Sport
Tennis
Also Known As Lawn Tennis Historical name for the modern game as it originated in the late 19th century.
Racket Sports
Tennis is a racket sport played between two players (singles) or two pairs (doubles) on a rectangular court divided by a net. The modern outdoor game, originally called lawn tennis, was patented in England in 1874 by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield, who adapted the older indoor game of real tennis for play on grass with rubber balls that could bounce. Real tennis itself, also called jeu de paume, traces to French monastery courtyards around the twelfth century, where it began as a handball game played against walls before rackets were introduced around the sixteenth century, so the sport carries two distinct origin points depending on whether the ancient handball ancestor or the modern codified outdoor game is meant. Scoring is counted in points named love, fifteen, thirty and forty within a game, a game won by reaching forty with a two-point margin (or by winning consecutive points from deuce, forty-all); games accumulate into sets, ordinarily won by the first side to six games with a two-game margin, and a match is won by the first side to take a majority of sets, best-of-three in most competition and best-of-five in the men's draw at three of the four Grand Slam tournaments. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Origin YearMarks the approximate twelfth-century French origin of real tennis (jeu de paume), the older ancestor game the entity-description already names; the entity's primary origin-year (1874) records Major Walter Wingfield's later lawn-tennis patent instead. Originating RegionFrance (for the medieval jeu de paume ancestor); England (for the 1874 modern codification) 4 International Governing BodyThe International Tennis Federation, founded 1913, headquartered in London, United Kingdom. 4 Disputed
Origin Year1874 is the year Major Walter Clopton Wingfield patented the modern outdoor lawn tennis game in England, taken here as the sport codified origin. The much older ancestor game, real tennis or jeu de paume, traces to French monastery courtyards around the twelfth century as a handball game, centuries before rackets or the modern lawn version existed, so which date counts as tennis true origin depends on which game is meant. Identity
SymbolA strung racket used to strike a hollow felt-covered rubber ball over a net. 1 Classification
Olympic Programme Status Connections
Ancestor Of
Pickleball, Sports Borrowed a tennis-height net; not a lineage claim.
Source Pickleball - Wikipedia
Source Wikipedia, Table Tennis
Featured In
Source Wikipedia: Tennis at the 1900 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Tennis at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Tennis at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Tennis at the 1912 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia: Tennis at the 1924 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia, 1992 Summer Olympics
Source Wikipedia, 1996 Summer Olympics
Source Australian Open, Official History
Source Roland Garros (French Open), Official History
Source International Olympic Committee, Official Olympic History Reference
Source International Paralympic Committee, Official History
Source US Open, Official History (Tennis)
Source The Championships, Wimbledon, Official History
Governed By
Source Wikipedia, International Tennis Federation
Long-Form Articles
Played By
Source Wikipedia: Andre Agassi
Source Olympedia: Andrea Sestini Hlaváčková - Olympedia
Source Angelique Kerber (Wikipedia)
Source Anna Kournikova (Wikipedia)
Source Barbora Strýcová (Wikipedia)
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Source Boris Becker (Wikipedia)
Source Edith Hannam (Olympedia)
Source Ekaterine Gorgodze (Wikipedia)
Source Fred Perry (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia, Great Britain Davis Cup team
Source Wikipedia, Guillermo Vilas
Source Gussie Moran (Wikipedia)
Source Hana Mandlíková (Wikipedia)
Source Hana Mandlíková (Wikipedia)
Source Harri Heliövaara (Wikipedia)
Source Henri Kontinen (Wikipedia)
Source Jelena Janković (Wikipedia)
Source Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Wikipedia)
Source Karel Nováček (Wikipedia)
Source Laila Schou Nilsen (Olympedia)
Source Laura Robson (Wikipedia)
Source Lilí Álvarez (Wikipedia)
Source Lisa Raymond (Wikipedia)
Source Lleyton Hewitt (Wikipedia)
Source Lucie Hradecká (Olympedia)
Source Manuel Orantes (Wikipedia)
Source Marat Safin (Wikipedia)
Source Marcel Bernard (Wikipedia)
Source Michael Stich (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Pete Sampras
Source René Lacoste (Wikipedia)
Showing 1 to 50 of 62 in Played By, page 1 of 2.
