Serve diagonally

You hit the serve from behind your own baseline. It must go over the net and land in the opponents' service court diagonally across (7.A, 7.E).

• If you serve from behind the right service court, the ball goes to the opponents' right service court (on your far left) (7.E)
• The serve must clear the non-volley zone (kitchen) (7.E, 7.E.2) (A serve that touches the kitchen line is a fault)
• If it lands outside the opponents' service court, it is a fault (7.E.1)

For where to put your feet when serving, see Where your feet go when serving.

There is no second serve

If your serve is a fault, you lose the rally right then (Section 2 definitions, 9.B). You cannot serve again. The server changes, or it becomes a side out (5.B.5, 5.B.6).

A serve that touches the net

If a serve touches the net and then lands in the correct service court, play continues (7.E, 13.A). It is not replayed as a let.