Winner (King of the Court): the most popular tennis drill game

If you have ever coached or taken group tennis lessons, you have probably played Winner, also known as King of the Court. It is the game that ends thousands of lessons every week: players ask for it as soon as they walk on court, coaches use it as a reward, and it works just as well with 8-year-olds as with competitive adults.

This article explains how to play it, why it is so engaging, our favourite variations, and how to stop it turning into "ten minutes of standing in line".

What is Winner?

Winner is a king of the court game. One player (the king) defends one side of the court and everyone else, the challengers, waits on the other side. Challengers try to dethrone the king by winning points; if they succeed, they become the new king.

The name comes from the rule that makes it special: a winner, a shot the opponent doesn't even touch, is enough on its own to take the throne.

Basic rules

1. The king stands on one side of the court. Challengers wait on the other side, by the net post and outside the playing area.
2. The challenger starts the point: the coach feeds them a ball to smash and the point is then played out freely.
3. To dethrone the king you need to win 2 points in a row, or a single point if it is an outright winner that the king never touches.
4. If the challenger loses a point, they go back to the line and the next player steps in.
5. If they dethrone the king, they cross to the king's side and the old king joins the line of challengers.
6. With more than 5 players, play it as doubles so the line doesn't get too long.

You can play against the clock (whoever is king at the whistle wins) or count how many times each player reaches the throne.

Why it works so well

• Real pressure. Every point matters and players know it. It is the closest thing to match play you can run with a group of 6 or 8 on one court.
• It rewards attacking. Because a winner is worth double, players go for their shots instead of just getting the ball back.
• Everyone is engaged. Players in the line are watching and can't wait to get back in. There is no mental downtime.
• It fits any level. Just change how the point starts or what it takes to dethrone the king.

Winner variations

Once the group has mastered classic Winner, these variations change the technical focus without losing the excitement. The drill cards link to the full description in our catalogue, which is in Spanish.

Olympic: the king at the net. The king must always play at the net. If they are lobbed they may chase the ball, but must come straight back in, and the first ball they receive can't be a lob. Great for volleys and overheads under pressure.

King of the court with a net approach. To dethrone the king you must win three points in a row in a fixed order: one from the baseline, one with an approach shot and the last one with a volley. It teaches players how to build their way to the net.

King who can't step back. Challengers need 4 points to dethrone the king, but the king may not step behind the baseline. It forces them to play inside the court, taking the ball early and dealing with deep balls.

Grand Slam: everyone against everyone. Instead of a king, the loser leaves the court and the next player steps in straight away, with no time to get set. Players count individual points up to 10. Perfect when you want more rotation.

Coaching tips

• Feed the first ball yourself. You control the pace and difficulty: easier for beginners, tougher for advanced players.
• Nobody waits inside the court. The line always stands by the net post, outside the playing area. It is a safety issue.
• Watch out for eternal kings. If one player is clearly stronger, ask them to win with a specific shot or to play from the net.
• Coach little and fast. Winner is about competing: one cue between points, not a technique lesson.
• Use it at the end. As the final game of the lesson, it sends players home wanting to come back next week.

Plan your lesson around Winner

Winner and all its variations are in the AdvanceTenis drill catalogue, with level, number of players and a court diagram. For more games in the same spirit, see our fun tennis drills. And if you'd rather have the whole lesson built for you, try the automatic session generator.