The Origins of Tennis

The origins of tennis are disputed and have been debated for years. There are those that believe the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans first began the sport. This is based on Arabic words that are derived from Ancient Egyptian. Of high interest is the Nile town of Tinnis in Egypt and the word 'rahat' which means 'palm of the hand' in Egyptian. For many, they believe 'rahat' is the word that 'racquet' evolved from. The combination of the town that runs along the Nile and 'rahat' is proof to some that these ancient worlds created tennis. Unfortunately, there is no written proof of this, either in Egyptian writings or in their depictions that lined tombs and pyramids.

Others insist that tennis began in France by the hands of monks in the 11th or 12th century who tossed balls of a sort against their monastery walls or across a rope strung along a courtyard. The game was called jeu de paume, or just paume. Some claim the name 'tennis' began from the French word 'tenez', which means 'take this'. This sounds more logical to many and is widely used in tennis histories as being the beginning of the sport.

There are also those who believe it was the Roman game of harpastum that was the impetus for tennis. They assert that this game is what was later altered by the French into jeu de paume. However, the prevailing school of thought has harpastum as the origin of rugby and eventually football. It was considered a violent, team sport that itself was taken from a Greek game called phaininda, so it doesn't really seem possible that it could be the game that started tennis.

Many say that as the game was played more, people began to use leather gloves to protect the palms of their hand. Even though rubber wasn't around back then, balls made of hair, wool, or cork wrapped in string, cloth, or leather, took their toll on hands. It's not a surprise that by the 16th century, wooden racquets with strings made of gut had been created to alleviate the pain on the hand.

Regardless of when that first tennis game was played, what is agreed on is that in 1873 Major Walter Wingfield invented a game which he called Sphairistik. The name comes from the Greek for 'playing ball'. This is the game that modern tennis evolved from. Tennis balls and racquets continued to develop into what is more familiar today.

It would be nice if the answer to the question, 'What are the origins of tennis' was a simple one, but it's just not. Perhaps the definitive answer will be found one day as archaeologists discover more about ancient civilizations, or maybe the game did begin in France with the monks. It could be that we'll never know, but the game is here and continues to be enjoyed by millions around the world.