One of the most popular sports nowadays, enjoyed by tens of millions of people, tennis has had a very interesting history. Like most other sports, it has seen many changes, some of which crucial to its development and popularity. So, let’s take a look back at how this great sport has developed to become one of the most attractive and popular sports in the world.
It’s actually very old
Believe it or not, tennis is the direct descendant of jeu de paume, invented in France in the 11th century. This game was played with bare hands for centuries before rackets were introduced in the 16th century, along with the special scoring system that remains a great to puzzle to many (15, 30, 40, game). It was in the late 19th century, i.e. in 1870, that tennis was designed and codified in England. The name came from the French word “tenez!” (loosely translated as “here it comes!”), which a player was supposed to say to their opponent as they were about to serve.