Are the alleys in on a doubles serve?

No. The serve must land in the singles service box. The alleys only come into play after the serve.

Can you switch receiving sides in doubles?

Only at the start of a new set. Within a set each player keeps returning from the same side.

Does the ball have to alternate between partners?

No. Unlike table tennis, either partner can hit any ball, as long as only one player hits it.

Tennis Doubles Rules

6 video lessons

Serving order, the alleys and who returns where.

Quick answer & tips ▾

Doubles uses the full court, so the alleys are in once the point starts, but the serve must still land in the normal singles service box. Each team picks who serves first, and the serve rotates through all four players: team A player 1, team B player 1, team A player 2, team B player 2. The order can only change at the start of a new set.

On the return, each team picks a deuce-side and an ad-side receiver, and they keep those sides for the whole set. After the return, either partner may play any shot; there is no alternating. Scoring is the same as singles, though many leagues use no-ad scoring and a match tiebreak instead of a third set.

Key tips

Alleys count in rallies, never on the serve.
Serving order rotates between teams; partners alternate service games.
Receivers keep the same side for the entire set.
The server's partner can stand anywhere, even across the center line.

FAQ

Are the alleys in on a doubles serve?: No. The serve must land in the singles service box. The alleys only come into play after the serve.
Can you switch receiving sides in doubles?: Only at the start of a new set. Within a set each player keeps returning from the same side.
Does the ball have to alternate between partners?: No. Unlike table tennis, either partner can hit any ball, as long as only one player hits it.