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National Play Tennis Day

Hobby · February 23

A day for picking up a racket and playing tennis, from a casual rally at a public court to a friendly doubles match with neighbors.

National Play Tennis Day falls on Tuesday, February 23, 2027. That is 119 days away.

Tennis is a game of a ball, two rackets, a net and a lot of running back and forth. Players hit the ball over the net and try to land it inside the lines where the other side cannot return it. The point of this day is simple: go play some.

The game rewards patience more than people expect. A long rally between two beginners can feel as good as a clean winner, and most players remember the first time they got the ball back over the net five times in a row. Scoring has its own odd vocabulary. Zero is called love, and a game moves from 15 to 30 to 40 before someone wins it.

You do not need a club membership to mark the day. Many towns have public courts in parks and schoolyards, often free and first come, first served. Singles is a good workout. Doubles is more social, with four people sharing the court and plenty of time to chat between points. A wall works too, and it never complains about your serve.

Courts come in different surfaces, mainly hard courts, clay and grass, and each changes how the ball bounces. Clay slows the ball and gives it a higher bounce, while grass keeps it low and quick. Most public courts in the United States are hard courts, which play somewhere in between.

Ways to celebrate

• Find a public court nearby and hit a few balls with a friend.
• Try a game of doubles with neighbors or coworkers.
• Practice your forehand against a wall or backboard.
• Dig out an old racket and see if the strings still hold.
• Watch a recorded tennis match and learn how scoring works.

Dates

All national days on February 23

Also on February 23

• National Banana Bread Day
• National Dog Biscuit Day

Categories: Hobby days