LAWN TENNIS

HISTORY
World Tennis History
Origins

Some historians believe that tennis first originated

in the Ancient Egypt. There is a general belief that
the word ‘racket’ derives from the Arabic word
‘rakhat’, which means a ‘palm’. However, the
most common point of view is that French monks
started to play tennis in 11-12 centuries. Tennis
started to develop into a professional sport from
1872, when the first lawn tennis club was
established. Hoa Pereira, a Portuguese merchant, and doctors Wellesley Tomkins and
Frederick Haynes played a Spanish game with the ball called ‘pelota’ on lawns of the
Leamington resort. Later, the original rules for lawn tennis were secured (tennis on a
lawn).

Wingfield

Although it is impossible to state a definite origin

of this game, it is recognized that a British army
officer Walter Clopton Wingfield invented rules
for tennis, later calling it ‘lawn tennis’ in 1873. He
had noticed a significant commercial potential of
lawn tennis and patented the game, though he
failed to justify its creation. Mr. Winfield said that
he had borrowed the principles of the Greek game
called “Sphairistike” (Greek for playing ball). However, many researchers believe that
he just used the principles of popular English games - playing at courts, squash
rackets, playing badminton outdoors. Very first tennis players preferred to call
Wingfield’s game “tennis on the green”, because they would play tennis on a small,
grassy lawn.
 Court Tennis

Lawn tennis is also known, as ‘court tennis’ was

very popular in medieval France even among the
upper classes. During the same time it was also
very popular in Great Britain, especially in the
times of Henry VIII. Historians hold a belief that
the most of tennis terms derived from the French
vocabulary. In fact, the word ‘tennis’ comes from
the word ‘tenez’ (‘tenir’ means to hold/ catch in
French). When tennis players were going to hit a serve, they would scream out
‘tenez’. The word ‘Deuce’ came from the French word ‘deux le jeu’ that means
‘equally’ - in other words to draw a score at the present stage of the game. Calling the
score 15-30-40 derived from the euphonic French words ‘quinze’, ‘trente’ and
‘quarante’, or quarters (15-30-45, where 45 was transformed into 40).

The Davis Cup

In the beginning tennis ball was made out of wool

and filled with sawdust, sand and wool. Later on a
high-bound ball was invented, which allowed
players to play on courts. In the USA the game
was first organized thanks to Merry Young, and
the country saw its first ever tennis match in 1874
on the courts of the cricket and baseball club on
the Staten Island. The first amateur championship
was played on the courts of the global English tennis and cricket club Wimbledon
(men’s championship in 1877 and women’s championship in 1884). In 1900 was the
first lawn tennis team championship called Davis Cup and it attracted great attention
of the international tennis community. In 1963 the similar women’s championship
was played called the Fed Cup. Both of those championships helped to enhance the
prestige of lawn tennis.

Tennis Association

In the 20s when tennis started to bring much

bigger profits, majority of the amateur players
went professional. In the end of the 19th century
tennis started to spread throughout English
colonies, first Australia, and then further around
the world. In the United States the rules for lawn
tennis were constantly evolving until the 1991 when the USTA (United States Lawn
Tennis Association) was established. The association has fixed the rules for lawn
tennis and tournament procedures. Annual men’s single competitions were held in
Newport under the aegis of the association (1881). The first women’s competition was
organized in Philadelphia in 1887.

20th Century

In the 1968 the championship was renamed into

now well-known ‘US Open’ and set to be played
in the national tennis center, NY. At the beginning
of the 20th century Wimbledon and US Open were
the largest tournaments at the time. In the 1968 a
new era in tennis began with both amateur and
professional players having a right to participate in
large-scale competitions. In 1971 the Women’s
Tennis Association – professional women’s tournament was established that ensured
the same financial support for both men and women. Lawn tennis tournaments can
easily compete with the popularity of the Olympic games, where tennis players have
been participating since 1988.

The Origins of Tennis - History of Tennis

Amazingly, the historical development of tennis dates back several thousands of
years. So, people who are involve in historical researches of this great sport claim to have
found evidence of playing tennis in ancient Greece culture.

