Serving and receiving order
ITF · 2026Alternating service games and fixing the serving and receiving rotations in doubles.
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Rule 14 — Standard games and doubles service rotationRule 15 — Doubles receiving rotationRule 14 — Standard games and doubles service rotation
After each standard game, the receiver becomes the server and the server becomes the receiver for the next game.
At the start of each doubles set, the team serving the 1st game chooses which partner serves it. Before the 2nd game, the other team chooses its server. The partner of the 1st-game server serves game 3, and the partner of the 2nd-game server serves game 4. Keep this rotation for the rest of the set.
Rule 15 — Doubles receiving rotation
The team receiving in the 1st game of a set chooses which partner receives its 1st point. Before the 2nd game, the opponents make the equivalent choice. The receiver's partner takes the 2nd point, and the alternating receiving positions remain in that order for the game and the rest of the set.
Once the receiver has returned the serve, either partner may hit the ball. A doubles player may not play alone against the opposing pair.
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