Tennis
Competition Introduction
A sport using rackets to hit a ball over a net, competing for points
Basic Rules
Matches are best of 3 sets, with victory going to whoever wins 2 sets first
Unique Aspects of Deaf Sports
In regular tennis, impact sounds help judge distance to the ball and trigger body reactions, making sound extremely important. However, in deaf tennis, instead of hearing with ears, players watch the trajectory of balls hit by opponents whilst beginning body movement to prepare for offense and defense.
In doubles, partners’ calls cannot be heard, making communication during matches difficult and combination play challenging. Recently, signs are increasingly used between points to determine positioning and offense/defense.
Event
25th Summer Deaflympics Tokyo 2025
Singles (Men/Women)
Doubles (Men/Women/Mixed)
