Who Invented Tennis

Although we know that the roots of early tennis can be traced back to Greek history, and that tennis as we know it today began about 1873, can we really say for certain who invented tennis? Though there is no documentation, many believe that the person who invented tennis was Major Walter Clopton Wingfield, and the name he gave the game was Sphairistiké, a Greek word that means, "playing at ball." There is no specific documentation to support this claim, and it's possible that we'll never know for certain the name of the inventor of tennis.

How about who invented tennis shoes? We know the first "sneaker" was invented in 1893 for sailors who didn't want to wear dress shoes on the decks of their ships. The name tennis shoe or sneaker became a generic name for any athletic shoe, and it doesn't appear that the name of the person who invented the tennis shoe is available. The term tennis shoe was replaced for some time when everyone used the popular shoe of the day, "Keds" to describe all sneakers regardless of the brand or type. Tennis shoes have changed over the years, but it's important to keep in mind that not all tennis shoes are made for playing tennis.

There is no information concerning who invented the tennis ball, although it there is speculation that monks in the 11th and 12th centuries invented the first tennis ball. It is likely that the inventor of the modern tennis ball had no idea of the popularity it would generate over the years. This also brings up the question of who invented the tennis racquet? After all, the person who invented the tennis racket initially made it rather bulky, made of heavy wood, and strings with only one tension. The cost of this racquet was $15, quite a hefty sum in 1935. Of course modern technology has allowed changes that even accommodate different styles of play, so that a racquet today can almost be customized to the player who uses it.

With all of the modern technology in the tennis world, some people even wonder who invented the tennis ball machine. This piece of tennis equipment is rather new in comparison to other equipment, and was invented by Prince in 1970. With so many different changes in technology over the years, tennis has become a sport filled with high technology styles and plays.