Tennis

For other uses, see Tennis (disambiguation).

Tennis
French singles player Guillaume Rufin serves to Czech player Tomáš Berdych in a tennis match at the 2013 Australian Open
Highest governing bodyInternational Tennis Federation
First played19th century, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Characteristics
ContactNo
Team membersSingles or doubles
Mixed-sexYes, separate tours and mixed doubles
TypeOutdoor or indoor
EquipmentBall, racket, net
VenueTennis court
GlossaryGlossary of tennis terms
Presence
Country or regionWorldwide
OlympicPart of Summer Olympic programme from 1896 to 1924
Demonstration sport in the 1968 and 1984 Summer Olympics
Part of Summer Olympic programme since 1988
ParalympicPart of Summer Paralympic programme since 1992

Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket strung with a cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent's court. The object is to manoeuvre the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return. If a player is unable to return the ball successfully, the opponent scores a point.[1][2]

Playable at all levels of society and at all ages, tennis can be played by anyone who can hold a racket, including wheelchair users. The original forms of tennis developed in France during the late Middle Ages.[3] The modern form of tennis originated in Birmingham, England, in the late 19th century as lawn tennis.[4] It had close connections to various field (lawn) games such as croquet and bowls as well as to the older racket sport today called real tennis.[5]

The rules of modern tennis have changed little since the 1890s. Two exceptions are that until 1961 the server had to keep one foot on the ground at all times,[6][7] and the adoption of the tiebreak in the 1970s.[8] A recent addition to professional tennis has been the adoption of electronic review technology coupled with a point-challenge system, which allows a player to contest the line call of a point, a system known as Hawk-Eye.[9][10]

Tennis is played by millions of recreational players and is a popular worldwide spectator sport.[11] The four Grand Slam tournaments (also referred to as the majors) are especially popular and are considered the highest level of competition for the sport. These tournaments are the Australian Open, played on hardcourts; the French Open, played on red clay courts; Wimbledon, played on grass courts; and the US Open, also played on hardcourts.[12] Additionally, tennis was one of the original Olympic sports, and has been consistently competed in the Summer Olympic Games since 1988.

  1. ^ "Tennis Rules: How To Play Tennis | Rules of Sport". www.rulesofsport.com. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Tennis Rules". Pro Tennis Tips. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Tennis | Rules, History, Prominent Players, & Facts | Britannica". Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  4. ^ William J. Baker (1988). "Sports in the Western World". p. 182. University of Illinois Press,
  5. ^ "Tennis | Rules, History, Prominent Players, & Facts | Britannica". Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  6. ^ "leg drive on the serve". Intuitive Tennis – Online Tennis Lessons, Video, and Blog. Archived from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  7. ^ Macdonald, Geoff (28 August 2011). "How the Serve Went Over the Top". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  8. ^ "Tennis 360: tiebreaks explained". Tennis Australia. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  9. ^ Maine, D'Arcy (25 May 2021). "US Open to use Hawk-Eye line-calling technology on all tennis courts for first time". ESPN. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Hawkeye Tennis Line-Calling System". www.topendsports.com. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  11. ^ "PARTICIPATION INCREASES AS ITF PUBLISHES GLOBAL TENNIS REPORT 2021". ITF. 16 August 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  12. ^ "Grand Slam Tournaments". ITF. Retrieved 25 November 2021.