Fun Tennis Facts

History & Origins

• Tennis originated in 12th-century France as a handball game called jeu de paume before evolving into modern tennis in the late 19th century.
• The first Wimbledon tournament was held in 1877, making it the oldest Grand Slam event.
• The term "love" in tennis (meaning zero) is believed to come from the French word l'œuf (meaning "egg"), which resembles a zero.

• The four Grand Slam tournaments are Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open.
• Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have dominated men's tennis in the 21st century, with Djokovic currently holding the most Grand Slam titles.
• Serena Williams and Margaret Court are among the most successful women's players in Grand Slam history.

• The fastest serve recorded in tennis history was 163.7 mph (263.4 km/h) by Sam Groth in 2012.
• The longest match in history lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes, played over three days at Wimbledon 2010 between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.
• The shortest Grand Slam final was the 1988 French Open, where Steffi Graf defeated Natasha Zvereva in just 34 minutes.

• The yellow tennis ball was introduced at Wimbledon in 1986 to make it more visible on television.
• Tennis balls were originally white and made of leather stuffed with wool or hair.
• The largest tennis stadium in the world is the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, with a seating capacity of over 23,000.
• Tennis players run an average of 3 miles per match, making it one of the most physically demanding sports.

Tennis is a game of skill, endurance, and strategy, enjoyed worldwide by both professionals and casual players!