Tennis is an iconic sport that is well-known all around the world. It has been in operation for almost a decade. It has taken avid fans on a rollercoaster of emotions, from delight to despair, as a result of their Idol’s triumph and defeat. Even if you aren’t a tennis enthusiast, you’ve probably heard of the Big 3 and, of course, Steffi Graf, the Tennis Queen. You’ve presumably also recorded how many grand slams they’ve won, how many finals they’ve appeared in, and so on. But what if we told you there are a slew of interesting tennis facts you didn’t know about? People are amused by facts, and when the facts are about tennis, it adds a massive volume to the amusement. With that in mind, let us plunge right into the pool of Top 10 interesting facts about tennis.
10. Tennis used to be played with bare hands
Yes, you read that correctly. Tennis was once played solely with the hands. In today’s era, it’s difficult to believe that such a frantic game was played by hands. The original game, however, is thought to have been originated in Northern France in the 12th century and was known as ‘Jeu de Paume.’ The name directly translates to ‘Palm Game.’ The palm evidently alludes to the palm, which was used to smash the tennis ball instead of the modern-day rackets.
9. Wimbledon used to be a croquet club
Wimbledon is a grand slam tournament held once a year. There have been many guaranteed conquerors on the grass court, from Martina Navratilova to Roger Federer. However, The Wimbledon that we know today, was established in the beginning as the ‘All England Croquet Club.’ The inaugural croquet competition was held in 1870, on July 23, 1868, at the peak of the croquet mania. The club’s title was renamed the ‘All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club’ in 1877 after tennis was adopted and quickly became popular.
8. Tennis withdrew from the olympics
Ever since its emergence as a significant international sport, tennis has been an Olympic event. It was initially introduced in 1896 and was repeated every four years till 1924. Tennis has produced a slew of Olympic medalists who have etched their names into the history of their respective countries. However, it took a 60-year pause before being reintroduced in the Olympics permanently in 1984. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have witnessed the wonder of Stefi Graff, ‘The tennis queen,’ winning the ‘Golden slam’ if tennis hadn’t reclaimed its place in the Olympics.
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7. A 13 year old entered the Wimbledon
While there are numerous young tennis champions, such as Maria Sharapova, who won Wimbledon at the age of 17, and Martina Hingis, who won her first grand slam at the age of 15, the game never thought of seeing a player competing at a tender age of 13. When most 13-year-olds are preoccupied with homework, it came as a surprise when Mita Klima, an Austrian tennis player, became the youngest player in Wimbledon in 1907. When she competed in the prestigious competition, she was only 13 years old. She was eliminated in the first round. However, this is a record that has remained unbroken for over a century. Thus, her wonderful record places her in the 7th position in our list of Top 10 interesting facts about Tennis.
6. A tennis champion by accident
While players put in a lot of effort to win even a single match, no one expects a tennis champion to emerge by chance.
However, the first individual to win an Olympic gold medal in tennis essentially showed up and won. During the Olympics, John Pius Boland was on holiday in Athens, when a friend on the planning committee entered him in singles tennis. Definitely, Boland had no idea regarding this. However, he went on to play and triumphed, then proceeded into doubles with Friedrich Traun of Germany, whom he had upset in the singles first round, and they both ended up winning. Astonishing, isn’t it?
5. a 21 year old invented the davis cup
The Davis Cup is one of the most significant global tennis competitions for national teams. It was originally held in 1900, and it continues to be held every year since then. The ‘Fed Cup,’ which was staged for the first time in 1963, is the women’s version of the competition. It is, nevertheless, named after Dwight Davis, its creator. When he was only 21 years old, he invented the cup. Also, he himself was a tennis player in his own right.
4. International tennis hall of fame in rhode island
Do you want to see a massive collection of tennis artefacts and discover more about some of history’s most famous tennis players and personalities? Then you should totally visit Rhode Island. In appreciation of the magnificent game of tennis, Jimmy Van Alen, the inventor of the tiebreak concept, established this non-profit organisation. All kudos to him!
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3. Tennis is known as ‘the game of love’
Tennis is regarded as the game of love since the ‘love’ sign was used instead of just the ‘zero‘ symbol. Furthermore, every year at the start of the Wimbledon competition, roughly 24 tonnes of strawberries are purchased. When you combine this information with the ‘love’ symbol, tennis is unquestionably the ‘game of love.’
2. A grunt sharper than a knife
Maria Sharapova’s name is undoubtedly at the front of your mind when you think about tennis grunting. Sharapova’s elegance and elevated grunting have captivated the sporting world since her debut on the tennis court 11 years ago. With her grunts sharper than her aces, Maria Sharapova delivered the strongest reported grunt which reached nearly 105 dB at the 2009 Wimbledon championships.
1. The wonder sisters
This brings us to the No. 1 spot holder in our list of the Top 10 Interesting Facts About Tennis, that is the Williams sisters. The Williams sisters have placed numerous unbelievable records under their belts, therefore, it would be hard not to include them in the list. Venus and Serena Williams are the first sisters in tennis history to win an Olympic gold medal. In 2012, the Williams sisters were the champions in the women’s doubles division in London. As a result, they were able to add another feather to their caps.
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