Grand tennis is a sport in which two players or two teams of two players compete against each other by hitting a ball with a racket over a net on a rectangular court.
Tennis is believed to have originated in France in the 12th century. It was originally played with the palms of the hands and was called “jeu de paume” (playing with the palm of the hand). In the 16th century the game became popular in England, where it was played with rackets. Modern tennis was developed in England in the late 19th century.
The object of the game of tennis is to score more points than your opponent by making the ball bounce into your opponent’s court in such a way that he cannot retrieve it. The game is played until one player or team wins two sets.
A set is divided into games. A game is won by the first player or team to score four points with a two-point advantage. If the score in a game is 40-40, a tie-break is played. A tie-break is a game played to seven points with a two-point advantage.
There are two basic types of tennis courts
Hardcourts:
- Made of concrete or asphalt.
- The fastest type of court.
Dirt courts:
- Made of clay.
- The slowest type of court.
There are also two main types of tennis tournaments
Grand Slam tournaments:
The four most prestigious tournaments in the world:
- The Australian Open, the French Open, the Wimbledon Tournament, and the US Open.
Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tournaments:
- A series of professional tournaments held throughout the year.
Tennis is a popular sport that can be played by people of all ages and skill levels. It is a great way to keep fit, have fun and socialise with friends.
Grand tennis, like its predecessor, real tennis, originated in France in the 12th century.
It was originally played with the palms of the hands and was called jeu de paume (palm play). In the 16th century, the game became popular in England, where it was played with rackets.
Modern tennis was developed in England in the late 19th century.
Major Walter Clopton Wingfield patented a game called Lawn Tennis in 1873, which differed from real tennis by having simpler rules and equipment.
The first Wimbledon tournament, now considered the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, was held in 1877.
From England, tennis spread around the world.
In 1881 it was introduced in the USA, and in the 1890s – in Australia, France, Germany and other countries.
In Russia, tennis appeared in the late 19th century.
The first tennis club was founded in St Petersburg in 1894. In 1908, the first Russian tennis championship was held in Moscow.
Today tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world.
It is played by people of all ages and levels of training.
There are many professional tennis tournaments that are held all over the world.
The most prestigious of them are the Grand Slam tournaments: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.