A player gets two serves per point in tennis. The first serve is the player’s main attempt; if it is a fault, the player receives a second serve. Missing both serves is a double fault, which immediately awards the point to the receiver.
The server must aim diagonally into the opponent’s service box, alternating sides after each point. A serve that clips the net but lands correctly is a let and is replayed rather than counted as a fault. That means a player can occasionally take more than two physical serve attempts because lets do not use up an attempt, but the standard allowance remains two serves.
The first serve is often hit harder or flatter, while the second is usually struck with more spin and margin for safety. Players may also change placement and speed to prevent the receiver from anticipating the delivery.
A common mix-up is confusing serves with points: one service turn begins a point, but only one successful serve is needed to put that point into play.