I've tried many different sports, as most of you know; and I'm not very good at any of them. But it's kind of fun to have a working knowledge of each of them. It makes them more fun to watch when you know a little about the history and how the game is played. In my usual fashion, I've done my homework and found a few very interesting facts about tennis that I'd like to share with you.
The game that we call tennis is a direct descendant of the game called real, or royal, tennis. Most historians believe that tennis originated in the monastic cloisters( of monks) in northern France, around the 12th century AD. Originally, the game was played by hitting the ball with the palm of the hand, and was called "jeu de paume" (game of the palm). In the 16th century, rackets came into use and the game started beng referred to as tennis. The sport of tennis was immensely popular in both England and France. It is said that King Henry the VIII of England was a big fan.
Many original tennis courts still exist today such as the ones in Oxford, Cambridge, Falkland Palace where mary Queen of Scots regularly played, and Hampton Court Palace...all in England. Many of the French tennis courts were decommissioned during the terror following the French Revolution. The Tennis Court Oath (Serment du Jeu de Paume) was an important event during th early days of the Revolution. The Oath was a pledge signed by 576 of the 577 members of the Third Estate who were locked out of a meeting of the Estes-General on 20 June, 1789...days before the storming of the Bastille.
The Davis Cup, an annual men's tournament, dates back to 1900. A comparable women's league (Fed Cup) didn't come into being until 1963. In 1926, promoter C.C. Pyle created the first professional tennis tour with a group of French and American players, playing exhibition matches before audiences. In 1968, amid commercial pressure and rumors of some ameteurs taking money under the table, the inauguration of the "open era," in which all players could compete in all tournaments, began. The Open Era allowed top players to earn their living from playing professional tennis. Additionally, the Open Era marked the beginning of the professional tennis circuit and revenues from the sale of television rights.
Among other litererary greats, "tennis balles" are mentioned in the play Henry V, written by William Shakespeare in 1599. In England, during the 18th and 19th centuries when real tennis died out, three other raquet sports emerged; raquets, squash, and lawn tennis (the modern game).
With such a long and outstanding history, I can't wait to don my traditional tennis "whites" and grab my raquet. I mean what's not to like about a sport that uses LOVE in scoring!
Happy Weekend Everyone.
Stay safe and see you all back here on Monday!