Interesting facts about tennis, Check it out here.

Tennis is a racket sport that can be played against a single opponent, or between teams of 2 players. Here’s interesting facts about tennis.

Interesting facts about tennis, Check it out here.

Tennis is a popular and demanding kind of sport. Over its long history, it has undergone many changes and modifications before acquiring its modern look.

Still, it may be unclear why tennis live streams get so many views for those unfamiliar with the game’s rules or its origin.

It is worth going through the historical facts to get acquainted with the game’s most exciting moments. Here are some interesting facts about tennis  : 

1. Tennis dates back to 12th century France

Historians think the game originated in northern France in the 12th century, when a ball was struck with the palm of the hand.

Louis X of France was an avid player of jeu de paume (“game of the palm”), which evolved into actual tennis, and is credited with being the first to build modern indoor tennis courts.

Because Louis disliked playing tennis outside, he had indoor, covered courts built in Paris near the end of the 13th century.

2. Only two major rules changes since the 19th century

Since the 1890s, the rules of contemporary tennis have remained mostly unchanged. The server was required to maintain one foot on the ground at all times until 1961 and the tiebreak was adopted in the 1970s.

Electronic review equipment combined with a point-challenge system, known as Hawk-Eye, is a new innovation to professional tennis. It enables a player to argue the line call of a point.

3. Tennis balls were originally made with feathers wrapped in strips of cloth

Originally, tennis balls were constructed of textile strips, sewn together with thread, and filled with feathers.

Modern tennis balls are comprised of felt-coated hollow vulcanized rubber. Originally white, the prevailing color was progressively altered to optic yellow in the late 20th century to increase visibility.

4. Singles play tennis on a 27-foot wide court and doubles on 36 feet

Tennis is a sport that takes place on a rectangular, flat surface. For singles matches, the court is 78 feet (23.77 m) long and 27 feet (8.2 m) wide; for doubles matches, it is 36 feet (11 m).

In order for players to reach overrun balls, there is additional open space surrounding the court.

5. The oldest tennis court in the world is still played on today

Between 1526 and 1529, Cardinal Wolsey had the first tennis court erected at Hampton Court Palace.

Henry VIII was a brilliant tennis player when he was younger, spending hours on the court. When his second wife Anne Boleyn was seized and transported to the Tower of London, she was betting on a game of tennis. She even complained about not being able to receive her prize!

Since 1625, when this one was erected for Charles I, there has been a tennis court on this spot. Three of the court’s current walls date from the 17th century, while the fourth was built by Cardinal Wolsey himself.

6. A clock face is believed to be the inspiration for tennis’ scoring system

It’s been suggested that clock faces were used to keep score on the court, with a quarter motion of the minute hand indicating a score of 15, 30, or 45. The game ended when the hand reached 60.

The concept of “deuce” was added to guarantee that the game could not be won by a one-point differential in player scores. The 45 was altered to 40 to keep the score inside the “60” ticks on the clock face.

As a result, if both players have 40 points, the first person to score receives 10 points, bringing the clock to 50. If the player scores a second time before the opponent, they are rewarded with an additional 10 points and the clock is reset to 60 seconds.

The number 60 denotes the finish of the game. If a player fails to score twice in a row, the clock will reset to 40 and a new “deuce” will be established.

7. In 1972, yellow tennis balls were introduced for the first time

Historically, balls were either black or white, depending on the color of the court’s backdrop. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) incorporated yellow tennis balls into the rules of tennis in 1972, after studies shown that these balls were more visible to television viewers.

Wimbledon maintained using the original white ball until 1986, when it switched to yellow balls.

8. 163.4 mph (263 km/h) is the fastest known serve in tennis

During an ATP Challenger tournament in Busan, South Korea on May 9, 2012, Samuel Groth (Australia) served an ace at a speed of 163.4 mph (263 km/h).

Groth was up against Uladzimir Ignatik in the second round when he received the serve (Belarus). His hit serves of 158.9 mph (255.7 km/h) and 157.5 mph (253.5 km/h) during the match, both of which broke Ivo Karlovic’s (Croatia) previous record of 156 mph (251 km/h). Groth, however, lost the match 6-4, 6-3.

9. 131 mph (210.8 km/h) is the fastest tennis serve by a female

On the 29th of July 2014, Sabine Lisicki (Germany) registered 131 mph (210.8 km/h) on a speed gun while serving in the first set of a first-round match against Ana Ivanovic at Stanford University in California.

Venus Williams’ (USA) 129-mph (207.6-km/h) serve against Ashley Harkleroad in the second round of the 2007 US Open was previously the fastest serve by a woman on the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) circuit.

The WTA didn’t accept Brenda Schultz-(Netherlands) McCarthy’s 130-mph (209.2-km/h) serve in qualification for the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2006 since it occurred outside of the main competition.

10. $37,724 is how much the world’s most expensive tennis racket sold for

In June 1997, a Slazenger lawn tennis racket used by Fred Perry at Wimbledon sold for $37,724 at Christie’s in London.