Until today, there is no reliable information in history who invented tennis. It is assumed that this was a certain Walton Wingfield in the county of Wales, who in 1873 came up with the original rules of the game of tennis. The basis was taken at that time, a game popular among French aristocrats, which was called real tennis. Translated from French, the word tenez meant nothing more than "hold." It was believed that with this cry, the player notified his opponent about the serve. This is the original version of the origin of the name of the game. There is a theory in which it is notified that tennis connects the old French word, which means weaving shuttle. It is this object with its movements back and forth that resembles a game. English versions are also outlined that have contributed to tennis rules. The first court was opened in the USA in 1874, and in 1877 the first tennis tournament was held in Wimbledon, which is considered to be the most popular to this day. With the birth of this game, tennis racquets for tennis were invented.
Probably, everyone is interested in the question of creating an account in games - 15, 30 and 40. In fact, it’s difficult to answer. Historians suggest that this system is associated with divisions on the watch dial, only for the convenience of sounding 45 was replaced by 40, or by restrictions on bets that were accepted as far back as medieval France. Wingfield suggested introducing a 15-point set, but he did not hold out for a long time, the “non-standard” score was returned to tennis rules.
Formally adopted in 1875, the rules of tennis over the course of a century practically did not change. The only amendments were made in order to make the game more attractive. So, for example, in the 50s they borrowed a system of five innings from table tennis, after which the transition was made. Gradually tried to reduce the time of the game, because there were many cases when the draws were delayed for a long time. With an equal game, the match ended only with a difference of games of 2 points. In this regard, at the initiative of van Alen, a concept such as “tie-break” was introduced, which is currently the decisive game, starting with the score in the set 6-6.
Already at the beginning of the 21st century, tennis players make every effort to ensure that matches in doubles also take a minimum of time, because this factor is considered more attractive both for spectators and for tennis players themselves. In mid-2005, the number of games in the set was reduced, a tie-break was played out with a score of 4-4. In the game, the two-ball difference rule was removed, i.e. with a score of 40-40 a decisive point was played. The new tennis rules caused a lot of gaming issues, so some of the innovations introduced were canceled. The media gave these events the name of the ATP couples revolution.
The rules for the draw were gradually changing. So, for example, in the second round of the competition there must be an even number of tennis players. In such cases, many players passed the first round without a game. Also in 1922, a system of "sowing" of participants was introduced. It consisted in breaking the strongest tennis players throughout the tournament bracket so that they would not meet among themselves in qualifying circles.
Today, tennis is a popular and expensive game. The prize pools of most tournaments “jump over” the million dollar mark. ATP and WTA ratings are also constantly maintained, which identify the best professional tennis players among men and women, respectively. If a player is in the first place in the rating, then he is assigned the status of leader - “First racket of the world”. In achieving such results, he is assisted by the four largest Grand Slam tournaments held annually: the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open. Winning four tournaments is the highest goal a tennis player can achieve. In addition to individual games, there are team tournaments in which national teams take part. For men, this is the Davis Cup, and for women, the Federation Cup. The origins of the team game lie at Harvard Walls, where students held the tournament according to their own rules, which later became official.