| iv id="body"> | | | | change from the wads of wool, hair, wool, or cork |
| In my mind, the true history of tennis does not begin | | | | wrapped in leather or string and cloth - these are what |
| until the 1850's, when the first "modern" tennis balls | | | | had been used in real tennis. |
| were invented and used. Before this point, the history | | | | And because these vulcanized rubber tennis balls |
| of tennis is the history of a completely different game | | | | could be used outdoors, on lawn courts, without walls |
| - "real tennis." | | | | to bounce them off of, new rules had to be invented |
| Real tennis is played on indoor courts. In fact, real | | | | for this new game of lawn tennis. |
| tennis cannot be played outside - the players use the | | | | Walter Clopton Wingfield is usually the man who is |
| angled walls of a real tennis court to strategically hit | | | | given credit for the invention of modern tennis, or lawn |
| and return the ball to their opponents. Yes, real tennis | | | | tennis. Around 1874, Wingfield actually patented the |
| his very similar to today's modern tennis, or "lawn | | | | game. And the game became popular among the |
| tennis," but only in the same way that handball, | | | | leisured classes throughout the end of the 1800s. |
| badminton, croquet, and racquetball are similar to lawn | | | | The popularity of tennis spread relatively quickly. Tennis |
| tennis! | | | | clubs were set up around this time. The first tennis |
| That is why I choose to start my history of tennis at | | | | championships were held in 1877 in Wimbledon... a |
| the point in which lawn tennis diverged from real tennis, | | | | precursor to the Grand Slam tournament held in |
| and this happened in the 1850's. It was in the 1850's | | | | Wimbledon every year, even today. |
| that Charles Goodyear, of Goodyear tire fame, | | | | The rules of tennis changed gradually throughout the |
| invented vulcanized rubber. Vulcanized rubber is a | | | | later 1800s, changing the shape of the court and the |
| process that prevents natural rubber from deteriorating | | | | height of net and thereby changing the history of tennis |
| so quickly (without the vulcanization process, natural | | | | in the process! |
| rubber could deteriorate within just a few days.) | | | | So, as you can see, it makes sense that I choose to |
| So, with the vulcanization of rubber came rubber tennis | | | | start the real history of tennis around the 1850's when |
| balls. The rubber tennis balls could be used outdoors on | | | | Charles Goodyear's invention of vulcanized rubber |
| lawn courts. These rubber tennis balls were a nice | | | | made modern tennis possible. |