A (very) SHORT HISTORY OF TENNIS
DID YOU KNOW?
That tennis was…
 Possibly created by European monks as entertainment during religious ceremonies,
or invented by ancient Egyptians, or possibly the ancient Greeks or Romans?
 First played with a wooden ball and NO racket?
 Adopted by the French nobility in the 16th century and known as jeu de paume?
 Played on a narrow indoor court with slanted walls?
 Once known as “sphairistike” (Greek for ‘ball game’)?
That the scoring system...
 Might have origins in ancient numerology?
 Or may have been taken from the numbers on a clock?
The Disputed Early Years
While the history of tennis dates back several thousand years, its origins could be European,
Arabian, Egyptian or even Greek or Roman. Even the experts are not quite sure. One theory
has European monks played for entertainment during religious ceremonies. The ball was hit
with a bare hand. This soon led to the use of a leather glove on the hand, probably to allow
more control (or less pain). The glove was soon augmented with a handle for hitting and
serving the ball. Thus was born the first racquet. With the evolution of the racket, the tennis
balls also underwent frequent alterations. The wooden tennis ball gave way to a bouncier,
leather ball filled with cellulose material. Another theory has the ancient Egyptians, Greeks
and Romans playing a precursor to modern tennis. While no hard evidence has yet been found, some believe
the name tennis is derived from an Egyptian town along the Nile-Tinnis, with the word for racquet from the
Arabic word for the palm of the hand-rahat.
The game became very popular in France where it was adopted by the royal family. During
the 16th-18th centuries, the game called ' Jeu de paumme' - literally “game of the palm”
was highly regarded by kings and noblemen. The game would begin the game by shouting
the word “tenez!” which meant “Play!” The game soon came to be called “real tennis.”
Real is French for the English word ‘royal’. The game was popular among the French
monks in their monasteries, much to the dismay of the church leadership.
The Modern Game Develops
In 1874, Major Walter Wingfield,
equipment and rules of a game which
tennis. However, his “invention” was
The game has evolved into the game
Royal British Army, patented rights for the
bore a close resemblance to modern
based on the French game jeu de paume.
we now know simply as ‘Tennis’.