Who Serves First in Tennis? Coin Toss and Order

Eric DawsonByEric Dawson Sports

Who serves first in tennis is decided by a coin toss, usually conducted by the umpire. The toss winner chooses the first server and the starting end, while professional tennis commonly frames the decision as choosing to serve or receive. Beyond that, the player who serves first then serves every point of that opening game.

Within each service game, the server begins from the right, or deuce, side and serves diagonally into the receiver’s deuce court. They switch to the left for the second point and alternate sides for every point that follows. Each point allows two service attempts; two missed serves mean a double fault and the opponent wins the point.

Who Serves First in Tennis?

A tennis match begins with a coin toss, and the toss winner chooses who serves first. Usually, the umpire performs the toss, especially in professional tournaments, before the first point is played.

Before play begins, the winner also chooses the end from which to start. Professional coverage frames this choice as serve or receive.

For tennis coin toss rules, the key point is that neither player automatically serves first based on ranking, previous results or the draw. Players earn the right to make that opening choice by winning the toss. Once the decision is made, the selected player serves throughout the first game, while the opponent receives.

Serve, Receive or Defer

On informal courts, a racket spin is a common alternative to a coin toss for deciding who serves first. Common club-match options also include rock-paper-scissors or allowing the oldest player to decide. Other formats described for informal play allow the winner to choose to serve, receive or defer the choice, after which the opponent makes the remaining starting selection. Whatever method players use, settling the first server before the warm-up ends can prevent an unnecessary dispute when the match starts.

Why the Toss Decision Matters

Since players can choose serve or receive, the decision often reflects personal preference and tactics rather than a universal best answer. Djokovic said he chose to return early in his career, then chose to serve for roughly the previous 10 years because it set a tone and signaled confidence. His view was also that the choice does not decide a match by itself.

ESPN’s reporting from the 2025 Australian Open and French Open found that roughly twice as many players chose to receive as chose to serve in the early rounds. Brad Gilbert has argued that receiving can be psychologically wise because an opening-game break puts a player who chose to serve under immediate pressure. Better servers, however, may prefer to serve first because holding the opening game and breaking in the second can create a 3-0 lead. Still, the toss winner makes the call, and each player can apply a different strategy.

Tennis Coin Toss Rules and Choices

Professional match coverage commonly uses that framing.

Choosing to serve means opening the match as server, while choosing to receive gives the opponent the opening service game. Neither option is compulsory, and players make the call based on their own strengths, preferences and match plans. Djokovic described a change in preference over his career.

How Players Make the Opening Choice

At a club or informal match, players often use a racket spin instead of a coin toss, according to My Tennis HQ. Whatever method is used, both players should settle the choice before the first point.

  1. Win the coin toss, racket spin or other agreed method.
  2. Choose to serve first or receive first.
  3. Confirm the starting end before the opening point.

Strategy can shape the decision. Better servers may favor that approach. Receiving first can also appeal to players who want to apply immediate pressure on an opponent’s serve. Brad Gilbert, quoted by ESPN, has argued that receiving is psychologically wise because a player who chooses to serve and is broken immediately starts on the back foot.

Player preferences vary sharply. Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff choose to serve first as a rule, while Madison Keys generally chooses to receive but remains flexible. Daria Kasatkina almost always receives, and Alex de Minaur normally receives to put pressure on an opponent from the start.

Sam Stosur said she served first for 99 percent of her career, only sometimes opting to return in roughly her last year. Djokovic’s view is that the choice does not decide a match by itself, even though it can influence the opening rhythm and psychology.

Serving Order Within Each Game

One player serves every point in a single tennis game. During that game, the server alternates between the right, or deuce, side and the left, or ad, side of the baseline for each successive point.

First, the server begins behind the baseline between the centre mark and the right sideline. On the opening point, the ball must travel diagonally into the receiver’s right-hand service court, known as the deuce court. From there, the serving position changes for the next point, regardless of which player won the first one.

After a score of 15-Love or Love-15, for example, the server moves behind the baseline between the centre mark and the left sideline. For that second point, the serve must go diagonally into the opposite service box. Each later point follows the same pattern: right side for the first, third, fifth and other odd-numbered points, then left side for the second, fourth, sixth and other even-numbered points.

