The physics underlying the effect ... The force is generated by the spinning ball dragging air around it in an unusual way. When a tennis player puts topspin on the ball (for example, by brushing ...

Whipping his racquet through the air like a cesta in jai alai, Rafael Nadal produces such tremendous topspin that the ball sometimes seems to catapult off the court, creating a shot as challenging ...

The ability to control a tennis ball's spin has ... But how exactly do players make the ball move through the air or bounce off the court like that? The physics underlying the effect is complex.