A lob in tennis is hitting the ball high and deep into the opponent's court. It can be used as an offensive or defensive weapon depending on the situation.

The lob was introduced by the second Wimbledon champion Frank Hadow in his defeat of Spencer Gore. For this reason Hadow was known as the "loftiest champion".

A lob is usually hit when an opponent is standing near the net, waiting to volley. The ball should sail over the top of the opponent and into the open court behind him. A good offensive lob cannot be reached by the opponent, yet it is low enough and has enough pace so that the opponent can not run back and chase it down. It can win the point outright, although with some risks involved. Topspin greatly enhances the effectiveness of offensive lob but also makes the stroke more difficult. When executing the lob, players usually hit the ball at an angle between 0 degrees (flat) and 45 degrees (diagonal). Some players, such as Andre Agassi, Michael Chang, and Lleyton Hewitt have developed good offensive lobs.

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Tennis is a sport usually played between two players (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Object of the game is to play the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a good return. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all ages. The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racket, including people in wheelchairs.

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