Tennis history
How it started, and how the majors began.
In the 12th century, a game was played in France, where a ball was struck with the palm of the hand. A couple of indoor courts were build, for example one in the Louvre Palace. tennis history
Racquets came into use in the 16th century. From then on the game is called “tennis”. The real tennis history began – the name comes from the French word “tenez”, which means “hold”, “Receive” or “take”. It was only played indoor, so the walls could be used in the game.
In the 19th century, modern grass courts were prepared in England. This should be the start of modern tennis. The first tennis club was founded in Leamington Spa in 1872. In 1877 the first tournament was played in London, it was called the Wimbledon Championships.
The game first appeared in America in 1874, and in 1880 the first championship was played.
In the beginning of American tennis history every club had his own rules. In Boston the ball was larger than the ones used in New York. That’s why in 1881 an association was founded to standardize the rules, and to organize competitions. So the US Open (before National Men’s Singles Championship) was first organized in 1881 for men, and the first time for women in 1887.
The Australian Open is managed by Tennis Australia, formerly the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia (LTAA), and was first played at the Warehouseman’s Cricket Ground in Melbourne in 1905. This facility is now known as the Albert Reserve Tennis Centre.
The tournament was first known as the Australasian Championships and then became the Australian Championships in 1927 and the Australian Open in 1969. Since 1905, the Australian Open has been staged in five Australian and two New Zealand cities. Though started in 1905, the tournament was not designated as being a major championship until 1924, by the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF) in a 1923 meeting.
Also in France the game was very popular. Since 1891 the French Championships were organized, open to members of French Clubs until 1925. So came that Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open and the Australian Open (since 1905) became the most prestigious tournaments. They’re now called the Majors.
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