| Face | The flat area of the racket formed by the strings and bounded by the frame. |
| Fault | An invalid service attempt. It is a fault if the serve fails to land in the receiver's service court; if the server swings and misses the ball entirely; or if the serve is made from beyond the baseline or from the wrong side of the center mark. See also double fault; foot fault; serve. |
| Fifteen | The first point of a game for either player or side. See point; scoring system. |
| First flight | The flight of the ball after it leaves the racket and before it bounces. |
| Flat | Descriptive of a low, fast, straight shot without spin. |
| Follow through | The motion of the arm and racket after the ball has been struck. |
| Foot fault | Usually a fault caused by the server's foot entering the court before the racket contacts the ball. It is also a foot fault if any part of the server's foot is on the wrong side of the center mark, or the server is walking or running while delivering the serve. See also serve. |
| Foot fault judge | An official responsible for calling foot faults. The foot fault judge is positioned on a line with the baseline, on the opposite side of the court from the baseline judge. |
| Forced error | An error resulting from a good shot by the opponent. See error; unforced error. |
| Forcing shot | A shot that puts the opponent on the defensive; often an approach shot. |
| Forecourt | The area between the net and the service line. |
| Forehand | A shot hit from the racket side of the player's body; the right side for a right-hander. |
| Forty | The third point of a game for either player or side. If both reach forty, it is called deuce. |
| Frame | The oval portion of the racket that contains the strings; an unstrung racket. |