Beyond just the sport of tennis, it can also symbolize the act of 'back and forth.' It can be used metaphorically to describe a situation with a fast-paced conversation or debate.

It's used explosively on social media during major world tennis tournaments like Wimbledon and the US Open. In Korea, it's also used in wordplay, as 'tennis' (테니스) sounds similar to '퇴근했으' (toegeunhaess-eu), meaning 'got off work,' which is shortened to '퇴니스' (toenisseu).