The history of tennis
Tennis is believed to have its
origins thousands of years ago. There seem
to be indicators suggesting that the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans
played games that can be considered precursors to tennis. However, there is more substantial evidence
since around 1000. At that time, French
monks began playing a kind of ball game against their monastery walls, or over
a rope hung across a courtyard. This
game was called ‘je de paume’ (game of the hand). According to this theory, the word ‘tennis’
comes from the French word ‘tenez’, which means ‘to take’. The monks would shout the word ‘tenez’ while
they served the ball.
The game grew in popularity over
the years, adopted by the nobility throughout Europe. Apparently, the game became so popular that
by the 13th century there were about 1,800 indoor courts. Authorities, such as the Pope, or King Louis
IV, tried in vain to ban the game.
In England, both Henry VII and
Henry VIII were avid tennis fans and commissioned the building of many courts
across the country.
As the game became more popular,
it evolved. Courtyard playing areas
became indoor courts; the balls, which were initially made of wood, became
softer and bouncier and they were made of leather and filled with cellulose
material. The game was originally played
using the hand, but over time people began wearing a glove, later a webbing
attached to a handle, and by 1500, a wooden frame racquet laced with sheep gut
was in common use. The ball at that time
was a cork ball weighing about three ounces.
However, the game of ‘court’ or ‘real’
tennis, as it is referred to today, was totally different to the sport we know
today. The game’s popularity decreased
during the 1700s, but after Charles Goodyear invented a process for rubber
called vulcanisation, the tennis balls were made with this material and became
much bouncier. The game could be played
outdoors on grass, and that was the foundation for modern tennis.
Croquet was widely played in
England at that time, providing a ready supply of smooth outdoor courts, which
could be easily adapted for tennis. This
‘marriage’ between croquet and tennis was strengthened when the All England
Club Croquet decided to hold the first Wimbledon tennis tournament in 1877. The event was initially organized to raise
money to fix something at the club.
However, it soon evolved into the most prestigious tennis event in the
entire world. The club changed its name
to the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club.
Wimbledon and tennis have not changed
much since that first tournament. The
rules have remained virtually the same, with the only major change of the
introduction of the tiebreak rule in 1971.
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