In the Other Atlases
Found In
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Sources
1. Wikipedia, Tennis
Wikimedia FoundationHistory section
The modern form of tennis originated in Birmingham, England, in the late 19th century as lawn tennis.
lead section
Each player uses a tennis racket strung with a cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net
View the Source 2. Tennis at the Summer Olympics (Wikipedia)
3. Wikipedia, Real Tennis
WikipediaLead sectionQuote, Lead section
Real tennis evolved, over three centuries, from an earlier ball game played around the 12th century in France.
4. Encyclopaedia Britannica
International Olympic Committee, Official Olympic History Reference
International Olympic CommitteeFeatured In: Olympic Games
The Championships, Wimbledon, Official History
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet ClubFeatured In: Wimbledon
International Paralympic Committee, Official History
International Paralympic CommitteeFeatured In: Paralympic Games
Australian Open, Official History
Tennis AustraliaFeatured In: Australian Open
Roland Garros (French Open), Official History
Federation Francaise de TennisFeatured In: French Open
US Open, Official History (Tennis)
United States Tennis AssociationFeatured In: US Open (Tennis)
Wikipedia, International Tennis Federation
Wikimedia FoundationGoverned By: International Tennis Federation (ITF)View the Source Padel (sport) - Wikipedia
Ancestor Of: Padel, Lead sectionQuote, Ancestor Of: Padel, Lead section
is a racquet sport that combines elements of tennis and squash
Wikipedia: Tennis at the 1900 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1900 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1900 Summer Olympics, Lead section
Four tennis events were contested at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
Wikipedia: Tennis at the 1904 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1904 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1904 Summer Olympics, Lead section
Two events in tennis were contested at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St.
Wikipedia: Tennis at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1908 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1908 Summer Olympics, Lead section
Six tennis events were contested at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom.
Wikipedia: Tennis at the 1912 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1912 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1912 Summer Olympics, Lead section
At the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden eight tennis events were contested divided over two tournaments; an indoor covered courts tournament, played on wood, held from May 5 until May 12 and an outdoor hard court tournament, played on clay, held from June 28 until July 5.
Wikipedia: Tennis at the 1924 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1924 Summer Olympics, Lead sectionQuote, Featured In: 1924 Summer Olympics, Lead section
Final results of the tennis competition at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
Pickleball - Wikipedia
Ancestor Of: Pickleball, EtymologyQuote, Ancestor Of: Pickleball, Etymology
the game of pickleball was created from leftover equipment from several sports; a badminton court, paddleball paddles, a wiffle ball and a net height like that of tennis.
Wikipedia, Table Tennis
Wikimedia FoundationAncestor Of: Table Tennis, IntroductionQuote, Ancestor Of: Table Tennis, Introduction
Table tennis (also known as ping-pong) is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the court on which players stand.
Wikipedia, 1992 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1992 Summer Olympics, HighlightsQuote, Featured In: 1992 Summer Olympics, Highlights
Jennifer Capriati won the singles tennis competition at the age of 16.
Wikipedia, 1996 Summer Olympics
Featured In: 1996 Summer Olympics, Achievements sectionQuote, Featured In: 1996 Summer Olympics, Achievements section
Carl Lewis won his 4th long jump gold medal at the age of 35. In tennis, Andre Agassi won the gold medal, which would eventually make him the first man and second singles player overall (after his eventual wife, Steffi Graf) to win the career Golden Slam, which consists of an Olympic gold medal and victories in the singles tournaments held at professional tennis' four major events (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open).