The History of tennis game was developed from a 12th century French handball
game called "Paume" (palm). In this game the ball was struck with the hand. After some
time "Paume" game produced handball "Jeu de Paume" (game of the palm) and there
were used racquets. The game was first created by European monks for entertainment roles
during ceremonial occasions. At first, the ball was hit with hands. Later, the leather glove
came into existence. This leather glove was replaced with an adaptive handle for effective
hitting and serving of the ball. That was a birth of tennis racquet.
 Development of tennis racquet , tennis balls also underwent frequent modifications.
First tennis ball was from wood. Later in the history of tennis ball was filled with cellulose
material to gave way to a bouncier. Monks from all areas of Europe favored "Jeu de Paume"
game during 14th century much to the chagrin of the mother Church. The game spread and
evolved in Europe.

The game became very popular, especially in France, where was adopted by the
royal family. In the year of 1316 French king Louis X dies after hard "Jeu de Paume"
game (other terms of this stage of game are Royal Tennis in Great Britain, Royal Tennis
in Australia, Court Tennis in the United States), but this death does null to damp the
popularity of the recreation.

16th Century - History of Tennis

Between the 16th and 18th centuries the game of the palm was highly regarded by
kings and nobleman. The French players would begin the palm game by shouting the word
"Tenez" (Play!). The palm game soon came to be called "real tennis" or "royal".

1530s ▪ HISTORY OF TENNIS ▪ English king Henry VIII builds a tennis court at
Hampton Court Palace (This court no longer exist but a similar court built there in 1625 and
is in use until today).

1583 ▪ FIRST RACKET IN THE HISTORY OF TENNIS ▪ The first racquet was invented
in Italy (history of tennis - web source).
 19th Century History of Tennis
1870 ▪ WIMBLEDON HISTORY OF TENNIS ▪ In the Wimbledon district of London
established All England Croquet Club. Tennis is still an indoor game played by royal and rich
benefactors.

1873 ▪ LAWN TENNIS ▪ Major Walter Wingfield invented a version of Real Tennis that
can be played outdoors on a lawn. The game called ‘Sphairistike’ (Greek for "playing ball" )
and first introduced it to Wales(UK). Played on hour-glass courts on Manor House lawns by
rich English people. This is really where today's tennis developed. Wingfield deals
Sphairistike in boxes that feature two net posts, a net, rackets, and India rubber balls, plus
instructions about laying out the court and actually playing the game. Wingfield’s boxes kick
start the modern form of tennis, though the one thing that doesn’t work is the name, and
Wingfield soon realizes that his subtitle "lawn tennis" is much better than greek word
"Sphairistike".

1874 ▪ FIRST LAWN TENNIS TOURNAMENT IN THE USA ▪ Joseph and Clarence Clark
(brothers), take one of Walter Wingfield’s boxes to America, leading to the first lawn tennis
tournament in the USA later that year.

1875 ▪ ALL ENGLAND CROQUET CLUB & History of tennis ▪ Henry Cavendish Jones
convinced the All England Croquet Club to replace a croquet court with a lawn tennis court.
Marylebone Cricket Club followed suit. Marylebone Cricket Club made significant changes to
the game. They added Deuce, Advantage, and 2 chances per serve. The hourglass-shaped
court also changed to a rectangular court, identical to the measurements we use today.
 1877 ▪ FIRST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP & History of tennis ▪ The very first World
Tennis Championship was held at Worple Road in Wimbledon,London (UK).The sponsors
were the All England Croquet Club. Only 22 players entered the Mens Singles, which was
the only event. Spectators paid a mere one shilling to watch the finals. The first winner of
this mens event in the tennis history of Wimbledon was Spencer Gore.

1880 ▪ BIRTH OF OVERHEAD SMASH ▪The overhead smash was introduced into the
game for the first time in the history of tennis by the Renshaw brothers in Wimbledon. They
would dominate Wimbledon for a decade, winning all but 1880 and 1887 championships
between them in the history of tennis.Overhead smash is a shot played above the head,
hitting the ball downwards, hard and fast into your opponents side of the court.

