Do the names Federer, Nadal, and Andy Roddick ring a bell?

Tennis is a sport that requires a lot of strength and stamina. It is a very well-known sport that started most ball games. The Ancient Egyptians actually played ball games as part of their religious ceremonies. These traditions and the whole concept of the ball games spread into Europe during the 8th century. The influences of the ceremonies were courtesy of the Moors, whose Empire reached into Southern France. As strange as it may seem, it was the meeting of this Eastern culture with Christianity that eventually gave rise to the famous sport we refer to today as tennis.

It was in France that tennis as we know it really came into being. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries it became a highly fashionable sport of kings and noblemen and was called ' Jeu de paumme' – the game of the palm. Early French players would begin a game by shouting 'tenez', i.e. 'Play!' and the game soon became known as Royal, or Real Tennis. Real tennis was actually very different to our modern day tennis as it was played indoors.

The Wimbledon Championship was one of the most significant developments in the history of tennis. The game captured the imagination of the public and it wasn’t long before the first few champions emerged. One of the first champions was William Renshaw, who won the championship title 8 times between 1881 and 1889 (he was runner-up in 1887) – a record that remains unbeaten until today. Over the next few years the sport gained tremendous popularity, not just in England but also all over the world. In 1905, May Sutton from the USA became the first international player. That particular year, the tournament attracted 71 players. A few years later in 1909, the currently titled ‘All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club’ adopted the purple and green colors still used today.

The growth of tennis continued and the 1927 Championship birthed the first ever radio broadcast of a tennis event. This increased its popularity further, and in the 1930’s, tennis became a highly fashionable sport, played by British stars such as Fred Perry, Don Budge and International Champions such as Henri Lacoste. Tennis fashions were somewhat different in those days! Long trousers were the order of the day for men; for women, it was long dresses and stockings. Fashion trends became a development in their own right and Bunny Austin from the USA shocked the crowds in 1933 when he became the first player to step out on to centre court wearing shorts! Talk about a rebel. The 1930's became Wimbledon's boom time and in 1937, the championship was broadcast on the radio for the first time. With this noteworthy event, tennis was truly introduced to the world.