Texas Tennis History
The story of tennis in Texas began in the early 1880s when the game gained popularity among the upper and middle classes. Since then, tennis has evolved into one of the most inclusive sports enjoyed by people of all ages, abilities, and income levels.
Tennis traces its roots back to the 11th or 12th century when monks played a form of handball against the walls of their monasteries or in courtyards. By 1500, wooden racquets had replaced the use of hands, and within a century, the game became so popular among European nobility that nearly every English nobleman had a tennis court. A version of this historical game, known as court tennis, is still played today.
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In 1873, Major Walter C. Wingfield of England designed a game similar to modern tennis, which he named sphairistike, after the Greek word for an ancient ball game. In 1874, he patented the game, selling boxed sets that included racquets, net posts, balls, and a rulebook. Wingfield's court was shaped like an hourglass, shorter than the modern court, with a higher net at the sides. The game was played on lawns and was called "lawn tennis." The term sphairistike soon fell out of use, and by 1882, the court, net, and rules had evolved into the form we recognize today.
This new game quickly gained popularity around the world. People brought their box sets with them when traveling. This is how it made its way into the United States. Mary Outerbridge brought a box set with her to New York in early 1874 when she returned from Bermuda. She had seen the game played by British army officers who had been introduced to it by Major Wingfield. She convinced the Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club to set up a court. The game soon caught on and spread across the country.
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