Tennis:

Many believe that tennis originated in the

monastic cloisters in northern France in the 12th century. Back then, the ball

was struck with the palm. Hence, the French called it – jeu de paume – which

meant the game of the palm. It was not until the 16th century that rackets came

into use, and the game began to be called tennis that became popular in England

and France. Henry VIII of England was a big fan of the game, now referred to as

real tennis or royal tennis. Apart from being played indoors like its French

ancestor, real tennis was different from the version of lawn tennis that we see

today.

Rubber vulcanisation was a process invented

by Charles Goodyear in the year 1850. It led to the creation of the bouncier

rubber balls. It, in turn, allowed tennis to be played outdoors on mud and

grass. In 1877, the All England Club held the first Wimbledon tournament. The

organising committee started to establish a set of rules which led the

foundation of modern tennis (general sules, shape of the court, etc...). By

1882, the specifications had evolved and modern tennis was born.

By 1913, tennis had gained popularity all

over the world. The national tennis associations came together and created the

International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) in Paris. Tennis was a part of the

Olympics until 1924. Then it was dropped due to a dispute between the IOC and

the ILTF.

The concept of Grand Slams started in the

1930s that meant winning the four major tournaments – the Australian Open, the

French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. 1973 saw the beginning of the ATP and

WTA global and weekly rankings.

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8 – The

Jeu de Paume was

9 – What evolution of tennis was made

possible by Charles Goodyear’s invention ?

10 – Why wasn’t tennis played in the 1924

Olympic Games in Paris ?

11 – Grand slams (not in the text, but you

know this !). Winning the Grand Slam means winning the 4 major tournaments.

But where do they take place ?

Wimbledon

French Open

American Open

Australian Open