The Game of Tennis

This is a photo of a picture I drew

The small, yellow ball connects with the server’s racket strings and whizzes through the air, over the net and hits the first green block on the court, shooting towards the receiver. The receiver returns the ball to the other side of the net, and the tennis match begins. The ball is played back and forth, each tennis player trying to outplay the other until someone makes a mistake and the first point is over. The game continues until someone wins.

The game of tennis needs well-placed shots, concentration, strategy and the ability to outsmart and outplay your opponent. It’s a competitive and enjoyable game that you can play your whole life. This is a sport I love. This is the game of tennis.

I’ve been playing tennis for about eight years now and started when I was about seven. I’m not brilliant at this game but I love tennis. I get a boost when I’m having a good day and am able to play well. I get a sense of satisfaction when I place a shot well and my opponent can’t return it. Sometimes I just have to smile triumphantly at this. But I don’t often feel like smiling when this happens to me in a match. I hate it when I have a bad day and I don’t like to lose (I try to take it well, though I don’t always succeed, but I never throw a tennis tantrum!). I guess this is because I’m competitive. I don’t think I really want to see what I call my “game face” during a tennis match, though.

However, I love my tennis lessons-when it’s not boiling hot- and tennis is a sport I want to play my whole life. I have to admit that socializing at tennis is a great aspect and perhaps increases my enjoyment of the game. Sometimes, though, talking and playing at the same time is very distracting and I’ll blame those I’m talking to for “making” me miss the ball! ;)

Tennis is not an easy game and needs lots of work and practice, but maybe that’s why I feel satisfaction when I finally get a certain shot right. Though sometimes I have a bad day and get frustrated, especially when people lob the ball really high, and sometimes it’s just too hot (oh, the African sun), I love the game of tennis.