Grand Slam Tennis: Courts and Champions – answers and explanations
Here are the answers to all 15 questions in the Grand Slam Tennis: Courts and Champions quiz, each with a short explanation. Test your knowledge of tennis's four majors, their surfaces, scoring quirks and greatest champions. Haven't played yet? Take the quiz first and compare your score.
Play the quiz · 15 questions1. Which player has won the French Open men's singles title a record 14 times?
Answer: Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal won a record 14 men's singles titles at Roland Garros, the French Open, which is played on clay. The last of them came in 2022.
2. In tennis, what is the term for a score of 40-40 in a game?
Answer: Deuce
A score of 40-40 in a tennis game is called deuce. To win the game from deuce, a player must then win two points in a row, and the first of those points gives them the advantage.
3. Which fruit is traditionally served with cream to spectators at Wimbledon?
Answer: Strawberries
Strawberries and cream are the classic snack for spectators at Wimbledon. It is one of the best-known traditions of the grass-court Championships, held every summer in southwest London.
4. Billie Jean King beat which man in the famous 1973 'Battle of the Sexes' match?
Answer: Bobby Riggs
Billie Jean King beat former Wimbledon champion Bobby Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in the 'Battle of the Sexes' match. It was played at the Houston Astrodome on 20 September 1973.
5. Bjorn Borg, winner of five straight Wimbledon titles, represented which country?
Answer: Sweden
Bjorn Borg is from Sweden. He won five Wimbledon singles titles in a row, from 1976 to 1980, and also won the French Open six times.
6. The US Open's home, the National Tennis Center, is named after which player?
Answer: Billie Jean King
The US Open is played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York. The center took her name in 2006 to honor her tennis career and her work for gender equality.
7. In a standard tie-break, how many points must a player reach to win it?
Answer: Seven
In a standard tie-break, the first player to reach seven points wins, but they need a lead of at least two. Some events use a longer 10-point tie-break in a deciding set, but the standard game is played to seven.
8. What kind of bird is flown at Wimbledon to scare away pigeons?
Answer: A hawk
Wimbledon flies a Harris's hawk named Rufus over the All England Club to keep pigeons away. He is flown early in the morning before gates open and has become a well-known part of the tournament.
9. How many Grand Slam singles titles did Serena Williams win in her career?
Answer: 23
Serena Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era. Her last came at the 2017 Australian Open, which she won while pregnant. Margaret Court holds the overall record of 24.
10. Novak Djokovic has won which Grand Slam a record 10 times?
Answer: Australian Open
Novak Djokovic has won the Australian Open a record 10 times, and his tenth title came in 2023. Melbourne Park, where the tournament is played, is often called the scene of his greatest success.
11. The Australian Open is held each January in which city?
Answer: Melbourne
The Australian Open is played at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Victoria. It has been held there since 1988, when it moved from grass at Kooyong to hard courts.
12. In tennis scoring, what number does the term 'love' stand for?
Answer: Zero
In tennis, 'love' means a score of zero. A game is scored love, 15, 30, 40 and then game, and a set won 6-0 is called a love set.
13. Wimbledon's strict dress code requires players to wear almost entirely what colour?
Answer: White
Wimbledon requires players to dress almost entirely in white. The rules state that off-white and cream do not count as white. Since 2023, women have been allowed to wear dark undershorts.
14. How many Wimbledon men's singles titles did Roger Federer win?
Answer: Eight
Roger Federer won eight Wimbledon men's singles titles, a men's record. His first came in 2003 and his eighth in 2017, when he won without dropping a set.
15. Roland Garros, home of the French Open, is famous for which court surface?
Answer: Red clay
Roland Garros in Paris is played on red clay, and it is the only Grand Slam on clay. The slow, high-bouncing surface suited Rafael Nadal, who won the title a record 14 times.