Tennis – The History

Introduction

Tennis is a ball-and-racquet sport played between two players (singles) or between two pairs (doubles).

It originated in Europe in the late nineteenth century and expanded initially in English-speaking countries, especially among its upper classes.

At present, tennis has become universal, and is played in many countries of the world. Since 1926, with the creation of the first tour, it is a professional sport. It is also an Olympic sport since Seoul 1988, since it had lost that category in Paris 1924.

History

Tennis was invented in 1873 by the British commander Walter Clopton Wingfield. Although Winfield claims to have designed the game, which he called sphairistiké (from Greek, ‘playing with ball’), based on an ancient Greek game, many authorities think that, in fact, he adapted the principles of jeu de paume, squash and badminton to Play outdoors. The first players preferred to call the game of Wingfield ‘tennis on lawn’ or simply tennis.

The first rules were published in 1888 (H. S. Schrivener and G. W. Hilyard) and are still in effect today (tie break apart).

The difference between the initial mode of playing and the one of our days, allows the division into medieval age and modern age. The medieval age is equivalent to the time when players never moved away from the baseline, re-launching the ball in endless bounces and with frequent excessive shots. The modern age begins when, in 1881, W. Kenshaw gave way to the network game, which allowed to hit the ball in flight before it touched the ground.

The first amateur championships (or amateur) were held at the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, in Wimbledon, Great Britain (male in 1877, female since 1884). Tennis began in Australia in 1880, in Melbourne, and in the last decade of the nineteenth century was introduced in the British colonies around the world and in many other countries.

In 1911 came the need to establish an international federation. At this time the tennis on grass began to develop with great force in the world, reason why it became necessary an alliance so that the sport was structured in an ordered form at world-wide level, taking advantage of that the National Associations of Tennis already were established and Conformed.

Finally, twelve were the associations that met for the first time at the annual conference held in Paris on March 1, 1913, thus founding the International Tennis Federation.

The founding members were Australasia (Australia and New Zealand), Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and Spain.

Badminton-history-tennisThe International Tennis Federation (ITF) is the world’s top tennis organization, whose main objective is to regulate, expand and take this sport to the whole world.

The ITF focuses on competitions ranging from the most outstanding professional events such as the Olympic Games, Grand Slams, Davis Cup and Fed Cup, to entry level events such as the Satellites and Futures tournaments corresponding to the ITF Men’s and Women’s Circuit , As well as events for juniors, veterans and wheelchairs.

In 1972 the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) was created, with the intention of protecting and guarding the interests of all those male tennis players. A year later, the women formalized the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) for the same purpose. In 1990, the association became the organizer of the main circuit of tennis at world-wide level, from then well-known like ATP Tour.