When was the first tennis racquet invented? Who invented the game of tennis?

Tennis is one of the most popular racquet sports in the world alongside badminton, squash and table tennis. Some historians believe that the origins of the game can be traced back to the 12th century, France. However, modern tennis originated in Birmingham, England only in the second half of the 19th century. Tennis can be played either in singles or doubles format where each player uses a racquet to strike the ball across their opponents.

A tennis racquet is an equipment of a handled frame and it consists of a tightly-elongated network of strings that connects and strikes the ball. A racquet design and its way of manufacturing has been remarkably changed to suit modern-day tennis standards from its earlier years. Here is a look at some insights regarding the equipment as we answer queries like when was the first tennis racquet invented as well as who invented the game of tennis.

Roger Federer wields a tennis racquet

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Who invented the game of tennis and when was the first tennis racquet invented?

As mentioned earlier, several historians believe that tennis was first originated during the 12th century by French monks. However, they used their hands instead of racquets, thus making the sport look more like a handball. The year 1874 saw the very first tennis racquet being made by Major Walter C. Wingfield in London. It was made out of solid wood and could have done some damage to the body if not handled properly.

When was the first tennis racquet invented and its evolution over the years

Some 73 years later, i.e. in 1947, a new tennis racquet was made by using an advanced laminating technology. It was made out of laminated wood and was considered as a game-changer at the time. In the subsequent years, the primary gear saw more changes to its design, with the world witnessing a steel racquet in 1968 to getting an oversized aluminium-made one in 1975. While wood is still used in its manufacturing, most racquets these days are also composed of fibreglass, titanium and ceramics.  

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Who invented the game of tennis? A history lesson

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Disclaimer: The above information to queries like ‘When was the first tennis racquet invented’ and ‘who invented the game of tennis’ are sourced from various historical data and reports.

Image credit: ATP Tour Twitter