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The History of Tennis

The game that most people call 'Tennis' is the direct descendant of what is
now known as real tennis or royal tennis (which continues to be played today
as a separate sport with more complex rules). Most rules of the game
commonly known as tennis derive from it. It is reasonable to see both sports as
variations of the same game. The idea that tennis originated in the monastic
cloisters in northern France in the 12th century has been largely discredited,
but it is correct that in the first few centuries in which it was played, the ball was
then struck with the palm of the hand; hence, the name jeu de paume ("game
of the palm"). It was not until the 16th century that rackets came into use, and
the game began to be called "tennis." It was popular in England and France,
and Henry VIII of England was a very big fan of the game, now referred to as
real tennis.

Many original tennis courts remain, including courts at Oxford,

Cambridge, Falkland Palace in Fife where Mary Queen of Scots regularly
played, and Hampton Court Palace. Many of the French courts were
decommissioned with the terror that accompanied the French Revolution.
The Tennis Court Oath (Serment du Jeu de Paume) was a pivotal event during
the first days of the French Revolution. The Oath was a pledge signed by 576
of the 577 members from the Third Estate who were locked out of a meeting of
the Estates-General on 20 June 1789. Any history of tennis that ignores its
origins in the game that was (and is still in certain circles) known as tennis until
"lawn tennis" became popular in the late nineteenth century is inaccurate.

The Davis Cup, an annual competition between men's national teams,

dates to 1900. The analogous competition for women's national teams,
the Fed Cup, was founded as the Federation Cup in 1963 to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of the founding of the International Tennis Federation, also known
as the ITF.

Promoter C. C. Pyle created the first professional tennis tour in 1926, with
a group of American and French tennis players playing exhibition matches to
paying audiences. The most notable of these early professionals were the
American Vinnie Richards and the Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen. Once a
player turned pro he or she could not compete in the major (amateur)
tournaments.

In 1968, commercial pressures and rumors of some amateurs taking

money under the table led to the abandonment of this distinction, inaugurating
the Open Era (see below), in which all players could compete in all
tournaments, and top players were able to make their living from tennis. With
the beginning of the open era, the establishment of an international
professional tennis circuit, and revenues from the sale of television rights,
tennis's popularity has spread worldwide, and the sport has shed its
upper/middle-class English-speaking image (although it is acknowledged that
this stereotype still exists).

Terminologies

Ad Court The advantage court is the left side of the court for each player

Advantage After the score has reached 40-all, the winner of the next point will have
the advantage, requiring another point to win the game. If the player with
advantage loses the next point, the score reverts to 40-all.

Alley The area of court bounded by the singles and doubles sidelines, used in
doubles games.

Angle-game Style of play where the all is hot so as to force the opponent wide of the
court

Backhand The tennis stroke in which the ball is struck on the opposite side of the
body to the racket hand.

Ball The tennis ball is made rubber with a green/yellow fury coating

Ball boys Assistants whose job it is to collect the ball and return it to the serving
player.

Baseline Two-inch wide mark at the rear of the court

Cross court A crosscourt shot is played diagonally across the court

Double Fault When a server faults twice in a row, and a point is lost.

Deuce A score of 40 all

Deuce court the right side of the court of each player

Drop Shot A volley in which the ball drops just over the net
Forecourt Area of court between the service line and the net

Foot fault When a server places their foot over the service line in the process of
serving the ball

Fault During a serve, when the ball does not land inside the service area on the
full. The player loses a point after two consecutive faults.

Linesman Official who sits in a chair along lines of the court to call whether balls are
in or out.

Lob A ball hit high in the air attempting to land behind the opposition player

Net The barrier that separates the two halves of the court.

Net cord Official who determines if the serve hits the net.
judge

Rally A series of consecutive shots played by opponents before a winner

Serve Overhead shot to start each point

Stance Position of the body prior to playing a shot

Spin A method of stroke play which induces a pronounced rolling of the ball in
the air either sideways, forwards or backwards depending on whether the
racket face moves respectively across, over or under the ball.

