How was Tennis started?

In the olden days, a type of ball game used to be played by the Romans and Greeks. Centuries later, in 1050, this game was started in France. The French called it ‘Jeu de Pauma’. This was probably the ancestor of the modern game of lawn tennis.

The word tennis finds its origin in the French word ‘tennez’. This game was also known as ‘La boude’ by the year 1300 and it was played throughout France in the 14th century. In that century, this game was given its present name. In the year 1496, the oldest tennis court of the world, which exists even today, came up in Paris.

Slowly, people in the other countries of the world also took to this game.

Nowadays, this game is played all over the world. As it is an expensive game, it is also known as the game of the rich. In tennis, a rubber ball covered with flannel is used. With the help of a racquet having nylon or silk strings, this ball is hit across a 3-foot high net. This game is played in a field which is called a tennis court. Two or four players can play this game. When this game is played by two players it is called a ‘singles’, whereas in ‘doubles’ four players take part, two on each side of the net. Both the sexes play this game.

Nowadays, many tennis tournaments are organized every year across the world. Two famous tournaments are the Whiteman Cup for women and the Davis Cup for men. The matches of the Whiteman Cup are restricted to English and American players, whereas the Davis Cup tournament is an international one. Likewise, the Wimbledon tennis tournament of England is well-known all over the world.

Nowadays, there are 3000 world-class players of tennis throughout the world and there are about 32 tennis courts of international standards for the competitions.

A new tennis court was built in France in 1979 which is very stylish. A Frenchman named Clerge was the first world champion of tennis. In 1981 after defeating Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe became the new world tennis champion.

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