In modern days, tennis is one of the most popular sports. Although its origins are somewhat blurred, the researchers support the evidence of tennis that plays among the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans albeit in different formats, according to the historical channel. But the most credible accounts of the origins of tennis date back to 11 th or 12 th centuries. At that time the French monks played handball on improvised courtyards, and the game was nicknamed in French “jeu de paume” or hand game. They played “jeu de paume” on the monastery walls or on a rope hanging from the courtyard of the monastery. Later, they added a leather glove to hit the ball, due to the pain of the wooden ball hitting their bare hands.
Equipment used
Shortly afterwards, leather balls were developed and filled with cellulose material. The leather balls were bouncers and began to be played in the inner courtyards modified by courtyards. The leather glove was also replaced with a makeshift wooden scoop, sewn with sheep gut to hit and serve the ball around 1500. This was the first start of what inspired the development of the tennis racket. The ball had evolved to become a cork ball weighing about three ounces. While the monks served the ball, they shouted “tenez” to each other, which in French means taking it or receiving it. Consequently, the word tennis was coined by the French word “tenez”.
Popularity
In the following centuries, the popularity of tennis continued to grow in Europe. Tennis was so popular that the Pope, the church and King Louis IV of France tried to ban it. However, by 13 th In the century there were estimated indoor fields 1800, according to the History Channel. Tennis spread to England when King Henry VII and King Henry VIII became fans and commissioned the construction of courts throughout the country. One of those courts still surviving to this day is the Hampton Court Palace built in 1625. So popular was the tennis in England that surpassed the croquet. In 16 th The century the racket was invented and a special scoring system developed according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Rules, development and competitions
With 1877 the first Wimbledon tournament was held and the Welsh major Walter Clopton Wingfield had the idea of using a rubber ball that could bounce off the grass. Wingfield was therefore nicknamed the father of lawn tennis and also developed rules for playing tennis on the lawn. At the end of 19 th century, other tennis court surfaces were introduced as clay and hard courts with concrete or acrylic surfaces. From 1884 women took part in tennis at Wimbledon. They played with dresses, corsets and long-sleeved hats. This is what Charlotte Cooper wore when she won her first Wimbledon title in 1895 aged 23
Modern Day Tennis
During his absence, he underwent various changes, such as the introduction of the concept of the Grand Slam in the 1930s, namely the Australian Open, the French Open, the US Open and Wimbledon. In 1968 the Open era began and the sport was professionalized and also made a return to the Olympics as a demonstration sport. In the 1970s the tie-break and the ATP Tennis Association and Women’s Tennis Association were introduced, the WTA ranking started in 1973.
The rackets have also been modernized. Until the 1980s they were made of wood, but gradually new lighter materials with more power such as carbon, graphite, titanium, steel were used to create new rackets. Tennis also officially returned to the Olympic program in 1988, and Steffi Graf won it for women plus the other four slams of the season. As a result she entered history as the only person, to get a golden slam in a season. Today tennis is dominated by greats like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Venus and Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray among others.