Topspin A forwards rotation of the ball after a shot

Umpire Official who keeps score during the match

Underspin A backwards rotation of the ball after a shot

Winner A shot that beats an opponent

Equipment
Racket
Rackets can be made of many alloys or wood. There are no restrictions
on the size or materials used in making a racket. It has an oval head and a
gradually widening throat that connects the narrow handle with the head of
the racket.
 The head of the racket is tightly woven with strings which are made of
various materials like nylon, gut or synthetic gut. The handles are covered
with leather or nylon for a better grip.
Ball
As per ITF rules, Tennis balls are yellow colored spherical balls, with a
diameter between 2.5 and 2.625 inches. They weigh between 2 and 21/16 oz.
Pressurized rubber is used to make semi spherical half shells. They are then
joined with compressed air between them.
The spherical balls are covered with bright yellow colored felt. Kids aged
ten and under play with different colored balls. They move slower, bounce
lower. They are also softer and larger and are easy for kids to hit them.
Net
A rectangular net is used to separate the two sides of a Tennis court. The
net should cover the space between the two net posts. The net is woven in
such a way that it does not allow the Tennis ball to pass through. It is usually
tied in about 3 feet above the ground at the centre.
Wrist bands
Wrist bands are worn around wrists to prevent sweat from wetting the
players’ palm or the racket. A wet grip might not be strong.
Head band
Headbands are used to absorb sweat. They also tie player’s hair away
from their face. Any tight cap made of absorbent material can also be used
instead of a head band.
Tennis shoes
Just running shoes don’t provide enough lateral support to players.
Tennis shoes are designed to give players better stability and prevent them
from sliding while moving sideways. Shoes shouldn’t damage the court when
players move briskly across the court.
Dress
Men wear T-Shirts or shirts made of materials like polyester that does not
absorb sweat and keeps the player cool. They wear shorts that do not cover
their knees.
Though women are advised to wear just any comfortable dress, of late
many Tennis champions try to make a style statement with their carefully
designed clothes. Many players prefer wearing a tank top or a T-shirt on a
short skirt.
Types of tennis official
Line umpires
Line Umpires get to call the shots – literally – at all levels of tournaments,
from grassroots all the way through to the Australian Open.

It might appear simple, but the best Line Umpires need to be able to
concentrate for long periods of time, be team players, and (of course) require
excellent eyesight. As well as calling the lines, they act as an extra pair of eyes
and ears for the Chair Umpire.

Becoming a Line Umpire is the quickest pathway to getting on court at

tennis tournaments around the world.

Chair umpires
Aside from the players, the Chair Umpire is the most important person on
court during a match.

The Chair Umpire has enormous responsibility during a match, and are
responsible for everything from calling the score to enforcing the rules and
managing the players. A successful Chair Umpire needs great communication
skills, the ability to stay calm under pressure, and 20:20 vision.

The best Chair Umpires work full-time in the role, travelling the world with
the tennis tour.

Court supervisors
Being a Court Supervisor is a great way to get involved in tennis at the
grassroots level. They are responsible for monitoring a number of courts at a
tournament or competition. They assist and educate players, parents and
coaches; and assist in the smooth running of an event.

Other important roles of Court Supervisors are to help enforce the Rules of
Tennis and Code of Behaviour, as well as resolving on court queries.

Referees
The Referee is the expert in all things rules and regulations. Referees
supervise all aspects of a tournament, from taking charge of the draws and
schedules, to enforcing the rules and making sure everything runs smoothly
and in the spirit of fairness.

Being a Referee requires exceptional knowledge of the rules of tennis, the

ability to multi-task in a pressured environment, and to listen and communicate
well with everyone involved with the tournament.

Basic skills of the game

 1. The serve
2. Forehand return of serve
3. Open stance forehand
4. The backhand
5. The volley
6. The half volley
7. The overhead
8. The drop shot
9. The lob

Rules of Tennis
 The game starts with a coin toss to determine which player must serve first
and which side they want to serve from.
 The server must then serve each point from alternative sides on the base
line. At no point must the server’s feet move in front of the baseline on the
court prior to hitting their serve.
 If the server fails to get their first serve in they may take advantage of a
second serve. If they again fail to get their second serve in then a double
fault will be called and the point lost.
 If the server clips the net but the ball goes in the service area still then let is
called and they get to take that serve again without penalty. If the ball hits
the net and fails to go in the service area then out is called and they lose
that serve.
 The receiver may stand where they wish upon receipt of the serve. If the
ball is struck without the serve bouncing then the server will receive the
point.
 Once a serve has been made the amount of shots between the players
can be unlimited. The point is won by hitting the ball so the opponent fails
to return it in the scoring areas.
 Points are awarded in scores of 15, 30 and 40. 15 represent 1 point, 30 = 2
and 40 = 3. You need 4 points to win a game. If a game lands on 40-40 it’s
known as deuce. From deuce a player needs to win 2 consecutive points
to win the game. After winning one point from deuce they player is on
advantage. If the player wins the next point they win the game, if they lose
it goes back to deuce.
 To win the set a player must win 6 games by 2 or more. The opening sets
will go to a tie break if its ends up 6-6 where players play first to 7 points.
The final set will not have a tie break and requires players to win by two
games with no limits.
 If a player touches the net, distracts his opponent or impedes in anyway
then they automatically lose the point.
 The ball can hit any part of the line for the point to be called in, outside the
line and the ball is out.
 The balls in a tennis match are changed for new balls every 6 games
 A player loses a point if they fail to return the ball in either the correct areas
on the court, hits the net and doesn’t go into opponent’s area or fails to
return the ball before it bounces twice in their half.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tennis

https://www.rulesofsport.com/sports/tennis.html

https://www.tennis.com.au/learn/ballkids-officials-coaches-and-volunteers/officials/types-of-tennis-
official

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/tennis/tennis_equipment.htm

https://www.newcombeestate.com/amenities/country-club/tennis-tips/eight-tennis-shots/