The History of Tennis

1
The History of Tennis

• Presentation by Nikki Cannon

2
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 to tennis.

3
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.

4
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 its
  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.

5
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 its 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 Championship was born.

6
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
  didnt 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 Navratilova.

7
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 kings has
  become a sport for all!

8
The End!

• Love Means Nothing to a Tennis Player! homepage