Ekaterine Gorgodze (Wikipedia)
Played By: Ekaterine Gorgodze, Lead sentence [plays]Quote, Played By: Ekaterine Gorgodze, Lead sentence [plays]
is a Georgian professional tennis player
Victoria Azarenka (Wikipedia)
Played By: Victoria Azarenka, Lead paragraph [plays]Quote, Played By: Victoria Azarenka, Lead paragraph [plays]
is a Belarusian inactive tennis player
Laura Robson (Wikipedia)
Played By: Laura Robson, Lead section, first sentenceQuote, Played By: Laura Robson, Lead section, first sentence
professional tennis player
Jelena Janković (Wikipedia)
Played By: Jelena Janković, Lead paragraph, sportQuote, Played By: Jelena Janković, Lead paragraph, sport
professional tennis player
Harri Heliövaara (Wikipedia)
Played By: Harri Heliövaara, Lead, first sentenceQuote, Played By: Harri Heliövaara, Lead, first sentence
is a Finnish professional tennis player who specializes in doubles
Lisa Raymond (Wikipedia)
Played By: Lisa Raymond, Lead paragraph, sportQuote, Played By: Lisa Raymond, Lead paragraph, sport
an American former professional tennis player who has achieved notable success in doubles tennis
Henri Kontinen (Wikipedia)
Played By: Henri Kontinen, Lead paragraph of the article [plays]Quote, Played By: Henri Kontinen, Lead paragraph of the article [plays]
born 19 June 1990) is a Finnish former professional tennis player who is a former world No. 1 in doubles.
Olympedia: Andrea Sestini Hlaváčková - Olympedia
Played By: Andrea Sestini Hlaváčková, Results, disciplineQuote, Played By: Andrea Sestini Hlaváčková, Results, discipline
Tennis
Lucie Hradecká (Olympedia)
Played By: Lucie Hradecká, Results, eventQuote, Played By: Lucie Hradecká, Results, event
Doubles, Women
Wikipedia, Great Britain Davis Cup team
Played By: Great Britain Davis Cup Team, LeadQuote, Played By: Great Britain Davis Cup Team, Lead
The Great Britain Davis Cup team has represented the United Kingdom internationally since 1900 in the Davis Cup.
Laila Schou Nilsen (Olympedia)
Played By: Laila Schou Nilsen, Biography [plays]Quote, Played By: Laila Schou Nilsen, Biography [plays]
In her teens she concentrated on tennis during the summer and speed skating in the winter.
Edith Hannam (Olympedia)
Played By: Edith Hannam, Results table, eventQuote, Played By: Edith Hannam, Results table, event
Singles, Women
Marcel Bernard (Wikipedia)
Played By: Marcel Bernard, Lead paragraph [plays]Quote, Played By: Marcel Bernard, Lead paragraph [plays]
was a French tennis player
Wikipedia: Pete Sampras
Played By: Pete Sampras, lead paragraph, playsQuote, Played By: Pete Sampras, lead paragraph, plays
Pete Sampras (born August 12, 1971) is an American former professional tennis player.
Wikipedia: Rod Laver
Played By: Rod Laver, lead paragraph, playsQuote, Played By: Rod Laver, lead paragraph, plays
Rodney George Laver (born 9 August 1938) is an Australian former professional tennis player.
Wikipedia: Venus Williams
Played By: Venus Williams, lead paragraph, playsQuote, Played By: Venus Williams, lead paragraph, plays
Venus Ebony Star Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player.
Wikipedia: Andre Agassi
WikipediaPlayed By: Andre Agassi, lead paragraph, playsQuote, Played By: Andre Agassi, lead paragraph, plays
Andre Kirk Agassi ( AG-ə-see; born April 29, 1970) is an American former professional tennis player.
Wikipedia, Guillermo Vilas
Played By: Guillermo Vilas, lead paragraph, playsQuote, Played By: Guillermo Vilas, lead paragraph, plays
Guillermo Vilas (locally [ɡiˈʒeɾmo ˈβilas]; Latin American Spanish pronunciation: [ɡiˈʝeɾmo ˈβilas]; born 17 August 1952) is an Argentine former professional tennis player.
Angelique Kerber (Wikipedia)
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Angelique Kerber (German: [ʔan.d͡ʒɛˈliːk ˈkɛɐ̯bɐ] ; born 18 January 1988) is a German former professional tennis player.
