Tennis (the name can be translated into Italian by an archaic term no longer in use such as 'slap ball') is a racket sport that pits two or four players against each other (two against two, doubles match) on a court divided into two halves by a net 0.914 m high in the centre and 1.07 m at the sides. It is considered to be a complete and harmonious sport (although physically partly asymmetrical because one arm is excluded from the body movement) as it requires both excellent physical skills (coordination, speed and endurance over distance) and mental skills (hitting technique, tactics, game vision, reflexes and intuition).

"Tennis is a complete sport because it improves cardiovascular adaptation to endurance, fatigue and improves the muscles and physiological work of the joints. From a mental point of view, a lot of willpower is required. It can be practised from 6 to 80 years of age. Younger people adapt their psycho-physical capacities to the maximum; older people can graduate their resistance according to the intensity of the effort required, provided that there is - upstream - adequate general physical preparation. It is fundamental, in all cases, to possess and develop a good running skill."