Much like how golfand baseball were ever-present sports inPeanuts, tennis was also a mainstay that made numerous appearances throughout the classic comic strip’s run. From featuring tennis-centric characters like “Molly Volley” and “Crybaby Boobie” – what names! – to storylines that revolved around the adored racket sport,Peanutsembraced tennis as a story driver and inspiration for new characters.
In fact, one tennis storyline, in which Snoopy tried to travel to Wimbledon, actually led to the character of Belle, Snoopy’s sister, being introduced to readers.
As a result, whilebaseball may have overshadowed tennis inPeanutscomic strips, the sport was still meaningful for the characters and their stories. Tennis also brought out the running gags of several of the characters in a new and refreshing way like Linus wanting to flee anytime Sally calls him her boyfriend or Snoopy’s competitiveness.
10"It Was The Stripe Down The Middle That Confused Him…"
First Published: August 08, 2025
In a particularly intense game of tennis,beloved beagle Snoopyfinds his match interrupted by a bug that is crossing the court – not just once, but twice. In the previous day’s strip, from June 15, 2025, the bug made its debut, only to be yelled at by Snoopy for interfering.
Then the next day, appearing to have gotten lost once more, the bug wanders back onto the tennis court after mistaking the tennis court for a highway,which prompts Snoopy to give the bug some much-needed information about what a highway looks like versus a tennis court.It turns out that the whole time the bug was confused by the strip down the middle of the tennis court, thinking it was the same lines that are on highways. When everything is gigantic to a bug, it is easy to see how it could make that mistake.
9"I Think Dogs Are Allowed To Kick People" – The Introduction of Crybaby Boobie
First Published: August 14, 2025
A minorPeanutscharacter, Crybaby Boobie was typically seen in tennis-centered comic strips, where she would constantly complain and whine. Unfortunately for Snoopy, Crybaby Boobie was often his competitor, and predictably gave him a hard time with just about everything. For example, in the comic strip,after hearing Crybaby Boobie do what she does best, Snoopy’s temper just about hits its limit, as he considers kicking her.
While Snoopy does not kick in this comic, he eventually would; later in March 1997, he kicksed her after she won their tennis match. Here, Snoopy is left contemplating kicking his little girl competitor, which doesn’t putthe beagle in the best light, even if Crybaby Boobie is supremely annoying to him and pretty much everyone else around her.
8"Out!"
First Published: July 02, 2025
This super-sizedPeanutscartoon features the more aggressive side of Snoopy, as he’s shown zealously declaring various shots by his opponent out – only to receive a taste of his own medicine,when his own serve is given an “out” designation, prompting him to declare: “he lives by the bad call, he dies by the bad call.”
The World Famous Tennis Player was just one of over 150 alter-egos that Snoopy adopted at various times throughoutPeanuts’fifty-year run in publication.
Snoopy, as much as he likes to imagine himself as some cool, laid-back beatnik, is quite the competitive hot-headed beagle. He resorts to some superfluous bad calls to hurt the score of the opposing player here, overall acting very intense about it all. On the other hand, when the call happens to him, he is definitely less passionate about it, evidently deflated. For Snoopy, who likes toimagine himself as a World Famous Tennis Player, he does not engage in the most professional or sportsman-like behavior.
7"I’ve Heard Of Mixed Doubles, But This Is Ridiculous"
First Published: July 08, 2025
Snoopy is not exactly a stellar tennis player, so it is always a help for him to have a partner. His first partner was the garage, a welcome partner in Snoopy’s imagination. However, the pup gets an upgrade when he gets an actual human doubles partner in this comic, a girl with the very apt name for a tennis player, Molly Volley. A bit of a John McEnroe on the tennis courts, Molly Volley can be a hot head and a very competitive player, just like Snoopy – and in real life,just likePeanutscreator Charles Schulz.
Calvin and Hobbes Creator' Learned Two Vital Lessons From Peanuts' Charles Schulz
According to a biography of Peanuts' creator, Calvin and Hobbes artist Bill Watterson learned major lessons about art & business from Charles Schulz.
Her initial reaction to finding out Snoopy is her partner is not enthusiastic, though,as she suggests that a team-up between a dog and a human gives an entirely new meaning to “mixed doubles.“As readers would find out about Molly Volley, she does not like to lose, and didn’t have much hope when she saw that Snoopy was her partner, and for good reason.
6"I Hate Playing Guys Like That. They Keep Hitting The Ball Back!”
First Published: June 16, 2025
In June 1970, Snoopy first crafted his World Famous Tennis Player alternate persona. Despite his confident disposition when it comes to playing tennis, he is actually pretty bad at the game.Even considering his lack of tennis skills,Snoopy had a storyline from June, 1976 that revolved around him deciding to go to Wimbledon and play against the greats.He even bragged to the cat next door that he is going to Wimbledon.
