Tennis is an individual and team sport that originated in the United Kingdom towards the end of the 19th century. The modern version of the game, lawn tennis, came about during this time, but the sport has a history that goes back many more years. An earlier version of the game, now known as 'real tennis', had been developed by the French between the 12th and 16th centuries and was popular throughout France, Spain and Italy. This version of the game was played on enclosed courts with walls and sometimes ceilings that were used during the course of play.
The first modern tennis championship took place in London at Wimbledon in 1877 and the sport soon became highly popular worldwide. Today it is still widely enjoyed by recreational and professional players of all ages. The major tennis tournaments, known as the Grand Slam tournaments, are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. These are considered the most important events in the Tennis calendar and attract fans from countries far and wide.
Wimbledon, with its strawberries and cream, is a big international event that sees hotels booked out across London well in advance. International fans are more than happy to catch a red double-decker bus, or tube train to the match and make a real holiday of their stay. The same goes for the other big tennis events. It is common for dedicated tennis fans to travel to all the Gland Slam tournaments in a season, snapping up flights and booking hotels close to the courts just to catch a glimpse of their favourite players in action.
