After a set finishes in doubles...

[tennistim]

So in doubles when you complete a set you are able to swap serving order and swap sides with your partner. Right?

If so, was this always the case?

I remember in the 90s one or another of these were different.

[floridatennisdude]

As long as I've been playing, this has been the rule. So at least since '87-ish?

[tennistim]

Perhaps it was a club rule or perhaps part of the local tennis league...

[Cindysphinx]

Huh?

You can have whatever service order and receiving side you want at the start of a set.

[Dags]

As a junior, I knew about the switching sides rule, but not the service order. We didn't have the internet back in those days, and I was never given a rule book to read: all knowledge came from those teaching us the game. I don't know if they just omitted telling us, or didn't know themselves! The switching sides rule came up quite regularly as there was always at least one kid who inadvertently ended up on the wrong side mid-set.

Nowadays, I use it mainly to ensure we remain serving from the same end that we did in the first set. I've found that keeping that consistent often leads to better results, unless one partner has a far stronger serve. I can't remember ever having switched sides mid-way through a match.

[cll30]

Also, if you are playing a match tiebreaker in lieu of a final set, you and your partner can at the start of the tiebreaker change service order and the side on which you receive service.