1881 ▪ FIRST US OPEN - history of tennis ▪ America founded The United

States National Lawn Tennis Association (USNLTA) , and in the same year it holds its first
National Championship, the forerunner of the US Open but then restricted to American
residents. It is held at Newport, Rhode Island. First winner in the history of tennis US
National Championships was Dick Sears.

1884 ▪ FIRST M/W DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS ▪ The Wimbledon Championships are

open to women for the first time. There are only 13 participants. Mens doubles was also
introduced for the first time in the history of tennis.

1887 ▪ WOMEN U.S. CHAMPIONSHIPS & history of tennis ▪ U.S. Championships are
open to women for the first time. Lottie Dod wins her first Wimbledon Ladies Singles (Lottie
win her first singles match with only 15 years).

1888 ▪ LTA & history of tennis ▪ Lawn Tennis Association founded (LTA) in order to
maintain the new rules and standards of tennis.

1891 ▪ FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIPS & history of tennis ▪ The very first French
Championships are played, these Championships were open for French residents only.

1896 ▪ OLYMPIC GAMES ▪ Tennis became one of the core sports in the first modern
Olympic Games.

1897 ▪ WOMEN ON FRENCH CHAMPIONSHIPS ▪ The French Championships are open

to women for the first time in the french tennis history.

1899 ▪ ALL ENGLAND TENNIS & CROQUET CLUB ▪ The England Croquet Club
changed it's name to the All England Tennis & Croquet Club.

RULES AND REGULATION

Tennis Rules

Tennis is a sport that originated in England around the 19th century and is now played
in a host of countries around the world. There are four major tournaments known as the
‘majors’ that include Wimbledon, US Open, French Open and Australian tournament.

Object of the Game

The game of tennis played on a rectangular court with a net running across the centre.
The aim is to hit the ball over the net landing the ball within the margins of the court and
in a way that results in your opponent being unable to return the ball. You win a point
every time your opponent is unable to return the ball within the court.

Players & Equipment

A tennis match can be played by either one player on each side – a singles match – or
two players on each side – a doubles match. The rectangular shaped court has a base
line (at the back), service areas (two spaces just over the net in which a successful
serve must land in) and two tram lines down either side. A singles match will mean you
use the inner side tram line and a doubles match will mean you use the outer tram line.

A court can be played on four main surfaces including grass, clay, hard surface and
carpet. Each tournament will choose one surface type and stick without throughout. All
that is required in terms of equipment is a stringed racket each and a tennis ball.

Scoring
You need to score four points to win a game of tennis. The points are known as 15 (1
point), 30 (two points), 40 (three points) and the fourth would result in the winning point
and the end of that game. If the scores went to 40-40 this would be known as deuce.
When a game reaches deuce the player must then win by two clear points.

Winning the Game

To win the game you must win a certain amount of sets (best of three for women’s
matches and best of 5 sets for men’s matches). Winning a set is simply the first player
to reach 6 games but have to be clear by at least 2 games. If your opponent wins 5
games you must win the set 7-5. If the set goes to 6-6 then a tie break is played and it’s
simply the first player to 7 points.

