Tennis

Tennis is one of the most played racquet sports in the world that is played on a variety of surfaces like grass, clay, cement, coated asphalt and carpet. It is believed to have originated in the 13th century in France where players used to hit the ball with their hands. The sport is a regular event at the Summer Olympics since 1988 and consists of other tournaments like Grand Slam, ATP World Tour, WTA Tour etc. International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the global governing body of Tennis.

To hit the ball over the net into the opponent’s court in such a way that the opponent can’t play a valid return.

General History

The modern sport of tennis originated from a nineteenth-century game called real tennis/royal tennis which was played in Birmingham, England.  Its origins are related to several lawn games played in the twelfth century such as croquet and bowls.

At the initial time of its origins, the game of tennis was played with one's palm, and hence it got the name jeu de paume, i.e. game of the palm. It was only until the sixteenth century when players started using racquets, and the name 'tennis' was popularised.

Equipment

Tennis Rackets

• During the initial hundred years of this game, racquets were made up of wood and strings from animal guts. But those old racquets didn't provide efficient performance since wood has inconsistencies. It was only until the twentieth century when racquets made up of composites of carbon graphite, ceramics, and several other lighter metals such as titanium were introduced.

• The rules regarding the production of racquets have also been changing from time to time, for example, the maximum length of the frame was 32 inches until 1997 but was later shortened to 29 inches.

• The advancements in technology further advanced the production of high quality, lightweight, and durable racquets which are currently used by tennis players all over the world.

Tennis Balls

Tennis balls were initially made up of rough cloth strips which were tightly sewn together with threads and filled with feathers. Though initially white, the colour of tennis balls was changed to yellow during the twentieth century since it provided with better visibility on the court during a live telecast.

Strings

Tennis racquet strings were originally made up of cow intestine, aka natural gut. It was a durable but highly expensive method to produce racquet strings. Thus, sports manufacturer adopted new technologies to create synthetic strings that gave the feel of the natural gut but were less costly to make on a large scale.

Game Rules (major changes in rules)

Year 1940

Acrylic blend hardcourt surfaces were used in tennis matches

Year 1962

The server didn't always have to keep one foot on the ground.

Year 1970

Tiebreak system was adopted

Year 2001

The Hawkeye ball monitoring system provided the much-needed precision for line calls.