A Barbadian game. A Barbadian film.
Road Tennis Barbados
The First Serve. Try the beta now. The film and full game launch on Independence Day, 30 November.
The game
Step on the court.
Road tennis the way it's played in Barbados: low, fast and on the ground. Tap play and you're in. This is the beta, an early skeleton of the full game that lands on Independence Day.
- Serve. One bounce in your own court, then over the net.
- Rally. One hand, no volleys. Let it bounce, cut it, slice it.
- Score. First to 21 wins.
The game is almost ready. Check back soon, or add your email below to hear when it opens.
The film
Watch the trailer.
The First Serve, an animated short from Dreaming Cloud Films, lands on Independence Day, 30 November 2026.
From the film
The game in action.
- The drop in
- The court
Sneak peek from the film. Something pulls a boy into a world built on road tennis, and the game decides what happens next. Watch the court. Learn the rules. Come see how it ends.
The story behind it
A game from the road.
- 1930s
Lawn tennis in Barbados belonged to clubs, and most people were locked out. So working-class Barbadians took the game to the road and made their own: road tennis. It was invented in Barbados, in neighbourhoods and on the streets, by people who played with whatever they had.
- The court
A road, chalked out. About 21 feet by 10 feet, on asphalt or concrete, often on residential roads.
- The net
No mesh. A wooden plank stands across the middle, about eight inches high, so the ball has to stay low and fast.
- The rackets
Wood, not strings. Two solid wooden rackets, and no strings to help you.
- The ball
An old tennis ball with the fuzz stripped off, so it skids and stays low on the hard road.
- The rules
First to 21 wins. No volleys. Every serve bounces once in the server's court. The server changes after every five points.
- Today
Still played across Barbados and beyond, in roads, schools and community centres, and in competitions like Monarch of the Court.
- 30 Nov
Barbados turns 60. On Independence Day, the film and the full game launch. You're playing the beta now.
Partner with us
Be part of the first serve.
We're looking for culture, sport, tourism and brand partners who want their name behind a story we should all be proud of.
- Your name in the film's credits
- Your logo in the game
- Features in the trailer and launch campaign
- An invitation to the premiere
A Dreaming Cloud Films production. Built and designed by Dreaming Cloud.