Tennis Solitaire combines the gameplay mechanics of classic Klondike Solitaire with a tennis-based scoring system and serve-clock to make the game more engaging. Here's how it works:

Card layout is the same as Klondike Solitaire. There are seven tableau piles where you build your stacks of cards, four foundation piles where you get your cards "out" starting with the aces, one stock pile to draw cards from, and one waste pile for cards you can't immediately play from the stock pile draw.

Scoring is based on a three-set tennis match format, where you are trying to win six games to win sets, and win at least two sets to win a match.

For every card you get "out" by placing it into a foundation pile, you will score points according to tennis scoring rules. For example, the first card out gives you 15 points, the second card 30 points, and so on.

You win a "game" for every fourth card you place in a foundation pile.

You win a "set" by winning six games. It is important to note that you are limited to three turns through the stock pile per "set." If you have not won six "games" after three turns through the stock pile, you have lost that "set."

Best of three "sets" wins the "match."

The serve clock will automatically begin when you play your first card. You have 15 seconds to contemplate your move before the serve clock expires. Once you play your card the serve clock will reset for the next point. If the serve clock expires before you play a card or take one from the stock pile, a point will be deducted from your score.

You can disable the serve clock if you prefer, but we recommend leaving it on for the best gameplay experience.

Honestly, you should know how to play this game.

If you're one of these people who never learned to swim or ride a bike or pick your nose, here's an entire audio book dedicated to solitaire rules and strategy: How to Play Solitaire for Beginners.

While the body of academic research on the psychological and social benefits of Tennis Solitaire hasn't had time to develop, at all really, we do have some theories we'd like to put forth in an effort to provoke deeper scientific study.

Players of Tennis Solitaire make highly attractive mates. To play Tennis Solitaire, you need a laptop or a phone with a functioning internet connection or data plan. So you can't be totally broke. And if you're interested enough in tennis to play this game instead of some of the other solitaire games out there, there's a chance you maybe belong to a country club, or you're willing to pay the obscene ticket prices to attend the US Open. Either way, dropping your Tennis Solitaire habit in casual conversation is a great way to subtly (but clearly) signal affluence and comfort moving in society's more rarified circles.

Players of Tennis Solitaire may live longer. The main purpose of Tennis Solitaire is to have fun. Fun tends to make people happy. Happy people probably have a more optimistic outlook on life. And, according to some studies, higher optimism may lead to a longer lifespan.

Tennis Solitaire is a game for life. While younger players of Tennis Solitaire may benefit from peak mental acuity and hand-eye coordination, that doesn't mean the joys of play diminish in later years. Decades of accumulated wisdom may in fact contribute to a strategic depth and richness of playstyle to which younger players can only aspire.

Lots has been written about the history of solitaire card games, and probably quite a bit more on the history of tennis. Until now, no one has tackled the fascinating story behind the union of these great pastimes.

It all started in the pandemic. In the fall of 2020, a family with basically zero interest in playing or watching tennis needed to find a safe outdoor activity for their kid. So, they booked her some tennis lessons. The kid stuck with it, and sometime later the family relocated to the Northeast, land of the $200/hour children's tennis lesson and full-season court reservation requirement. Shortly after making these financial commitments, the tennis playing kid rolled an ankle. Faced with lessons and court time they already paid for, one of the parents took over the lessons for a few weeks. This parent hadn't played tennis since third-grade sports camp, and kind of had a chip on his shoulder about "country club" sports. But, the parent was quickly hooked, and it wasn't long before his interest level went from novel to amusing to pretty annoying.

Fast-forward a couple years and this parent found himself with some extra time on his hands. Armed with some rudimentary game development knowledge and a few friends who had been successful with unlikely lifestyle brands, this knucklehead decided to act on what should probably have been an idea that came and went: tennis-themed card games. Thus, in the fall of 2025, Tennis Solitaire was born.