The History of Tennis

Presentation by: Nikki Cannon

 In the beginning
• Ball games can be traced
back to ancient times and
the earliest
representations can be
found on carvings in
Egyptian temples.
• The Ancient Egyptians
actually played ball games
as part of their religious
ceremonies
• These traditions and the
whole concept of ball
games spread into Europe
in the 8th century
influenced by the Moors.
• It was the meeting of
Eastern culture and
Christianity that gave rise
Still in the beginning
• Christian Monks became
interested in the religious
rites of the Moors and were
the first Europeans to play the
game that was to become
tennis.
• The earliest version was
called ‘La Soule’ where they
would hit the ball with their
hands or a stick off of walls. It
became so popular that the
church considered banning it!
• The game started out with
just using the hands but over
time the leather glove was
replaced by a wooden handle.
• The game soon became very
popular by the French royals.
 Real Tennis
• It was in France that the game
as we know it today really
came into being.
• The French players would
begin a game by shouting
‘teniz’ or ‘Play!’ and this is
how it got it’s name.
• Real Tennis was actually very
different from the game we
know today. It was played
indoors, the ball was hit off
the walls, and the ball went
into chases instead of only
bouncing once.
• Tennis spread throughout
Europe, becoming especially
popular in England.
 Lawn Tennis
• During the period of Victorian
Prosperity, enthusiasts had been
trying for some time to adapt the
game into an open-air sport and
was brought upon by the
development of vulcanized
rubber. This enabled balls that
were soft enough to not damage
the grass, but still maintain the
elasticity of rubber.
• Courts were being built in many
country houses and the first
tennis clubs providing facilities for
members started to appear.
• The biggest boost for tennis came
in 1875, when the All England
Croquet Club decided to offer
lawn tennis as an added
attraction. It was so popular that
the club decided to change it’s
name to the All England Croquet
and Tennis Club. In 1877, the first
ever Lawn Tennis tournament was
organized with 22 players and
200 spectators. The Wimbledon
 Wimbledon
• The Wimbledon Championship
was one of the most significant
developments in the history of
tennis. Over the next few years
the sport gained tremendous
popularity all over the world. It
was here that new designs in
tennis clothing and racquets were
shown to the world.
• In 1905, May Sutton from the
United States became the first
international player.
• The championships came to an
end in 1939 and didn’t resume
play until 1946 because of World
War Two.
• The most dominating players in
tennis were Bjorn Borg, Jimmy
Connors, John McEnroe, Billy Jean
King, Chris Evert, and Martina
 Tennis is for Everyone!

Today tennis is a world-class

competitive sport played and
watched by millions of people
all around the world! A
constant program of
tournaments and events takes
place throughout the year and
top players have become
sporting icons. Something
that was once a pastime for
 The End!
Love Means Nothing to a Tennis Player!
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