Alongside boxing, tennis stands as one of the most demanding and physically challenging individual sports known to man. It is also one of the most ancient and historically rich past-times, which originated in the 12th century and continues to gain in popularity today. This is largely down to the current generation of players, with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and the legendary Roger Federer among the greatest players of all time.
10 Things you Always Wanted to Know About Tennis but Were Too Afraid to Ask
With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the sport’s most surprising and fascinating facts. Consider the following: –
The Origins of Tennis Scoring: While the precise origin of tennis’ unique scoring system remains unknown, one potential explanation suggests that 15, 30 and 40 were introduced because they were based on the presiding clock face at one end of the court.
The First Wimbledon Championship: The inaugural Wimbledon Championships, which remains the most famous and coveted Grand Slam, took place in 1877. This enabled the locals to enjoy an exciting new sport, while also giving organisers the opportunity to raise capital to purchase a new lawnmower. To purchase Wimbledon tickets 2014, (https://www.wimbledondebentureholders.com) be sure to get online and make your booking as soon as possible.
The Origins of ‘Racket Science’: While today’s tennis players are preoccupied with a concept known as ‘racket science’, players from previous generations and various cultures used their bare hands to play the precursor to lawn tennis. This version of the game was known as jeu de paume (game of the palm) among French participants.
The Leading Clay Court Player: While clay is widely considered to be the most difficult playing surface in tennis, there are some stars who have overcome this challenged. Rafa Nadal is the most successful male player on clay, having won an incredible 8 French Open finals since 2004 and dominated the sport against all-comers.
The Most Successful Male Player: On a similar note, Swiss player Roger Federer holds the considerable distinction of being the most decorated male tennis player. He has won a total of 18 Grand Slam titles, including a record 7 at Wimbledon at forged a unique rivalry with Spaniard Rafa Nadal.
The Longest Game: The game between American John Isner and Frenchman Nicolas Mahut at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships is recorded as the longest in tennis history, lasting for over 11 hours and a total of 183 games. Isner won the final set by a staggering score of 70 – 68, although he was unable to progress in the following round.
The Sport’s Biggest Loser: While this tag may seem harsh, popular ATP Tour player Chris Evert holds the record for the most Wimbledon final defeats. She lost a grand total of seven in her career, six of which were contested against the highly decorated Martina Navratilova.
The Shortest Grand Slam Final: Steffi Graf is known as one of the world’s greatest ever ATP Tour players, and one of her greatest claims to fame is that she dominated the shortest ever Grand Slam final in history. In the 1988 French Open final, she defeated the unheralded Natasha Zvereva 6-0, 6-0 in just 32 minutes.
The Fastest Male Serve: The fastest serve ever recorded in a competitive match was dished-up by American Andy Roddick, whose 155mph delivery by-passed his opponent Vladimir Voltchkov in the semi-final of the 2004 Davis Cup. Serena Williams is credited with the fastest ever female serve, clocking 121 mph on several occasions at the U.S. Open.
The Most Aces: Former champion, Croatian favourite and tennis legend Goran Ivanisevic claimed the record for the most aces served in a single year, after delivering a cumulative total of 1,477 during the 1996 season. Ivanisevic eventually won a deserved Wimbledon title in 2002, after three final defeats and being forced to enter the competition as a wild-card after a year of injury.