BEFORE YOU PLAY

There are a few things that you will need before hitting the courts.

First, a racket. For beginners, a larger, lighter racket is best to get acclimated to hitting the ball. The larger head will allow for more surface area for the ball to be hit with and the weight won’t tire out your arm.

You will also need some balls. The U.S. Open uses Wilson brand balls, which can be found for relatively cheap online.

You can even dress the part. For men, a typical uniform includes a shirt (typically collared, but many professionals are straying away from this) and shorts. Women wear a shirt/tank top with a tennis skirt or a dress. Some courts may require tennis shoes, but if you are playing casually, regular sneakers will do.

Lastly, you will need to establish your home court. Most towns have a few public courts or you can check out your local high school. There are also often courts at country or swim clubs that you can use if you are a member.

LEARN THE BASICS - 

The rules of tennis can be confusing to anyone just getting into the sport. Here are some basics:

The main goal is to win enough games to win a set and win enough sets to win the match. Matches are played either best out of 3 (for women)  or 5 (for men) sets. A player must win six games in order to take a set. A game is won by winning four points.

Scoring starts at 0-0 (called love-love in tennis). Each point progresses from 15-30-40-game. So, if one player wins two points, the score would be 0-30. If the score reaches 40-40, it is called deuce. Here, one player must win two consecutive points (advantage (AD)) to win the game.
A game is initiated by a serve and a return. The players then rally until a point is scored. A single player serves the entire game, and the server switches each game.

FIND A PARTNER - 

Unless you only want to practice your serve for hours, you will need someone to play against. Finding a tennis buddy, whether they are also a beginner or someone who has some knowledge of the game, is the best way to go.

If you have trouble finding a partner, apps like TennisPAL or PlayYourCourt will help you find local tennis matches and practices to join.

If you are still stuck, some courts have a wall with a net painted on it for solo play.

START OFF SLOW - 

At the beginning, there is no need to try and play a full match. The best way to get acclimated to your racket is to rally, meaning hit the ball back and forth between players. No need to keep score or try and hit crazy shots, just practice your forehand and backhand.

Later, you can start to practice your serve, maybe play a game or two and then work your way up to a full match.