Rules of Tennis
 The game starts with a coin toss to determine which player must serve first and which
side they want to serve from.
 The server must then serve each point from alternative sides on the base line. At no
point must the server’s feet move in front of the baseline on the court prior to hitting their
serve.
 If the server fails to get their first serve in they may take advantage of a second serve. If
they again fail to get their second serve in then a double fault will be called and the point
lost.
 If the server clips the net but the ball goes in the service area still then let is called and
they get to take that serve again without penalty. If the ball hits the net and fails to go in
the service area then out is called and they lose that serve.
 The receiver may stand where they wish upon receipt of the serve. If the ball is
struck without the serve bouncing then the server will receive the point.
 Once a serve has been made the amount of shots between the players can be
unlimited. The point is won by hitting the ball so the opponent fails to return it in
the scoring areas.
 Points are awarded in scores of 15, 30 and 40. 15 represent 1 point, 30 = 2 and
40 = 3. You
 need 4 points to win a game. If a game lands on 40-40 it’s known as deuce.
From deuce a player needs to win 2 consecutive points to win the game. After
winning one point from deuce they player is on advantage. If the player wins the
next point they win the game, if they lose it goes back to deuce.
 To win the set a player must win 6 games by 2 or more. The opening sets will go
to a tie break if its ends up 6-6 where players play first to 7 points. The final set
will not have a tie break and requires players to win by two games with no limits.
 If a player touches the net, distracts his opponent or impedes in anyway then
they automatically lose the point.
 The ball can hit any part of the line for the point to be called in, outside the line
and the ball is out.
 The balls in a tennis match are changed for new balls every 6 games
  A player loses a point if they fail to return the ball in either the correct areas on the court,
hits the net and doesn’t go into opponent’s area or fails to return the ball before it
bounces twice in their half

LAWN TENNIS EQUIPMENT

Racket, tennis ball, shoes, and a dress code are mandatory equipment for the sport.
Apart from player needs, the tennis court needs a net to separate playing area of each
player. Know about these equipment in detail below.

Racket

Rackets can be made of many alloys or wood. There are no restrictions on the size or
materials used in making a racket. It has an oval head and a gradually widening throat
that connects the narrow handle with the head of the racket.
The head of the racket is tightly woven with strings which are made of various
materials like nylon, gut or synthetic gut. The handles are covered with leather or nylon
for a better grip.

Ball
As per ITF rules, Tennis balls are yellow colored spherical balls, with a diameter
between 2.5 and 2.625 inches. They weigh between 2 and 21/16 oz. Pressurized
rubber is used to make semi spherical half shells. They are then joined with
compressed air between them.
The spherical balls are covered with bright yellow colored felt. Kids aged ten and under
play with different colored balls. They move slower, bounce lower. They are also softer
and larger and are easy for kids to hit them.

Net

A rectangular net is used to separate the two sides of a Tennis court. The net should
cover the space between the two net posts. The net is woven in such a way that it does
not allow the Tennis ball to pass through. It is usually tied in about 3 feet above the
ground at the centre.

Wrist bands
Wrist bands are worn around wrists to prevent sweat from wetting the players’ palm or
the racket. A wet grip might not be strong.

Head band
Headbands are used to absorb sweat. They also tie player’s hair away from their face.
Any tight cap made of absorbent material can also be used instead of a head band.

Tennis shoes

Just running shoes don’t provide enough lateral support to players. Tennis shoes are
designed to give players better stability and prevent them from sliding while moving
sideways. Shoes shouldn’t damage the court when players move briskly across the
court.

Dress
Men wear T-Shirts or shirts made of materials like polyester that does not absorb
sweat and keeps the player cool. They wear shorts that do not cover their knees.

Though women are advised to wear just any comfortable dress, of late many Tennis
champions try to make a style statement with their carefully designed clothes. Many
players prefer wearing a tank top or a T-shirt on a short skirt.
LAWN TENNIS COURT OR ENVIRONMENT

Tennis as a sport was played outdoors for long time since its origin. The complete
playing area was called lawn and the sport was fondly called as Lawn-Tennis. The
court surface was either made of clay or grass. Gradually, the playing conditions and
surface changed and the sport was played indoors too to avoid any sort of climatic
interruptions.
As new tournaments emerged by late 20th century, the court surfaces also varied. For
example, Wimbledon is a tournament played on grass court. French Open is played
on clay court. US Open and Australian Open are played on hard surfaces. Paris
Masters is another tournament that is played on carpet surface which is a removable
court.

