Tennis

What better sport is there to enjoy or take part in than the wonderfully simple, yet constantly active Tennis, with basic rules and star players that have defined the sport for many generations? It is a sport that continues to shine with various tournaments and world events that make it unique.

There are also a number of ways in which it can be played, particularly depending on whether you play as singles or as doubles, but one thing remains constant and that is the thrilling spectacle of two players hurling that felt covered, rubber ball over the net at high speed.

Each player will stand on the opposite sides of a rectangular court, or in the case of doubles, two teams. They stand at the short sides of the court, hitting the ball back and forth along the long sides with a stringed racket. The aim of the game is to win the most sets by being the first to reach a certain score in each round. Though there are some seemingly complex terminology (such as ‘love’ or ‘deuce’), it is relatively simple to pick up, depending on sheer skill to stay ahead in the game.

It is one of many sports that has its origins in the United Kingdom, with the modern game defined by rules that were codified in this country in the late nineteenth century, under the banner of ‘lawn tennis’.

Since then it has changed very little, with only the competitors evolving with the generations. Today there are four main tournaments that will often be termed the ‘majors’. Firstly there is Wimbledon, a tournament that defines the summer sporting calendar, being played in July. Then there is also the French Open that takes place in June as well as the US Open (September) and the Australian Open. The rest of the year is made up of various further tournaments around the world in countries from Europe to the United States and beyond.

The sport has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Back then between 1859 and 1865 it emerged in England, namely Birmingham (under the supervision of Major Harry Gem and Augurio Perera) where it was later developed before the world’s first club opened in Lemington Spa.