ETYM Old Eng. tennes, tenies, tenyse; of uncertain origin, perhaps from French tenez hold or take it, from tenir to hold (see Tenable).
A game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court; SYN. lawn tennis.
Racket and ball game invented toward the end of the 19th century. It was introduced by Major Clopton Wingfield at a Christmas party at Nantclwyn, Wales, in 1873. His game was then called “Sphairistike”. It derived from court tennis. Although played on different surfaces (grass, wood, shale, clay, concrete), it is sometimes still called “lawn tennis”.
The aim of the two or four players is to strike the ball into the prescribed area of the court, with oval-headed rackets (strung with gut or nylon), in such a way that it cannot be returned. The game is won by those first winning four points (called 15, 30, 40, game), unless both sides reach 40 (deuce), when two consecutive points are needed to win. A set is won by winning six games with a margin of two over opponents, although a tie-break system operates, that is, at six games to each side (or in some cases eight), except in the final set. Major events include the Davis Cup, first contested in 1900 for international men’s competition; Wimbledon, a UK open event for players of both sexes; and the US, French, and Australian Opens.