Dimensions of a Tennis Lawn

All tennis courts should be rectangular in shape. As the sport is played in different
formats, Singles and Doubles; the breadth of the court varies with length unchanged.
The lawn should have a length of 23.77 meters for all matches. However, the width in a
singles match is 8.23 meters and 10.97 meters for a doubles match.
The court is divided into two equal halves with a net that is 0.914 meters high from the
ground. A net is tied parallel to width of the court. There is a metal cable that holds the
net tightly with two net posts on either ends of length. These posts are not movable
hence; the courts for doubles and singles are different.
The lines drawn on wider ends of the court are called baselines and the ones on sides
are called sidelines. There will be one baseline on each end and there are two
sidelines parallel to each other. These are 1.37 meters apart. The first of these lines is
called singles sideline and the parallel one is called doubles sideline.
Two lines are drawn parallel to net from singles sideline at 6.40 meters from net on
each side. These lines are called service lines. In addition, the area between service
line and net is divided into two equal halves with a line perpendicular to net and service
line. It is called centre line. All the lines around court should be between 2.5 and 5
centimeters except the base line that is nearly 10 centimeters wide. The lines should
have contrasting color.

HOW TO PLAY?

When it comes to playing tennis, players need to have lot of stamina and physical
strength. A player has to run corner to corner of his/her end to return the shot played
by opponent. Of course, every sport requires mental preparedness and perseverance
to come out victorious.
The game starts with a toss. Chair umpire tosses the coin and one player calls ‘Head’
or ‘Tail’. Player who wins the toss has option to choose a side of the court or serve first.
If the player chooses side of the court then, the opponent player gets to serve first and
vice versa.

The player serving first stands behind the base line on right half of the court and serves
the ball. The player also has to ensure not to touch or cross the centre mark on
baseline. The serving player has to stand within sideline and centre mark. The player
receiving the ball can stand inside or outside the baseline as per her/his convenience
and strategy. A correct serve done could be returned by the opponent player and it
converts into a rally of continuous shots. Either of the players could end up with a shot
outside baseline or sideline for it to be called ‘Out’. The opponent player gets a point.
The serving player gets to serve till the game is won by the player or opponent. Later,
the serve shifts to opponent player and game continues till either of them wins set and
match. During the course of the game, the players change ends after odd number of
games are played. The change in ends is applicable during a tie-break too.
The serve shifts to opponent player after completion of a game. The game of tennis is
counted by number of sets per match. Gentlemen play five sets a match and ladies
play three sets a match. Each set has even number of games played. A player is
considered to have won a set when she/he wins six games and maintains a minimum
difference of two games with opponent. Similarly, a gentleman is decided winner when
he wins three out five sets. A lady is declared victorious when she wins two out of three
sets played.
Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles are the three variants of Tennis. We will discuss
about these in the next chapter. In a doubles match, the serve shifts to opponent after
every game and alternately between the partners. Who serves/receives first is decided
amongst partners in a doubles match.
When both players/teams have won six games each in a set, a tie-breaker situation
arises. In a tie-breaker, each player gets to serve twice. However, the player serving
first will do it once and the serve shifts to opponent player. In the next turn, the player
who began tie-break gets to serve twice. The tie-breaker continues till one of the
players score seven points and maintains a two point difference with opponent. By
doing so, the player is declared as winner of tie-breaker and set too.

Scoring
Scoring in a tennis match is little different when compared to other racket sports. The
first point won by a player is given 15, followed by 30, 40 and game point.
During a game, there is every possibility that opponent player wins a point too. In such
case, the scores read 0-15, 15-15, 30-30, 40-40 (deuce), advantage, and game point.
When the score reads 0-15, it means that opponent player has scored point over
serving player. Similarly, the score can read up to 0-40 and game point. This is
called service break where a player wins the game while the opponent served.
The scoring varies for a tie-breaker though. The points won by a player are given as
‘One’, ‘Two’, ‘Three’, etc. Like mentioned earlier, the player who first wins seven points
and maintains two point lead over opponent is declared winner of tie-break.

