Serve and return in doubles

The serve opens every rally in doubles too — but here it is embedded in a fixed system and offers the pair its own tactical possibilities.

The right to serve travels through all four players in doubles in a fixed order, and the server is always the rear-court player. That means: with every change of the serving right, your roles reorder. Knowing this order and keeping it in your head is part of the doubles basics — whoever gets confused risks mistakes before the first stroke.

Tactically you use the serve in doubles much as in singles, with one important addition: your partner at the front is ready to exploit the return. A good serve forces the opponent into a weak, high answer — and that is exactly what your attacking player at the front intercepts. The serve is thus the first move of a pincer that closes on the third ball.

On the return the opposite applies: you want to avoid handing the opponent's attacking player at the front an easy prey. Bring the return back under control, as deep as possible or into a gap, instead of playing it high and short to the lurking finisher.

The serve in doubles is like the opening move in a chess game you play as a pair — it opens a plan your partner completes. A thoughtless serve gives away this advantage; a targeted one sets up the point for your pair.

Memorize the serving order with your partner so that you have it down securely in the match. Then think up a simple serving tactic: where does the rear-court player serve so that the attacking player at the front can intercept the weak return? And on the return: how do you avoid handing the opposing attacking player an easy ball? In the match, watch whether your serve really sets up the third ball.