Tennis History

Tennis History

Vela Middle School

Origins

• 11th century - French sport, Jeu de Paume

• 16th century - invention of the racket

• The French word “tenez!” was said to your opponent as you were about to serve.  

• This led to the naming of "Tennis"

Multiple Choice

Which French word led to the naming of "Tennis"?

• Croquet

• Tarentella

• Tenet

• Tenez

Lawn Tennis

• In the 1870s, England codified Lawn Tennis

• The popularity of tennis in England quickly overtook that of croquet.

• Welsh Major Walter Clopton Wingfield established terms of codifying lawn tennis

• The first Wimbledon tournament in 1877

Tennis Surfaces

• Wingfield introduced a rubber ball which could bounce on grass.

• 19th century - introduction of clay, then hardwood flooring and, much later, the “hard” courts with concrete or acrylic surfaces

Women's Participation

• Women’s participation in competition tennis came quickly

• Competed at Wimbledon in 1884

• At the time, they played in long-sleeved dresses, with corsets and hats.

Olympics

• Tennis joined the Olympic Games in 1896

• Women's participation in 1900

• Britain’s John Pius Boland became the first gold medalist

• Britian's Charlotte Cooper became the first-ever female Olympic Champion

• Tennis would leave the Olympics in 1924

Multiple Choice

What year did tennis become an Olympic sport?

• 1870s

• 1890

• 1888

• 1896

Evolution of Tennis

• 1930s - the “Grand Slam” was introduced

• Grand Slam = winning the four “major” tournaments

• In 1968, the end of amateurism & the start of the Open Era.

• In 1973, the start of ATP & WTA global & weekly rankings.

The 4 Major Tournaments

• Wimbledon

• US Open

• Australian Open

• French Open

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT one of the four major tournaments?

• Wimbledon

• Australian Open

• ATP Finals

• French Open

Tennis Racquets

• All racquets were made of wood until the 1980s

• New materials took over offering less weight but more power

• Materials included: graphite, titanium, carbon, steel, etc.

Multiple Choice

What were tennis racquets made of until the 1980s?

• Wood

• Graphite

• Titanium

• Steel

The Golden Slam

• Tennis returns to the Olympics in 1988

• 19-year-old, Steffi Graf won the women’s singles in the same year as winning the four major tournaments

• She became the only person, man or woman, ever to achieve the “Golden Slam” in a single season. 

Multiple Choice

What is a Golden Slam?

• Winning all four major championships

• Winning all four major championships and the Olympic Gold medal

• Winning the Olympic Gold medal

• None of the above

Achieving the Golden Slam

• Achieving a golden Grand Slam has become a prized achievement for the top players

• Andre Agassi, Olympic champion in Atlanta - 1996

• Rafael Nadal, gold medalist in Beijing - 2008

• Serena Williams, Olympic women’s singles champion in London - 2012

Tennis Today

• 18 million participants in US

• Cardio Tennis, which merges tennis with a high-energy fitness workout

• Youth tennis participation is 4.64 million overall

Why Tennis is the Best Sport.

https://youtu.be/aQa8sMQCwUQ