What does crosscourt mean?
Crosscourt is a directional term used mainly in tennis and other racket sports to describe a shot struck diagonally across the court, so that it travels from one player's side toward the opponent's opposite corner rather than straight along a line. A crosscourt ball covers the longest possible path over the net, which gives it a lower net clearance requirement and greater margin for error than a shot hit straight up the line. Players use crosscourt shots to move opponents sideways out of position, to open up the court, and to sustain long rallies safely. The word appears both attributively, as in 'a crosscourt winner', and adverbially, as in 'she angled it crosscourt'. Outside sporting commentary and coaching, its use is rare, making it a distinctly technical but vivid piece of court vocabulary.
(Chiefly in tennis, squash, and similar games) so as to travel or be hit diagonally across the court.
"She returned the serve crosscourt to open up the point."
Also commonly used attributively as an adjective, as in 'a crosscourt volley'.
(Of a shot in a racket sport) directed diagonally across the court.
"His crosscourt drive clipped the line and landed just inside."
Frequently hyphenated as 'cross-court' in older British sources; unhyphenated 'crosscourt' is now standard.
The crosscourt shot is geometry in motion: by hitting over the longest distance on the court — the diagonal — players buy themselves extra margin for error and pull their opponent off the court.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of crosscourt
Crosscourt is formed from the English elements 'cross' (from Old Norse 'kross', ultimately from Latin 'crux') and 'court' (from Old French 'cort', from Latin 'cohors', an enclosure). The compound arose in the context of racket sports, whose codified rules and terminology developed chiefly in Britain during the nineteenth century, and it remains standard in tennis, squash, and badminton usage on both sides of the Atlantic.
How crosscourt is actually used
Crosscourt is primarily a technical term within racket-sport commentary and instruction; it is rarely encountered outside sporting contexts. In usage it functions as both an adjective (a crosscourt winner) and an adverb (she played it crosscourt).
Easily confused with crosscourt
A down-the-line shot travels straight along the sideline of the court, whereas a crosscourt shot travels diagonally to the opposite side.