Fouls
Service Fault
During a serve, if the ball pitches outside the service line or sideline, or even hits the
net then, it is called a faulty serve. There are multiple rules for service fault.
 The serving player should not touch the baseline or sideline while serving the ball.
  If the serving player misses to hit the ball after tossing then, it is defined as service fault.
 A player is not allowed to run or walk while serving the ball. She/he is allowed to lift one or
both legs while serving.

Double Fault
If first and second serves happen to hit the net then, it is called double fault. Another
instance of double fault is to serve the ball twice outside the service line.
Apart from these fouls, there are certain time bound fouls that a player may commit. A
player is permitted to recover within a time limit from injury by treatment during course
of the game. The physio or medic attends the player for treatment. In case the player
does not recover then, the opponent is declared winner.
Refreshment break is given to players between games and every set. These breaks
are time bound and players have to abide them else, have to pay penalty.

INTERNATIONAL FAMOUS PLAYER

Roger Federer

It is a no-brainer that Roger Federer has always been on top when it comes to the best
tennis players around the world. He was of just 19 years old when shocked the world
after defeating seven times champion Pete Sampras at 2001 fourth round Wimbledon
and embedded the victory to his name.

It was quite surprising because Sampras hadn’t lost any All England Club in the past
five years, but Roger Federer grabbed the victory out of his hands and claimed himself
as the best tennis player to ever play man’s game by defeating Sampras who also holds
the record of 14 Grand Slam wins.

So far, Federer has 20 majors after he lifted Australian Open and Wimbledon without
dropping even a single set in 2017. Moreover, he also won The Australian Open for the
6th time in 2018 and also holds the world no.1 ranking for more than 302 weeks and
another record for the Open era.

NATIONAL LAWN TENNIS PLAYER

An 18-year-old Filipina tennis player is set out to make a name in professional tennis.

Victoria Flores is determined to be the first Filipina to win a top level tennis title.

Her speed and dominance on the surface helps her reach many junior tours and hopes to eventually
be in the main draws of prestigious tennis tournaments in the world with top-echelon players.

She started playing tennis at the age of 3 and with the help of her parents who are both tennis players
and licensed tennis coaches, she eventually became pro with the racket. Now a top-100 ranked player
by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), there’s no way to go for the proud Filipina but up.

“Every single time I play or every single time I go in court, I’m proud to represent the Philippines
even though I’m from America I’m a 100% Filipino and my parents, they always want me to be
proud that I’m from there,” Flores said.

Her mother Mary Ann Flores is proud of her daughter’s sharp acceleration in the rankings. “We are
very happy we are very proud of her and we never really expected that she will go this far.”

Climbing up the tennis ladder is no mean feat. Flores is now 95 out of 2000 in the International
Tennis Federation junior rankings. She has already won 32 single and 32 double matches in her
career.

She has made significant milestones in her journey. Highlights to her international playing
experience include reaching the semifinals in singles and THE quarterfinals in doubles at the 47th
Banana Bowl Grade 1 ITF event in Brazil in February. In January, she advanced to the quarterfinal
round in singles at Copa Barranquilla in Columbia and the doubles quarterfinals of the 53rd Coffee
Bowl in Costa Rica.

Recently, she was in the quarterfinals in Santa Croce Italy where she beat high-ranking players.

Her goal is to compete and vie for a medal at the Olympics, and one day share her skills with fellow
Filipino athletes.

“I’m lucky to train and be in the US for tennis but I really hope when I’m older I get the opportunity
to share my talent with tennis and inspire other Filipino players back home,” Flores said.
With back to back tournaments in Europe this month, Flores hopes to play in the qualifying rounds of
the US Open and Wimbledon before college.

Flores is a blue-chip recruit and one of the top women’s recruiting class at number 12. She has signed
a National Letter of Intent to join the Georgia Tech women’s tennis program beginning in the fall of
2017, announced head coach Rodney Harmon.

“We are so happy to welcome Victoria to the Yellow Jacket family,” Harmon commented. “She has
had so much success in the past year in both international junior and pro events in addition to
performing well in the classroom.”

Given Flores’ triumphs illuminating her path to a successful tennis career, she continues to work hard
and be proud of her Filipino roots.