Who serves next, and when do players change ends?

The scope of this page

This page applies the 2026 ITF Rules of Tennis, published by the sport's global governing body, now named World Tennis. It covers the international baseline for ordinary singles and doubles, principally Rules 5, 6, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 27 and 29.

The governing body publishes the document as the current 2026 edition but the PDF does not state a separate commencement date. This page was checked against that edition and its official 2026 amendment notice on 28 August 2026. A tournament may adopt an Appendix VI alternative or an ITF-approved limited trial that is not printed in the rulebook, so its announced format remains controlling.

Keep service, service half and court end separate

• Service order: identifies the player or team entitled to start the point.
• Service half: identifies whether that serve starts from behind the right or left half of the baseline. Rule 17 starts each standard game and tie-break on the right, then alternates halves point by point.
• Court end: identifies which side of the net each player occupies. Rule 10 changes ends on its own schedule.

A player can be the correct server from the correct half of the baseline but at the wrong end of the court. Each question must be checked independently.

The toss sets the first game

Under ITF Rule 9, a toss before the warm-up determines the initial choices. The winner may choose to serve or receive first, choose an end and leave the service choice to the opponent, or require the opponent to make one of those choices. That establishes the first server and the starting ends; the later rotation follows from them.

The receiver becomes the next server

Rule 14 is simple in singles: after a standard game ends, its receiver serves the next game. If Player A serves game one, B serves game two, A game three and so on. Deuce, advantage, a long game and the number of points played do not change that game-by-game alternation.

Inside a standard game, Rule 17 starts the server from the right half of the court and alternates right, left, right, left after each point. A let or a first-service fault does not advance the point score, so it does not move the server to the other half.

Choose a four-player order for each set

At the start of each set, the team serving its first game chooses which partner serves it. The other team chooses its first server before the second game. The partners of those two players then serve the third and fourth games. If the chosen order is A1, B1, A2, B2, that same cycle continues through the set.

Partners may choose a different internal order at the beginning of a new set. They cannot deliberately swap their service games part-way through the current set. The choice of which team serves first in a later set still follows the match rotation; changing partners' internal order does not give a team an extra service game.

Receiving order is a second fixed rotation

Rule 15 separately requires each receiving team to choose which partner receives the first point in its first receiving game of the set. That player's partner receives the second point, and the partners alternate the first return for the rest of that game and set. After the return is made, either partner may play the next shot.

Service order and receiving order are therefore not the same choice. A team must track both, especially in a tie-break, where service changes during the game but the established doubles receiving rotation continues.

One point, then two points at a time

ITF Rule 5 gives the first tie-break point to the player whose turn it was to serve next. The opponent serves points two and three; after that, the players alternate two consecutive service points until the tie-break ends. In doubles, the established service rotation within each team continues.

Every tie-break starts with service from the right half. The service half then alternates for every new point, so the player taking points two and three starts from the left and then serves from the right.

Read the sequence from the next due server

Situation: in singles, A served the first game of the set and the score reaches 6-6.

Ruling: A was due to serve game 13, so A serves tie-break point one. B serves points two and three, A serves four and five, and B serves six and seven. If more points are needed, the same two-point turns continue. Under Rule 5, A—the player who served first in the tie-break—receives in the first game of the next set, so B serves that game.

Odd games, then the set-end test

Under ITF Rule 10, players change ends after the first, third, fifth and every later odd-numbered game of a set. At the end of a set they change ends unless that set contained an even total number of games. If the total was even—6-4 is ten games, for example—they stay at their current ends and change after the first game of the next set.

The game number controls this rule, not who won the game or the point score inside it. A tie-break set ending 7-6 contains 13 games, so the players change ends at the end of the set.

Six points is the default, not the only permitted method

Rule 10's standard procedure is to change ends after every six tie-break points: after point totals 6, 12, 18 and so on. The players do not take a changeover rest during those switches.

Appendix VI permits a sanctioning body to adopt a different procedure: change after the first point and then after every four points, at totals 1, 5, 9, 13 and so on. That alternative is not automatic merely because a match is professional or televised; the event must use it. Check the competition's published format before correcting players who follow a different approved pattern.

Changing ends does not always mean sitting down

Rule 29 allows a maximum of 90 seconds when players change ends after a game, but after the first game of each set they change ends without a rest. Tie-break end changes are also made without a rest. At the end of a set, the set break is a maximum of 120 seconds, whether or not Rule 10 requires the players to change ends.

The time runs from the end of one point until the first service is struck for the next. Event organisers may seek ITF approval to extend the 90- and 120-second limits, so an adopted competition rule should be identified rather than treated as part of the universal baseline.

Confirm what kind of set or tie-break was announced

Rule 6 requires the event to announce in advance whether it uses tie-break sets or advantage sets and what happens in the final set. An advantage set has no automatic tie-break at 6-6. Appendix VI also permits seven- or ten-point match tie-breaks to replace a deciding set.

A match tie-break replacing a final set preserves which team or player is next in the overall service sequence. In doubles, however, the partners may alter their internal serving and receiving orders as they may at the beginning of a set. A short-set five-point tie-break is a further special case: the sanctioning body determines the order and number of serves, and players change ends only after the first four points.

