Alex Mann has written a post giving us some key facts and timelines in the history of tennis racquets. Did you know that…? The History of Tennis Racquets One of the first types of tennis racquets was made for the game of Real Tennis or Royal Tennis. During the 16th Century, the game was played throughout France and popularised by King Henry VIII of England, who built his own court at Hampton Court Palace, London. Real tennis was played on an indoor court surrounded by walls. The game is best described as a modern mix of lawn tennis and squash. Racquets or …
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Alex Mann is back with an interesting article about the history of tennis balls. This leads into how tennis balls are made. The History of Tennis Balls As the game of tennis has developed and changed, so have the tennis balls. Before the creation of Lawn Tennis in the late 19th Century, its predecessor, Real Tennis, used balls made from leather stuffed with horse or dog hair or similar material such as wool. During the late 1800s, lawn tennis used rubber tennis balls made by the Eagle India Rubber Company. To improve the quality and playing life of the rubber, the …
On 24th September 2022, the sport of tennis said goodbye to one of its all-time greats. Roger Federer – winner of 20 career grand slams – gave a tearful farewell at the O2 Arena in London following defeat in the Laver Cup. Oddschecker, which compares odds and provides free offers on Tennis, made the Swiss icon and Rafa Nadal favorites for their doubles match against American duo Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe. However, the favorites eventually succumbed to a 2-1 defeat. The announcement of Federer’s retirement prompted an outpouring of emotion both in the arena and on social media, with …
Tennis is one of the world’s most enthusiastically supported sports, by some measures, surpassed only by football, cricket, and hockey. But where is tennis the most popular? The History of the Game The sport of tennis dates back some 800 years to 12th century France. Most historians agree on the game as we know it today began in monastic cloisters and was initially called “jeu de paume” or “game of the palm.” As the name implies, no rackets were used, instead, players (monks) struck balls, originally made of wood, with their bare palms (and later a gloved hand). The etymology …
Wimbledon 2022 is underway! It’s therefore fitting to look at some of Wimbledon’s best moments through history. We all have memories of iconic events in tennis history, but some of these are difficult to argue. Here are some of Wimbledon’s Best Moments on the men’s side. Please also share yours! There are very personal moments for each player at this prestigious tournament. For ex-professional Andre Sa, one such moment was when he faced home favorite Tim Henman in the 2002 Wimbledon quarter-finals. You can read what he had to say about it here. The Best Wimbledon Final in History? This …
Alex Mann is back with an article about the origins of Wimbledon. Wimbledon is the most prestigious tournament in tennis. Ps. After you read the origins of Wimbledon, you can check out Alex’ Wimbledon preview for Men’s and Women’s tournaments by clicking the links. Ds. The Origins of Wimbledon by Alex Mann Game, set and match to Spencer Gore, 6-1 6-2 6-4. His name may be a mystery to many, but in 1877 he defeated William Marshall to win the first edition of the Wimbledon Championships. Around 200 spectators watched the final, which was held at the All England Croquet …
James Lloyd is back with the third part of his racquet history series called “A Head of The Game” – The Class of 95. A Head of the Game – Part 3 – The Class of 95 In 1993, Head launched the PT57 mid-plus frame mold, one of my three ‘game-changing frame’ nominees. But why am I calling it the PT57 and not ‘The Radical Tour’ or ‘The Pro Tour 630’? Well, the answer lies in the present day, via various marketing or naming strategies taken on by manufacturers, you see Wilson, as one example, had the ‘Pro Staff’. Within …
James Lloyd is back with part 2 of his series “A Head of the Game”. This time he talks about the father of the modern tennis racquet. Read part 1 of James’ series here called A Head of the Game – Game-changers. James was also featured in a video about modern vs classical racquets on YouTube. Papa’s got a brand-new bat (the father of the modern tennis racquet). Nonsense!!!! I hear you shout. How is the Prince Original Graphite Oversize the father of the ‘modern’ tennis racket? Well, it is ‘just a racket’, I agree. Bloody good one, though. I …
James Lloyd is a fellow tennis nerd. He writes about tennis racquet history in a multi-part series called “A Head of the Game”. Big thanks to James for “A Head of the Game” part 1. Part 2 and 3 to come so stay tuned! A Head of the Game Part 1: Meet The parents I guess, with the relatively small disparity in racket sizes currently on sale in 2022, I got dwelling on the history of how we got to where we are now when you look at the history of tennis racquets. Please don’t shoot the messenger, for I …
When we think about the popularity of the biggest tennis tournaments taking place all year round, we see competition and great sportsmanship. This elitist sport, highly charged with athletic brilliance, has been and continues to amaze all tennis fans. Every decade brought new changes in the rules of tennis and higher standards, which represented the perfect context for newcomers. This way, new names stole fans’ hearts by making history, which also led to astonishing competitions and even rivalries. To honor the career and prolific activity of some of the most appreciated players, we put together 5 of those retired tennis …