Tennis is an individual or team sport that has many followers around the world. From England to Australia via France or the United States, many amateur and professional athletes compete in remarkable matches. Derived from the medieval Jeu de Paume , this sport today has strict international rules and world tournaments. Before embarking on tennis lessons, find out all the information about this legendary sport.
What is the history of Tenn
Tennis as we know it today is relatively new. However, the origins of this sport date back to the Middle Ages. At that time, it was the monks who, for entertainment, threw a leather ball with their hands against the walls. The walls of the monasteries then served as a support to bounce the ball. It was thus possible to train alone.
Over time, the Jeu de Paume evolved. Some played face to face with a net in the middle, which later became tennis. The others continued to use the wall, an option that would evolve into Basque pelota or squash .
This game quickly won over the rest of the population, even the nobility, until it was adopted by the French kings! The Jeu de Paume is played everywhere, indoors and outdoors. Gloves are sometimes used by players to protect their hands. Little by little, this tool evolved until the invention of the first racket in the 16th century . Meanwhile, the game became popular in England.
Where does the word tennis come from?
The word tennis comes from the old French “Ténèts!” » which meant « Hold ! » that the players sometimes pronounced when sending the ball. Gradually, in England, the word turned into “Tennis”.
However, we have to wait until the 19th century to see the beginnings of real tennis. In 1874, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield launched on the market a box called “Sphairistike” containing all the accessories to play modern tennis:
- four rackets,
- A net and its stakes,
- Balls,
- Bands to delimit the field.
In the process, he published A Portable Court of Playing Tennis containing all the rules of this new sport. A few years later, in 1877, the first tennis tournament was created: the Wimbledon tournament .
Tennis is a real success. It spread to England, then to France with the creation of the first club in Dinard. It also arrived in Australia, then controlled by England, and gradually spread to several countries around the world.
- 1913: Creation of the International Tennis Federation,
- 1920: The French Lawn Tennis Federation is created,
- 1925: First edition of the French Open (Roland-Garros)
In 1968, the modern era of tennis began, more commonly known as the “Open era” . Tennis players, professional or amateur, can now participate in Grand Slam tournaments which are:
- Roland Garros,
- Wimbledon,
- U.S. Open,
- Australian Open.
Tennis players can also compete at the Monte Carlo, Davis Cup and Masters Bercy tournament . Gradually, a ranking appears according to the level of the players. This is the ATP ranking. The Open era is also synonymous with the first records set by tennis players.
What are the rules of tennis?
The rules of tennis aren’t always obvious when you first watch a tennis match or start tennis lessons. In a simplified way, tennis consists in opposing two players on each side of a net who return a ball using a racket. The ball must not go out of an area clearly delimited by the ground . The ball must also not make more than one bounce before the player sends it back to his opponent. If the ball goes out of bounds when it hits the ground, the point is up to the opponent.
The two players evolve on a rectangular field delimited by white stripes (side lines, baseline, service lines, etc.). Two external corridors make it possible to enlarge the surface in the event of play in teams of two, double matches.
The courts can be grass, dirt or hard surface (concrete, parquet or other). The ways of playing and the techniques of tennismen and tenniswomen thus differ according to the ground on which they find themselves.
But how is the game going?
The tennis match is won in two or three sets depending on the tournament or competition. A set itself consists of six games. To win a game, the player must earn 4 points . However, the difficulty of tennis is that the points are not counted according to the numerical sequence 1, 2, 3 and 4 but 15, 30, 40 and game .
Before each serve, the score is announced by first announcing the score of the serving player. When the players are tied, the referee does not pronounce 15-15 but “15A” or “30A”
The peculiarity to remember
The game is sometimes played to advantage: when the players are tied at 40, the first to score does not win the game but is in “Advantage”. If he wins the next point, he then wins the game. If his opponent wins the next point, the score goes back to equality “40A” until one of the players wins two points in a row.
As explained previously, to win a match, you must win two or three sets (five sets for Grand Slam tournaments). The set is won when a player reaches six winning games but with the condition of a gap of two games with his opponent. The set cannot therefore be won at 6-5. It will then be necessary to wait for one of the two players to face a gap of two games with his opponent to win the set. This rule explains that tennis matches do not have a predefined duration and can sometimes last for a very long time
What are the greatest tennis matches in history?
The history of tennis has seen some great matches that have left their mark. These legendary matches still make waters talk today!
Billie Jean King’s match against Bobby Riggs
People present for the game:
On September 20, 1973 , American tennis player Billie Jean King made tennis history in Houston. Former number one in the world rankings, she faces tennis player Bobby Riggs convinced that no woman can beat him. Confident after his victory against Margaret Smith Court, the tennis player will finally be beaten by Billie Jean King after a legendary match dubbed “war of the sexes” .
Rafael Nadal against Roger Federer in 2008
Ruthless clay-court tennis player Rafael Nadal struggles to beat rival Roger Federer on the grass court at Wimbledon . In 2008, the two great tennis players came face to face for the final . The match is complicated due to the rain. He is then interrupted several times. However, at the end of the day, the light begins to dim, once again complicating the face to face.
It was ultimately Rafael Nadal who ended up winning the victory against Roger Federer, title holder for the previous five years. A match that goes down in the history of world tennis, particularly appreciated by fans of the Spanish tennis player.
Other matches have marked the history of tennis:
- Björn Borg versus John McEnroe in the 1980 Wimbledon final,
- Pete Sampras versus Alex Correjta in the 1996 US Open quarter-finals,
- Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer in the semi-final at Roland Garros in 2011.
How to attend a tennis match?
Attending a tennis match is an opportunity for fans of this sport to see the best athletes play and enjoy the atmosphere. Tennis matches can take place on a small scale within a club, or during departmental or regional tournaments. In this case, it suffices to go to the tournament on D-Day . To find out the dates, do not hesitate to go to the website of the club you are following.
It is also possible to attend major international matches such as the Wimbledon tournament, Roland Garros, the US Open or the Australian Open. For these matches, places are more coveted.
- Wimbledon: it is very complicated to get a place for the match you want. You must first register on the official tournament website, fill out a form, then hope to be drawn to attend a day of matches.
- Roland Garros: seats can be purchased via a ticket office according to a priority calendar. The club presidents are the first to be able to buy places, then comes the turn of the licensees, etc.
- US Open: It is possible to obtain tickets in advance depending on the court you wish to attend. Tickets are divided into night sessions and day session.
- Australian Open: spectators can buy their ticket online several months before the organization of the tournament. It is almost impossible to find places once there, in Melbourne.
And you, which match would you like to attend?
