Tennis - what's worth knowing…

To this day, it has not been possible to determine where it comes from. Some historians believe that primitive tennis was already known in ancient. Supporters of this theory cite the example of the Arabic word "rahet", which means hand, from which the word "racket" probably came from. Another clue comes from the name of the Egyptian city: Tinnis, which sounds like the word "tennis." Significant evidence of the presence of tennis comes from the 11th and 12th centuries, when Italian and French monks entertained audiences during ceremonies by playing a game of hitting a ball over a rope. The game was called "jeu de paume", or simply "playing with the hand". Over the next few centuries, tennis grew in popularity. Aristocrats began to turn courtyards and palace chambers into courts. In the 16th century, the rocket was introduced. Modern version of tennis was created in England in 1874 thanks to Major W. C. Wingfield, who patented a new game ...

Highest paid tournament: In 2019, the last year before the coronavirus pandemic, the US Open singles champions received a bonus of $3.9 million, and those defeated in the first and second round could count on $58,000 and $100,000 USD. Compared to the previous year, when the winner and the winner each gained 2.6 million. That's a whopping 1.3 million difference... wow Poles gained the most for one tournament: 9 out of the top 10 financial results of Polish tennis are achieved by women. The men are far behind them. The first place is taken by Agnieszka Radwańska (WTA Finals 2015 - victory) with the result of USD 2,054,000. Behind her is Iga Świątek, who is currently playing and won 1,768,468 USD (Roland Garros 2020 – victory) Who earned the most in their career: Male : USD 450 MILLION - Roger Federer often described as the best tennis player of all time. He has won 20 Grand Slams. Only from the tournament prizes, he collected a considerable amount of 130 million USD, but it is only ...

For years, the characteristic color assigned to tennis was white. However, Wimbledon has in it’s rules white color to these days. Its dress code was written in the elegant 1880s. One of the first who broke the rule was Andre Agassi, who refused to play at Wimbledon from because it prevented him from wearing the flashy clothes that were most comfortable for him. The legendary Roger Federer was reprimanded for using white shoes with an orange sole. Eugenie Bouchard broke the rules because her black bra strap was sticking out from under her T-shirts, and Mariusz Fyrstenberg hadn’t been able to wear a headband, which was white but with a black stripe. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, summed up that she is afraid of wearing different colored underwear on the court, and she did not wear white even at her own wedding. According to Wimbledon rules, tennis players can only use a snow-white match, and dirty white and cream shades are prohibited. This rule also applies to the back, left side and e...

Coco Chanel - French designer also influenced the update on the court fashion. No one expected then that her knee-length white dress and headband would become part of the canons of tennis fashion for decades.  A revolution in the wardrobes of female athletes, also was made by Ted Tinling. In 1949, Gertrude Moran wore a short skirt with shown underwear. It was sensation for people at that time.  Over the years, the standard was becoming less and less restrictive. Andre Agassi brought a bit of color to the fashion. His trademarks included denim shorts, flashy T-shirts and bright tennis shoes.  Another change to women are pants. The fashion revolution, in which women fight for the right to legally wear trousers, can easily compete with best-selling crime novels. Amelia Jenks Bloomer, an American feminist from the second half of the 19th century, won women the right to wear trousers. A decision was made because women wanted to spend free time more actively but also comfortabl...

Tennis has always been considered as an elite sport. The modern version of the sport became available in the 19th century and became very popular among the British aristocracy. Women had to wear long dresses, puffy sleeves and obligatory corset. Men should wear trousers, long-sleeved clothes and a tie. Uncomfortable but fashionable.  The breakthrough came with May Sutton - an American player who appeared on the court in a shirt with exposed wrists, and the scandal became the beginning of great changes.  The 1920s turned to Rene Lacoste - one who appeared on the court in 1926 wearing a polo shirt of his own design. The short sleeve was new and shocking. Seven years later, the French tennis player founded a brand that is one of the most recognizable in the world. In women's tennis, Suzanne Lenglen took the lead, thanks to whom women began to play in skirts that didn’t restrict their actions. Part 2 about tennis fashion next week 🔜 https://www.merchantoftennis.com/blogs/tennis-i...