Before striking the ball, the server must remain behind the baseline and between the extensions of the centre line and sideline. Feet cannot touch the baseline or move over it before contact with the ball. Jumping is permitted when serving, provided the player meets those position requirements. Running or walking while serving is not permitted.

When the first serve misses the correct service box, it is a fault and the server gets a second attempt. Professional tennis treats a serve that clips the net and still lands in the proper service box as a let, so play stops and the serve is replayed. Missing the second serve produces a double fault, giving the point to the receiver and sending the server to the other side of the baseline for the next point.

Who Serves First in the Next Set?

Later-set first service follows the order created by the preceding set, rather than a fresh choice at the start of every set. According to My Tennis HQ, the player who served the final game of a set that did not finish 7-6 opens the following set.

That means who serves second set tennis can depend on the final game of the first set, not simply on who served first in the match. For example, a player who serves the last game to close a standard set is listed as the server for game one of the next set. Because breaks of serve can change which player handles the final game, the same player can serve first in consecutive sets. Accordingly, later-set service does not work as a simple set-by-set alternation.

When the Previous Set Ends 7-6

A 7-6 score brings in a separate sequence because the set ended with a tiebreak. My Tennis HQ says the player who began the prior tiebreak as the receiver serves first in the next set.

Put another way, identify who received the opening point of that tiebreak, then assign that player the opening game of the new set. This differs from the non-tiebreak sequence, which looks to the player who served the previous set’s final game. Players should therefore track the tiebreak’s opening roles, not just the player who served its first point.

During the tiebreak itself, the player who served the game immediately before it takes the first point, after which the players serve two points each until the set ends. That opening-point assignment matters because it identifies the other player, the initial receiver, as the next set’s opening server under the My Tennis HQ sequence.

Community discussions on Talk Tennis and Reddit similarly report that later-set starters are determined by what happened in the prior set rather than by a standing alternation. Those reports are users’ experiences, while the specific sequence above reflects My Tennis HQ’s explanation.

For practical scorekeeping, note who serves the final game of an ordinary set or who receives the first tiebreak point after a 6-6 set. Unlike the opening of a match, a later set’s first server is worked out from the ending order of the set before it. As a result, keeping track of the tiebreak serving order tennis uses can prevent confusion when the next set begins.

Tiebreak Serving Order Tennis Rules

At 6-6 in a set, the player who served in the game immediately before the tiebreak serves the opening tiebreak point.

How the Tiebreak Serve Turns Work

Unlike an ordinary service game, where one player serves every point, a tiebreak divides the serving turns between both players. Each player still serves from alternating sides of the court on successive points, beginning from the right side for the first point of that player’s turn and then moving to the left side for the next.

Point Or Stage Who Serves Serving Pattern
Opening tiebreak point The player who served the preceding game Serves one point
Following two points The other player Serves two consecutive points
Remaining points Players alternate turns Each player serves two points per turn
After a 7-6 set My Tennis HQ says the player who began receiving the tiebreak Serves first in the next set

Once the opening server has delivered the first point, the opponent serves the next two, followed by two points from the original server. Because that pattern continues in blocks of two, the player who begins the tiebreak does not also take the next full serving turn.

Rather than treating the tiebreak as a standard service game, use that tiebreak-specific sequence when working out who serves second set tennis after a set decided at 6-6.

Players can choose serve or receive at the match-opening toss, but the tiebreak order follows the service game that came immediately before it. Confusion often comes from assuming that the first server of a tiebreak simply serves every other point, when the opening point is followed by two-point turns for both competitors.

Tennis Doubles Serving Order

Doubles serving order begins with the match-start decision. After that choice, the named server handles every point in that opening service game. Within the game, service begins from the right side of the baseline for the first point, moves to the left for the second, and continues alternating sides, and the server has two chances to begin the point.

Partner-by-partner order needs a separate layer of rules beyond that basic sequence. Those details determine which member of each team serves first, which member receives first, and how both partnerships rotate through later games. Competition-specific regulations are the appropriate place to resolve those lineup questions for a particular event or format. Accordingly, a doubles scorecard should identify the designated opening server and receiver for each team rather than assume a singles-style pattern.

