Tom Phanco on the History of Tennis

Image Source: sxc.hu

Your first memory of tennis might only go as far back as the classic 70's match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, but actually the history of tennis goes back much, much farther.

There is some evidence that the ancient Egyptians invented tennis, but most historians believe the game dates back to the 11^th or 12^th century.  It is thought that French monks began playing the game, using a crude ball made of cork or other material wrapped in cloth or leather, and a rope to represent the net.  At that time, rackets weren't used – they didn't appear until around 1500 – the monks used their hands instead.

By the 1300s the game had spread, and it became so popular that even the French nobility embraced it as a past time.  Not to be outdone, the English nobility soon joined the game, and thousands of tennis courts began to spring up throughout France and England.  At that time, tennis courts were built indoors, and were quite narrow and tricky to maneuver around – especially while trying to hit a ball!

For a time, interest in the sport waned.  Then, in the mid-1800s, rubber became easy and cheap to produce, and everyone discovered that tennis with a rubber ball was much more fun than playing with some cloth-covered ball that just didn't bounce very high.

The 1870s saw new, modern rules, outdoor courts, and tennis becoming popular in not only Europe, but in the United States, Canada, Russia, India, and China.  By 1877, the first Wimbledon tournament was held, and the game started looking much like it does today.

As you can see, tennis is such a popular sport that it has endured for centuries, and has undergone many changes to become the game we love today.

For more information on the history of tennis, take a look at the homepage of Tom Phanco.