Real tennis is the original game of tennis whose origins can be traced to the 14^th century (only in the 19^th century was the upstart offspring lawn tennis invented!). Ball games from this period were played in streets, against the sides of buildings and within cloisters. The precise location of real tennis’s birth is therefore impossible to determine.

Its general origins are in medieval Europe, and France seems to have had the biggest influence on the game. The most likely origin of the word “tennis” is the French tenez meaning hold or pay attention. It is possible that tenez was called out at the start of every rally, and hence the game came to be known as tennis. Many other French words feature in real tennis. Terms such as dedans, tambour and grille are commonplace and the scoring term “deuce” is also believed to be French in origin.

The game grew in popularity with rich and poor alike, and there was a time when Paris had more tennis courts than churches. Lawn tennis may now be the better known game of tennis, but real tennis continues to command an enthusiastic following and its popularity is once again on the rise.

Real tennis also features the oldest continuous World Championship event in history which dates back to 1740. This is the pinnacle of the real tennis calendar and it is contested biennially. Some past incarnations of the fixture can be seen here.

Although real tennis still uses wooden rackets and handmade balls, many features of the game in the 21^st century would be unrecognisable to 16^th century Europe. More details about the game’s history can be found here.