Singles terminology can still help explain the opening choice in a doubles match. Coverage uses differing terms for that choice. Neither description identifies a particular doubles partner, so that selection calls for the applicable competition rules. Players in informal club matches may use a racket spin, rock-paper-scissors, or another agreed method to make the initial choice.

Practical disputes are easiest to avoid before warm-up ends. Partners can settle the opening server, opening receiver, and chosen ends when the match procedure is agreed. Before play begins, checking the event’s own regulations keeps any partner rotation aligned with that competition’s format. For ordinary serve mechanics, the selected server remains behind the baseline, and a fault followed by another fault gives the point to the opponents.

Should You Choose Serve or Receive?

Neither choice guarantees an advantage, so the best decision depends on a player’s strengths, preferences and desired opening tone. Strong servers often choose to serve first, while players who want immediate pressure may prefer to receive.

At the professional level, players use both approaches when deciding whether to choose serve or receive in tennis. Receiving first can produce a 2-1 lead after an early break.

Players also describe the decision as psychological. Brad Gilbert, quoted by ESPN from his book “Winning Ugly,” takes the opposite view: a player who elects to serve and is broken immediately begins the match on the back foot.

Numbers from the 2025 majors show that receiving was the more common choice in several early rounds. During the women’s and men’s Australian Open first rounds, 43 players in each draw chose to receive and 21 chose to serve. Nine of the 21 opening servers were broken in the women’s draw, compared with 12 of the 43 receivers who broke serve; in the men’s draw, four opening servers were broken and three receivers broke.

At the French Open first round, 19 players chose serve and six were broken, while 43 chose receive and six broke serve. In the women’s French Open first round, 21 chose serve and 11 were broken, while 41 chose receive and 21 broke serve.

Ultimately, professional habits differ.

Djokovic’s view captures the balance: “I don’t think it actually decides a match, in my opinion.”

Receiving has the stronger case when immediate pressure on the opponent’s serve suits a player’s plan, and the reported preference for receiving supports that instinct. Serving still offers a clear upside for a strong server: hold the first game and break in the second, and the score can become 3 to 0 rather than 2 to 1.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Chooses Who Serves First in Tennis?

The winner of the coin toss chooses who serves first and which end to start from. In professional tennis, that decision is commonly described as choosing to serve or receive first. An umpire usually performs the coin toss.

Can the Coin Toss Winner Choose to Receive?

Yes. Players make the choice strategically, and ESPN reported that roughly twice as many players chose to receive as to serve in the early rounds of the 2025 French Open and Australian Open.

Does the First Server Automatically Alternate in Each Set?

No, the first server does not simply alternate from set to set. My Tennis HQ says that after a set not ending 7-6, the player who served the final game serves first in the next set.

Who Serves First in a Tennis Tiebreak?

The player who served in the game immediately before the tiebreak serves the first point. After that opening point, each player serves two points at a time until the set is finished. A tiebreak occurs when a set reaches 6-6.

How Does Tennis Doubles Serving Order Work?

A tennis match begins with a coin toss that determines who serves first and the starting end. The server starts each point and serves diagonally into the opposite service box. Within a service game, the server begins from the right side and alternates sides on every point.

The coin toss sets the opening choice, but the serving sequence then follows the score and the order of games played. Each game begins with one player serving every point, alternating between the deuce and ad sides of the baseline. In a tiebreak, the preceding game’s server opens before the two-point serving pattern begins. Choosing serve or receive is a tactical decision rather than a rule requiring one fixed choice.

References

Sources read in September 2026.

Eric Dawson

I'm Eric Dawson, and I write The Money Watch from north Columbus, Ohio. Most of what I cover comes from my own life: renting, a 2014 Honda Fit, parking, computers, food and the bills behind all of it. I spent four years in an apartment-property office and eleven on a distributor's operations desk, reading leases and invoices. Where you need real information, I research the maker's or agency's own page and independent sources and report what they publish. I don't give tax, investment, legal or medical advice.