Who Invented Tennis?

Part of why we don't know who invented tennis is because tennis has been played for more than 800 years. According to records, tennis was derived from a French sport played by monks. The game was called "paume."

In the game of paume, the players would use their hands to hit the ball. Similar to tennis, paume was played on a court setting. It was such a popular sport for monks and the nobility that the Pope attempted to ban it, although unsuccessfully. The game of paume evolved and eventually incorporated the use of racquets and gloves plus a set of rules developed as well. Its popularity spread across the world.

The First Tennis Club

During the mid 1800s, two men invented another game called "pelota." It was a game that involved the use of racquets. Along with two doctors in 1872, these men founded the first tennis club and the first official tennis tournament was held in the UK, twelve years later.

The Modern Game of Tennis

Major Walter Clopton Wingfield was also credited for having developed the modern game of tennis. He called the game "Sphairistike" which was a Greek word that described a certain skill used in ball games.

Despite his version of the game not being completely original, he created a huge chunk of tennis terminology that is still being used today. In 1873, the rules of Sphairistike were published by Wingfield. Sphairistike, also known as "Sticke," was played in indoor courts and used low pressure balls and racquets. In 1874, Wingfield formalized his game by patenting the rules and equipments in London.

Lawn Tennis

Harry Gem and Augurio Perera invented the modern game of lawn tennis between the years of 1859 to 1865. Lawn tennis combined the concepts of pelota and racquets. Initially, “Lawn pelota” and “Lawn raquets” were the names that referred to the game. Eventually, "Lawn tennis" was chosen. Gem and Perera played lawn tennis in Edgbaston on a croquet lawn.

The Name Tennis

The origin of the term tennis are found in French words such as “tenez” meaning to take, “tendere” meaning to hold, and “tenir” meaning hold this. “Rahat” an Arabic word is suggested to be the origin of the word, racquet. “Rahat” means palm in Arabic. It is even believed that different versions of the game were played in ancient Egypt, Greece, and even Rome.

Who Invented the Tennis Ball?

Now you know the story about the invention of tennis, but the story about the invention of the tennis ball is just as interesting. Just like the sport, no one is credited to have invented the tennis ball since it has gone through a process of revolution to improve its quality.

In ancient times, tennis balls were made from leather and wool. Charles Goodyear then invented rubber tennis balls which were stitched using felt. During the 1870s the process of rubber vulcanization paved the way for the development of these rubber balls. Eventually, these rubber balls were made hollow in order to improve their playability.

Today, tennis balls use materials that are more complex in physical and chemical compositions. Most of these balls are manufactured in Southeast Asia. Modern tennis balls are “pressureless” meaning they can maintain their bounce without having to undergo much wear and tear. Companies like Trenton and Penn popularized such products.

Other Fun Tennis Facts

There are plenty of other fun tennis facts to know as well. For example:

Wimbledon was first played in 1877. This tennis championship league was formed to determine the best tennis players.
In 1881, The United States Tennis Association was formed. Its aim was to standardize the rules of tennis in the US.
In 1881, the first US Open was held. During this time only the men competed; however, women were not far behind. They joined the competition six years later.

In 1924, International Lawn Tennis Federation, currently known as the International Tennis Federation, finalized the international rules for tennis.