An adaptation of a very ancient sport, the jeu de paume, codified in England in the 1870s, tennis has become a major sport followed by millions of fans throughout the year. Present at the Games from 1896 to 1924, it made its official return to the programme in 1988, and the great Olympic stage has become a key point in the careers of the world’s best tennis players.
Spectacular, played today on all kinds of surfaces by tens of millions of people, for fun or in competition, tennis has spread all over the world. Designed and codified in England in the 1870s, it is the direct descendant of jeu de paume, invented in France in the 11th century. The developments of this mediaeval sport, originally practised with bare hands, like the invention of the racket in the 16th century and the special scoring system (15, 30, 40, game), led directly to tennis, including its name, from the French word “tenez!” (in the sense of “here it comes!”), which you said to your opponent as you were about to serve. Continue reading from Olympics