Keep the points, then apply the specific repair

ITF Rule 27 begins with the principle that all points played before an error is discovered stand. It does not award a replay merely because the wrong person served or the players used the wrong ends. The next step depends on exactly which error occurred and when it was noticed.

A service fault is not a completed point, so Rule 27 gives special instructions about whether a fault immediately preceding discovery still counts. That is why “put the right player back and carry on” is not a complete ruling.

Correct now unless the game has finished

If a standard game is still in progress, the player originally due to serve takes over immediately at the existing score. If the whole game was completed before discovery, the altered service order remains: the receiver from that completed game serves next.

In singles, a fault served by the out-of-turn opponent immediately before discovery does not stand. In doubles, if the error is that one partner served in the other partner's turn, that fault does stand. If a completed game altered the sequence, a scheduled ball change is made one game later than originally planned.

Even and odd point totals produce different answers

If service is out of turn in a tie-break, add the two players' or teams' points. When the error is found after an even number of points has been played, correct the order immediately. When it is found after an odd number, leave the service order as altered. The earlier points still stand in both cases.

The same fault distinction applies: an out-of-turn opponent's fault does not stand, while in doubles a fault served by the wrong partner of the serving team does stand.

These errors look similar but faults are treated differently

• Wrong service half: move the server to the right or left half required by the score. A fault served before discovery still stands.
• Wrong court ends: move the players to the ends required by the score, then serve from the correct end. A fault served before discovery does not stand under the 2026 wording of Rule 27(b).

Completed points remain scored. The 2026 amendment notice specifically records the clarification about a fault discovered while players are at the wrong ends during a tie-break.

Finish the game in the altered order

If doubles partners receive out of order, they do not swap back in the middle of that game. Rule 27(e) keeps the altered receiving order until the game ends. In the next game in that set in which their team receives, the partners resume the original receiving order.

Law and fact have different final authorities

Appendix VII makes the referee the final authority on questions of tennis law. When a chair umpire is assigned, the chair umpire is the final authority on questions of fact during the match. A player who disputes the chair umpire's interpretation of a rule may ask for the referee; disagreement about a factual call is not converted into a rules appeal.

The wrong player starts a service game

Situation: A is due to serve, but B serves three completed points. The mistake is found with B leading 30-15.

Ruling under the 2026 ITF Rules: the three points stand and A takes over at 15-30 from A's perspective. The decisive facts are that the standard game is unfinished and the error was discovered after completed points, not immediately after a fault.

The mistake is found after the game

Situation: B served a complete standard game that A should have served. The mistake is noticed before the next game begins.

Ruling under the 2026 ITF Rules: the completed game stands and the altered order remains, so A—the receiver in the game just completed—serves next. Rule 27(c) does not rewind a finished game or restore the old sequence.

A tie-break error is found at 2-2

Situation: the wrong player has been serving, and the error is found after four tie-break points at 2-2.

Ruling under the 2026 ITF Rules: four is an even number of points played, so Rule 27(d) restores the correct service order immediately and keeps the four points. Had the error instead been found after three points, the altered service order would remain.

A fault reveals that the players missed an end change

Situation: at a scheduled tie-break end change, both players stay at the old ends. The next server faults, and the mistake is identified before a second serve.

Ruling under the 2026 ITF Rules: the players move to the correct ends and the fault does not stand. The server begins the point from the end and service half required by the score. If the point had already been completed, that point would stand.

Resolve the sequence without guessing

1. Name the event and confirm its announced set, tie-break and change-of-ends format.
2. Use the toss and completed service games to identify the next due player or team.
3. For doubles, apply the serving and receiving orders chosen for the current set.
4. If a tie-break is in progress, count total points played: first server gets one point, then service moves in two-point turns.
5. Use the point score to select the right or left service half, and Rule 10 or the adopted Appendix VI alternative to select the court end.
6. If an error occurred, keep completed points and apply the matching paragraph of Rule 27 instead of using a general replay.

Five shortcuts that give the wrong ruling

• “The tie-break starter serves twice”: the starter serves one point only.
• “Every tie-break changes ends after six”: six is the Rule 10 baseline, but Appendix VI permits an adopted alternative.
• “Changing ends changes the server”: the two rotations are independent.
• “Doubles partners can swap whenever they want”: their set orders remain fixed, subject to the specific new-set and match-tie-break choices.
• “Any order error means replay the point”: Rule 27 preserves completed points and gives targeted corrections.

World Tennis / ITF 2026 source material

• International Tennis Federation, Rules of Tennis 2026 (English) — Rules 5, 6, 9, 10, 14, 15, 17, 27 and 29; Appendix VI alternative procedures; Appendix VII officials.
• International Tennis Federation, 2026 Amendments to the Rules of Tennis and Rules of Beach Tennis — Rule 27 clarification for a fault discovered when players are at the wrong ends during a tie-break.
• World Tennis, Tennis Rules and Regulations — official current-edition index for the 2026 rulebook, amendment notice and competition rulebooks.

Source note: checked on 28 August 2026 against the governing body's 2026 rulebook, its published 2026 amendment notice and its current rules index. The baseline above does not silently import ATP, WTA, Grand Slam, national-association or local-league procedures. Where an event adopts an Appendix VI option or a supplementary timing procedure, its published competition regulations must be read with the ITF rules.