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The modern game of tennis originated in Birmingham, England during the late 19th century. Initially the game was known as lawn tennis and was only played by the upper classes. Over time the sport spread throughout the world developing global appeal. The sport has seen a considerable increase in popularity in recent years and is enjoyed by millions of recreational players throughout the world. It is a sport that is accessible to all, doesn’t require any equipment other than a racket and a ball and unlike other sports can be played indoors. Tennis has also become an incredibly popular spectator sport as millions around the world follow the various tours and the four grand slams or major championships as they are also known.
The sport can be played by two people who play directly against one another which is known as singles and by two teams of two players which is known as doubles. On the professional tour the game is determined by the best of three sets for women and five sets for men. Each set consists of games, and each game consists of points. Tennis is played on a number of different surfaces; grass, clay and hard court. Of the four grand slam events the two which are played on hard court are the Australian Open and the US Open while the French Open is played on clay and the Wimbledon Championship on grass.
The rules of tennis much like the rules of golf have remained relatively unchanged throughout the centuries. Despite having a set of rules which dates back hundreds of years, tennis has not been afraid to take full advantage of modern technological advances. Unlike the more popular sport of football, those who govern the game of tennis are strong advocates of introducing technology in order to create a fairer, honest, more transparent sport. The development of electronic review technology known as Hawk Eye has been combined with a recently introduced point challenge system which allows the player to challenge the calls made by the line judge or umpire.
Technology has also played a huge part in the development of tennis equipment. In today’s modern game the rackets have become incredibly sophisticated and are manufactured with a combination of carbon graphite and silicone. Some of the world’s leading players such as Rodger Federer have personally been involved in the design process to develop rackets that improve handling, manoeuvrability and provide additional feel.
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