Marat Safin (Wikipedia)
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Marat Mubinovich Safin (%5B%5BWikipedia%3ATemplates+for+discussion%2FLog%2F2025+April+17%23Template%3ALang-rus%5D%5D{}</noinclude>Russian: Мара́т Муби́нович Са́фин, IPA: [mɐˈrat ˈsafʲɪn]; Tatar: Марат Мөбин улы Сафин, romanized: Marat Möbin ulı Safin; born 27 January 1980) is a Russian
Anna Kournikova (Wikipedia)
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Anna Sergeyevna Kournikova Iglesias (née Kournikova; Russian: Анна Сергеевна Курникова; Russian: [ˈanːə sʲɪrˈɡʲejɪvnə ˈkurnʲɪkəvə] ; born 7 June 1981) is a Russian model and television personality, and former professional tennis player.
Simona Halep (Wikipedia)
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Simona Halep (Romanian pronunciation: [siˈmona haˈlep]; born 27 September 1991) is a Romanian former professional tennis player.
Barbora Strýcová (Wikipedia)
Played By: Barbora Strýcová, lead paragraph, playsQuote, Played By: Barbora Strýcová, lead paragraph, plays
Barbora Strýcová (Czech pronunciation: [ˈbarbora ˈstriːtsovaː]; born 28 March 1986), formerly known as Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová, is a Czech former professional tennis player who was ranked world No. 1 in doubles.
René Lacoste (Wikipedia)
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Jean René Lacoste (French pronunciation: [ʁəne lakɔst]; 2 July 1904 - 12 October 1996) was a French tennis player and businessman.
Lleyton Hewitt (Wikipedia)
Played By: Lleyton Hewitt, lead paragraph, playsQuote, Played By: Lleyton Hewitt, lead paragraph, plays
Lleyton Glynn Hewitt (born 24 February 1981) is an Australian former professional tennis player.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Wikipedia)
Played By: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, lead paragraph, playsQuote, Played By: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, lead paragraph, plays
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (French pronunciation: [ʒo wilfʁid tsɔŋɡa]; born 17 April 1985) is a French former professional tennis player.
Hana Mandlíková (Wikipedia)
Played By: Hana Mandlíková, lead paragraph, playsQuote, Played By: Hana Mandlíková, lead paragraph, plays
Hana Mandlíková (born 19 February 1962) is a Czech-Australian former professional tennis player.
Boris Becker (Wikipedia)
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Boris Franz Becker (German: [ˈboːʁɪs ˈbɛkɐ] ; born 22 November 1967) is a German former professional tennis player, tennis coach and a commentator.
Manuel Orantes (Wikipedia)
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Manuel Orantes Corral (Spanish pronunciation: [maˈnwel oˈɾantes koˈral]; born 6 February 1949) is a Spanish former professional tennis player.
Fred Perry (Wikipedia)
Played By: Fred Perry, Lead sentenceQuote, Played By: Fred Perry, Lead sentence
was a British tennis and table tennis player and former world No. 1.
Lilí Álvarez (Wikipedia)
Played By: Lilí Álvarez, Lead sentenceQuote, Played By: Lilí Álvarez, Lead sentence
was a Spanish multi-sport competitor, an international tennis champion, an author, feminist and a journalist.
Karel Nováček (Wikipedia)
Played By: Karel Nováček, Lead sentence [plays]Quote, Played By: Karel Nováček, Lead sentence [plays]
retired Czech former top ten tennis player
Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Wikipedia)
Played By: Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Lead, disciplineQuote, Played By: Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Lead, discipline
is a Russian former professional tennis player
Michael Stich (Wikipedia)
Played By: Michael Stich, Lead, sportQuote, Played By: Michael Stich, Lead, sport
is a German former professional tennis player
Gussie Moran (Wikipedia)
Played By: Gussie Moran, Lead [plays]Quote, Played By: Gussie Moran, Lead [plays]
was an American tennis player who was active in the late 1940s and 1950s
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