus one. If your shirt and pants go together, they match. If you meet the person you want to marry, you met your perfect match. In sports, a one-on-one contest is called a match. Tennis commentators talk about match play (singles matches) as opposed to doubles (teams of two playing each other).

To smash something is to destroy it utterly. It’s no accident that destructive antihero the Hulk’s catchphrase is “Hulk smash!” In tennis, smash has a meaning with similar power: a smash is an overhead hit, often right at the net, resulting in a point, since the opponent has no chance of hitting it back. A powerful serve could also be called a smash.

The original meaning of volley is fairly horrifying: since the 1500s, a volley was a discharge of multiple guns or other firearms. In tennis, a volley is far more peaceful and entertaining: a player volleys when they return the ball before it hits the ground. This term is obviously also important to another sport with a net, volleyball.

A fault is some kind of defect or mistake. If you spilled a drink, and then someone slipped on it, that was your fault. Also, everyone has faults in the sense of traits that aren’t the best. In tennis, the meaning of fault is more specific: an error made while serving. If your serve hits the net, even a little bit, that’s a fault, and you need to serve again. If you hit the net again, that’s a double fault, which results in a point for the other player.