History of tennis

The game that most people call tennis is the direct descendant of what is now known as real tennis or royal tennis (which continues to be played today as a separate sport with more complex rules). Most of the rules of the game commonly known as tennis derive from real or royal tennis. It is reasonable to see both sports as variations of the same game. Most historians believe that tennis originated in the monastic cloisters in northern France in the 12th century, but the ball was then struck with the palm of the hand hence the name jeu de paume ("game of the palm"). It was not until the 16th century that rackets came into use, and the game began to be called "tennis." It was popular in England and France and Henry VIII of England was a big fan of the game, now referred to as real tennis.

Many original tennis courts remain, including courts at Oxford, Cambridge and Hampton Court Palace. Many of the French courts were decommissioned with the terror that accompanied the French Revolution. The Tennis Court Oath (Serment du Jeu de Paume) was a pivotal event during the first days of the French Revolution. The Oath was a pledge signed by 576 of the 577 members from the Third Estate who were locked out of a meeting of the Estates-General on 20 June 1789. Any history of tennis that ignores its origins in the game that was (and is still in certain circles) known as tennis until "lawn tennis" became popular in the late nineteenth century is inaccurate.

Podcasts:

PLAYLIST TIME:

Latest News for: open tennis

Eala stuns Latvian to advance in Miami Open

Manila Standard 22 Mar 2025
It took Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala ... 127 according to the live Women’s Tennis Association rankings, was done with the  the 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko within an hour and 53 minutes.

Federer, Nadal and Djokovic versus the dirt rats at the French Open

The National 22 Mar 2025
... hard courts and fly into their clay lair.” Agassi sensed the otherness of the French Open, the only grand slam tournament that felt as if it was being intruded upon by the rest of the tennis season.

Eala upsets former Grand Slam champ Ostapenko in Miami Open

The Manila Times 22 Mar 2025
MANILA, PhilippinesPhilippine tennis star Alex Eala once again made a surprise at the ...

Can a swath of new luxury hotels disrupt Palm Beach’s buzzy social scene?

New York Post 22 Mar 2025
New hotel openings are a rarity in stately, stuck-in-its-ways Palm Beach ... Awash in rose tones and situated on Palm Beach island, just a block from the beach, it has a wide open pool area where bejeweled guests in diaphanous coverups chat and read.

LOCAL COLLEGE: Cougars open weekend with big victory

The Citizens' Voice 22 Mar 2025
He is 3-1 on the season ... After two scoreless innings, Stevens broke the game open in the top of the third with seven runs ... Softball ... King’s is back in action Saturday, hosting Stevens to open up the MAC Freedom season. Women’s tennis ... ....

Calendar

The Record 22 Mar 2025
INDOOR TENNIS ... This meeting is open to the public ... Meetings are free and open to all – hope to see you then! ... Doors open at 5 PM for players age 18+ ... Open to the Public ... Open to the Public ... This show starts at 7pm with doors opening at 6pm.

'It's beautiful': Tennis legends showcase new tennis complex at The Breakers in Palm Beach

Palm Beach Daily News 21 Mar 2025
The Breakers' new tennis and racquet complex features 16 state-of-the-art open-air courts.Friday's exhibition match featuring Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters benefitted the West Palm Beach nonprofit First Serve USA.

Coco Gauff rolls out her new tennis shoe 'Coco Delray' in tribute to Delray Beach

The Palm Beach Post 21 Mar 2025
She returned to her hometown of Delray Beach this week to unveil her latest signature tennis shoe in collaboration with New Balance, just before she was set to play in the Miami Open> this week.

PTPA lawsuit shakes tennis as Carlos Alcaraz denies support

Tennishead 21 Mar 2025
Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios, and 10 others take legal action against tennis governing bodies, but Carlos Alcaraz distances himself from the lawsuit ... Opening days shake up 2025 Miami Open with upsets ... Read >> World’s best tennis magazine.

Coco Gauff double bagels Sofia Kenin in Miami Open in just 47 minutes, ‘Baby Rybakina’ ...

CNN 21 Mar 2025
... when it comes to wins and losses.” “I was definitely playing well today, and maybe she wasn’t playing her peak great tennis,” the Florida-native said after her second-round victory at the Miami Open>.

Ivan Lendl brings old tennis foe to town, wins pickleball tournament at Pictona

The Daytona Beach News Journal 21 Mar 2025
Tennis legend Ivan Lendl continues his winning ways on the pickleball court, and this time he partnered with a former tennis opponent to sweep the competition ... The native Swede isn’t without tennis credentials, however.

Novak Djokovic exposed for ‘nasty behaviour’ as ex-hitting partner opens can of worms on Serbian’s ...

Hindustan Times 21 Mar 2025
Novak Djokovic of Serbia shows his dejection against Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in their second round match during the BNP Paribas Open.(Getty Images via AFP). French tennis player ...

Opening days shake up 2025 Miami Open with upsets

Tennishead 21 Mar 2025
Rising stars shake up the Miami Open> as Gauff cruises past Kenin and Krueger stuns Rybakina in an early-round shakeup. The 2025 Miami Open has already witnessed significant upsets, underscoring the tournament’s unpredictability.
×