Spectacular, played today on all kinds of surfaces by tens of millions of people, for fun or in competition, tennis has spread all over the world. Designed and codified in England in the 1870s, it is the direct descendant of jeu de paume, invented in France in the 11th century.
When was tennis first invented?
The modern game of tennis traces back to a medieval game called jeu de paume, which began in 12th century France. It was initially played with the palm of the hand, and rackets were added by 16th century.
Who created tennis in the 12th century and why?
Yet, history says that the origins of tennis, that grew up to be the game we know and play today, go back to the 12th century France. The French monks invented a fun game that they played during ceremonies. They hit the ball with the palm of their hand. The game was called “paume” from the french word that means palm.
