How to Play ProTennis
The short version: move with the arrow keys or WASD, press Space as the ball reaches you, and hold a direction while you swing to aim. Hold Shift as you swing for a power shot. First to three games wins.
Keyboard controls
| Action | Keys |
|---|---|
| Move and aim | ← ↑ ↓ → or W A S D |
| Serve and swing | Space or J |
| Power shot | Hold Shift while you swing, or press K |
| Pause (instructions, sound, restart) | Esc or P |
| Make the CPU easier or harder | Q / E |
| Sound on or off | M |
Touch controls on phones and tablets
On a touch screen, ProTennis shows on-screen controls. Drag the stick on the left to move and aim, tap Swing to hit, and tap Power for a power shot. Turn your phone sideways and use the fullscreen button in the match screen for the biggest view of the court.
Time your swing
Every hit is timed. Press swing as the ball arrives at your player, not when it bounces. The game rates each contact as early, clean or late:
- Clean hits go where you aimed, with full pace.
- Early hits fly higher, so they tend to go long, and they pull off line.
- Late hits come off flatter, so they tend to find the net, and they push off line the other way.
- Miss the ball entirely and it goes past you: point lost.
Get your feet to the ball first. Shots hit while stretching wide or still running scatter more than shots hit from a set position, for you and the CPU alike.
Aim with the direction keys
The direction you hold at the moment of contact decides where the ball goes:
- Left or right sends it cross-court or down the line.
- Up hits deep, toward your opponent's baseline.
- Down hits short, just over the net.
- No direction plays a safe ball back through the middle.
The same keys move your player, so a good habit is: run to the ball, then press the aim direction just before you swing.
Power shots and the power meter
A power shot is a heavy, fast drive that is hard to return. Each one uses a quarter of your power meter, so a full meter holds four. The meter refills on its own, taking about 17 seconds to go from empty to full. If the meter is too low, you play a normal shot instead. Power also magnifies timing mistakes, so a mistimed power shot is more likely to miss. Save it for serves, short balls and the big points.
Scoring and match format
ProTennis uses real tennis scoring in a short format:
- Points go 0 (love), 15, 30, 40, then game. At 40–40 it is deuce, and you need two points in a row (advantage, then game) to win it.
- The match is first to three games, and you must be two games clear.
- At three games all, a tiebreak decides the match: first to seven points, win by two. The first server serves one point, then the serve switches every two points.
- Players take turns serving each game. The serve alternates between the deuce court and the advantage court every point.
Serves, faults and calls
The umpire calls everything automatically:
- Fault: the serve lands long or wide of the service box, or doesn't clear the net. You get a second serve.
- Double fault: two faults in a row lose the point.
- Let: the serve clips the net and lands in. It is replayed.
- Ace: a serve your opponent never touches.
- Out: a shot lands long or wide of the singles lines.
- Double bounce: letting the ball bounce twice on your side loses the point.
CPU difficulty
Play the computer on Easy (slower reactions, safe shots), Normal (steady rallies, finds the open court) or Hard (quick feet, deep angles, more power). The CPU moves and hits under the same physics as you at every level, with no extra speed and no perfect shots. Change the level in player setup, in the pause menu, or with Q and E mid-match.
Courts and surfaces
Pick a court before each match. Each surface bounces differently:
- New York (hard court): medium pace and a true, predictable bounce. The best place to start.
- London (grass court): fast, low and skiddy. Rallies are short, so serves and first strikes matter most.
- Paris (clay court): slower with a higher bounce. You get more time to reach the ball, and longer rallies.
Tips to beat the CPU
- Move first, swing second. Most missed shots come from arriving late, not from bad timing.
- Work the angles. Hit cross-court to pull the CPU wide, then go down the line into the open court.
- Mix depth. A deep ball followed by a short one drags your opponent forward and back.
- Don't waste power. Save it for serves and short balls you can attack.
- Return to the middle. After each shot, drift back toward the center of your baseline.
Ready to play?
Start a quick match against the computer, learn how to play online with a friend, or meet the ten players on the roster.