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Beginning of Tennis
Tennis was organized in England in the 1870s but can be traced back to an 11-13 century French handball game called jeu de paume (“game of the palm”), which was derived from a complex indoor racket-and-ball game: real tennis. -
The Wimbledon Championships
The popularity of tennis grew rapidly. The first tennis tournament, The Wimbledon Championships, was held on July 9, 1877. 21 amateurs showed up with a goal to win a 25-guinea trophy. -
Founding of USTA
On May 21, 1881, the United States Tennis Association was founded and standardized the rules of tennis relating to scoring, equipment, and court dimensions. -
Tennis in the Olympics
Tennis was introduced in the Summer Olympics in 1896 -
First Davis Cup
In 1900, the first Davis Cup, the largest team event in men’s tennis, was held where the U.S. took on Great Britain. -
International Tennis Association
On March 1, 1913, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) was set up to regulate the four major tournaments, also known as the four Grand Slams. -
Tennis becomes Broadcasted
On January 1, 1937, the tennis championships were broadcast on the radio for the first time. This introduced tennis to the world by reaching a broader crowd. -
The "Open Era"
July 1, 1968, marked the beginning of the “Open Era” which created the most significant tennis enterprise we have today. Open tennis dissolved the boundary between professionals and amateurs and resulted in professionals who had been restricted in their engagements and appearances being freed to play all events. -
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP)
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) was established in 1972. Computerized tennis rankings were put in place for the first time in order to streamline tournament entry criteria. -
Battle of the Sexes Video
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Battle of the Sexes
On September 20, 1973, top women’s player Billie Jean King defeated former No. 1 ranked male tennis player Bobby Riggs in a “Battle of the Sexes” match. It is one of the most televised sporting events of all time with no tennis match before or since been seen by so many. 50 million people in the US and an estimated 90 million people worldwide tuned in to watch. It was a turning point for female athletes and earned them greater recognition and respect. -
Tennis enters the Olympics Again
Tennis withdrew from the Olympics after the 1924 Games but returned 60 years later as a 21-and-under demonstration event in 1984. The success of the event was overwhelming, and the IOC decided to reintroduce tennis as a full medal sport at Seoul in 1988. -
ATP Masters Introduced
The ATP Masters series was introduced in 1990 with the establishment of the ATP Tour. The Masters, along with the Grad Slam Tournaments became the most sought out trophies on the annual ATP Tour calendar. -
New Scoring Method
The ATP introduced a different scoring system for doubles matches, with sudden death points at deuce and a first-to-ten-points tiebreak in place of a final set on November 21, 2005. -
Serena Williams' 23rd Grand Slam
In 2017, Serena Williams solidified herself as the greatest female tennis player of all time after winning her 23rd Grand Slam. -
Serena Williams Last Game Video
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Serena Williams' Last Game
September 2, 2022, Serena Williams played her final match in the US Open before retiring. It became the most-watched tennis match in seven years and ESPN's most-watched tennis telecast in the network’s 43-year history.