Believed to be originated from a twelfth century French game called paume, Tennis is now a very popular sport played by people of all ages worldwide. It is played by millions of people as a recreational activity and also as a professional sport in the international arena.
The player of each team tries to play the ball in a way that the player of the opposite team is not able to play a good return. The ball used in the game is a hollow rubber ball and a racket is used to strike it.
The history of tennis dates back to several thousand years. It is believed that the game was the invention of the European monks who played it for entertainment during the religious ceremonies. By the fourteenth century, the game became popular across many monasteries in Europe much to the disappointment of the Church.
In the years to come, tennis began gaining popularity as a sport in France. It was played by the members of the Royal Family and other noblemen.
The first tennis courts were established in 1874 in the United States and they were devised by Major Walter Wingfield. The modern tennis courts are based on the design provided by Wingfield but a few changes have been made a number of times.
Soon the game spread to the other parts of the world including Canada, Russia, China, and India. The version of tennis that is played today traces its origin to the game that was played in Birmingham, England in the nineteenth century. This was known as "lawn tennis".
In England, the first tennis championship took place in 1877; it was sponsored by the All England Croquet Club at a little place called Wimbledon. This game included only two male players (singles).
The first recorded women's tournament was played in Dublin in 1879.
Today, tennis is one of the most spectacular sports played worldwide. The major tennis tournaments played in the world include the four Grand Slams: Australian Open, French Open, the US Open, and the Wimbledon. The major male tennis players in the world include Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. Among the top female tennis players are Steffi Graf, Maureen Connolly, Lottie Dod, Helen Jacobs, Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova.
