To understand the origins of tennis, we must travel back a thousand years—back to a world that looked very different from our own. The Middle Ages were defined by power struggles, territorial wars, and a rigid social hierarchy in which leisure was a privilege reserved for the few. Sport, as we know it today, was an alien concept. For the vast majority, daily life was a battle for survival.
A Game Without a Racquet
But in the quiet, enclosed spaces of medieval monasteries, something unexpected began to take shape. Within these stone walls, where monks followed strict routines of prayer and
study, moments of recreation were needed. And so, between their religious duties, they began striking a ball back and forth—using nothing but their bare hands. This simple pastime became known as jeu de paume—the game of the palm, the birth of tennis! It was not yet a structured sport, nor was it played on anything resembling today’s courts. Instead, it was a casual diversion, played in cloisters and courtyards, where walls and architecture shaped the flow of the game. Over time, this pastime made its way beyond the monasteries and into noble circles. With the nobility’s patronage, jeu de paume became more refined, adopting rules, designated playing areas, and eventually, an air of exclusivity. But one element had yet to be introduced: the racquet.
The Birth of the Tennis Racquet
By the late 15th century, a shift was underway. France, then a dominant cultural force in Europe, was experiencing significant English influence due to the territorial entanglements of the Hundred Years’ War. And wherever two cultures meet, ideas and traditions are exchanged.
In England, ball games played with paddles or bats had existed for centuries. When these ideas merged with jeu de paume, players began experimenting—first by wrapping their hands in cloth for protection, then by using wooden paddles, and finally, by developing the first strung racquets.
The earliest documented reference to a tennis racquet comes from 1555, when the secretary of the Duke of Ferrara, Antonio Scaino, described the Scanno racquet with rules of the giocco della pallacorda. By then, jeu de paume had evolved into a more structured sport, played in dedicated indoor courts under the name Royal Tennis or Real Tennis. No longer just a simple diversion, it had become the game of kings, embraced by European aristocracy.
The Evolution Continues
The introduction of the racquet was just the beginning. Over the coming centuries, Royal Tennis would continue to evolve, laying the foundations for the sport we recognize today. In Chapter II, we will explore how tennis spread beyond the courts of European royalty and began its journey towards becoming a global phenomenon.
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Berlin Tennis Gallery
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