The infamous sport of tennis, which is played and watched by millions worldwide, has a heavily debated history. Many claim that it was invented in Egypt based on the etymology of its name. Meanwhile, others suggest that the game originated from France, first invented by monks who played handball against monastery walls. This increasingly popular sport has an interesting background that led to the creation and development of this worldwide pastime.
Overall, there is more evidence that suggests that the game was created by monks in France during the 11th or 12th century. They called this game “jeu de paume,” which translates to “palm game,” and, as the game grew more popular, people would commonly use gloves to avoid developing calluses or bruises on their hands during play. Additionally, the game was often played by royals, many of whom are responsible for keeping this game relevant, like King Charles VII. In roughly the 16th century, rackets were introduced to the game, and, in the 18th century, lawn tennis was introduced. Lawn tennis was created to keep wealthy aristocrats entertained and eventually overtook croquet as the most popular sport at the time. The invention of modern tennis, though, has been credited to Major Walter Clopton Wingfield in 1873, and he published the rules to the game a year later. By 1968, the beginning of the Open Era occurred, which allowed professional tennis players to compete in major tournaments alongside other players. These events led to this major sport’s rise to fame today and introduced it to millions.
Many seem to love this sport due to the fact that tennis has been a globally popular sport for decades, attracting millions of players and fans. Currently, over 23.6 million people in the U.S. are tennis players, and the sport is still growing in popularity. Along with this fascinating history, tennis is beneficial, physically and mentally, for all of those millions of people. Additionally, tennis is also a sport that can be participated with friends and family, so it can build relationship and collaboration skills in just a few rallies. To add onto this, tennis is an accessible sport that can be played fairly easily by anyone. There are many courts available in public places, and it is not difficult for many to pick up a racket and start pursuing tennis as a hobby. There are also programs in schools and other areas that inspire people to play the sport. For instance, Naomi Osaka from Japan is a highly skilled professional tennis player who benefitted from this encouragement outside of the two main tennis powerhouses of the U.S. and Europe.
One of the driving factors to this sport’s popularity is the fact that there are many highly skilled players that take part in it. Recently, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have been known as the “big three” tennis players of the world in men’s tennis, known for showing off their talent and love for the sport. These players display their amazing leadership skills through the determination and perseverance that they demonstrate while playing, encouraging others to join and watch tennis as well. One other notable player, Serena Williams, has won numerous medals and awards for her outstanding talent in tennis. These players are forever cemented in history as some of the greatest tennis players ever and have attracted many fans to the sport through their impressive accomplishments.
Tennis is a highly competitive and popular sport with an interesting history.
Tennis has shown no signs that it will be slowing down soon in terms of popularity. With advancements in technology, people are constantly improving the methods and strategies used in the sport. Following more innovation, tennis will surely become an even more legendary sport to watch and play.