Snoopy’s World Famous Tennis Player alter ego has appeared in the animated moviesYou’re a Good Sport, Charlie BrownandBon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don’t Come Back!!).
Charlie Brown tries to talksome much-needed sense into Snoopy including telling him that Wimbledon is in England, not Kansas City, like Snoopy previously thought, and reminding Snoopy that he will play against players like Bjorn Borg, a Grand Slam titleholder. In this comic strip, Snoopy thinks of how he hates playing against “those kind of players” – meaning those who are genuinely talented and will hit back his serves.
5"That’s The Only Trouble With Tennis, You Can’t Play It Alone”
First Published: June 20, 2025
Adoring her Sweet Baboo, Sally always jumps at the chance to spend time with Linus. When he asks her to play tennis with him,simply because it’s a game that he cannot play alone, she takes the opportunity to holler at the older kids who are taking up the tennis court to get off the court so she can play with her “boyfriend.“Hilariously, after she uses that word boyfriend, Linus is depicted as having vanished faster than she can comprehend.
Consequently, the tennis courts may be open, but now Sally is stuck with no one else to play tennis with.Linus can usually stay pretty level-headedabout things, but when his security blanket is threatened with being taken away or if Sally tries to call him her boyfriend, he loses it completely.
First Published: July 25, 2025
Snoopy may have larger than life aspirations but his real life abilities rarely manage to meet those sky-high expectations. For instance, his self given position of World Famous Tennis Player fails to meet up with his actual tennis playing, which is truly abysmal. In one particular comic strip, readers see Snoopy flying all over the place during a tennis match and even getting caught in the net.
The Secret Reason PEANUTS Became The Biggest Comic in The World (According to Experts)
According to comic historians Peanuts creator Charles Schulz' understanding of the publishing industry helped define the strip’s success.
WhenCharlie Brown, being the thoughtful, round-headed kidhe is,asks how Snoopy’s game went, he answers a tad dramatically (and very sarcastically) that his game was on par with receiving bypass surgery.Comparing anything to surgery is a unfortunate sign, so it’s safe to assume that Snoopy won’t be chomping at the bit to get back on the tennis courts so soon after this cartoon.
3"Put It Away, Partner!”
First Published: June 12, 2025
Molly Volley takes tennis incredibly seriously. Snoopy also takes the game seriously, but his abilities are far less impressive than his double’s partner’s skills. The gap in their respective tennis-playing talent is on full displayin thisPeanutsstrip, which shows Molly being a good doubles partner by cheering Snoopy on,who volleys the ball back so terribly that it stuns all on the court.
The worst part of it is is that it was the match point that Snoopy’s snafu occurred on, basically ruining the team’s chances of winning.Molly Volley is prone to temperamental outbursts on the tennis courts, so she won’t take this loss lightly. As hard as Snoopy tried to volley that little green ball, it just was not enough, only landing on the net in a weird and frustrating display for the Snoopy-Molly Volley team.
2"That’s Nice, But It Isn’t Exactly What I Meant”
First Published: July 06, 2025
In tennis, service means a shot to start a point. On the other hand, Snoopy takes a very different meaning from the word. During a tennis game, Charlie Brown, being the adept player he is,calls for service and Snoopy takes it as a command to bring Charlie Brown an ice-cold drink on a tray.WhileCharlie Brown can appreciate his dogdoing something for him for a change, he can’t help but be disconcerted by Snoopy’s misunderstanding.
The fact that Snoopy fashions himself a famous tennis player, but does not even know what service means in tennis, says all anyone needs to know about his playing skills. Snoopy not knowing the meaning of service in tennis is far the only mix-up he had related to the sport duringPeanuts’run, with him also thinking Wimbledon was in Kansas City, for some unknown reason.
1"Joe Choke”
First Published: June 23, 2025
Snoopy may think he is a stellar tennis player, but reality tends to contrast with his fantasies of athletic prowess. When he does a serve that turns out to be a no good double fault,Snoopy makes the remark that he is Joe Choke, rather than his typical alter ego, Joe Cool.For those who are unaware of what it means to choke at sports, it means to fail to act in the intended way.
Obviously, Snoopy meant to perform an exceptional serve and gain some advantage in the match. However, he chokes and makes a crummy serve instead. Snoopy’s hilarious (not to him, though) spin on his alter ego name to reflect his current mood and feelings shows that while Snoopy can keep his head in the clouds, he does have some feet on the ground, even if it only occurs when he is dragged back down by reality inthis perfectPeanutscomic.
Peanuts
Created by Charles M. Schulz, Peanuts is a multimedia franchise that began as a comic strip in the 1950s and eventually expanded to include films and a television series. Peanuts follows the daily adventures of the Peanuts gang, with Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy at the center of them. Aside from the film released in 2015, the franchise also has several Holiday specials that air regularly on U.S. Television during their appropriate seasons.
