Tennis is a sport that is enjoyed all over the world. It has been around since the medieval times, which surprised a lot of people. But, that is not the only interesting fact about this competitive game. In fact, there are plenty of other interesting points about tennis that you might not be aware of. They have the potential to astonish you and want to tell your friends and family.
It was Practiced with Bare Hands
Of course, when you think about tennis, you imagine having your ball and racket. You have probably thought nothing of this and this is just how the sport is played. But, you may be surprised to know that it did not start this way. Players used to practise tennis with their bare hands. Yes, you read that correctly. The sport was practiced without the use of a racket and simply with the hands. The racket was invented in the 16th century.
The ATP World Tour Finals Goes Through Around 70,000 Tennis Balls
This is an incredible number of tennis balls to pass through the hands of the players and ball gatherers. In fact, the tennis ball producer Wilson produces around 100 million balls each and every year, just to keep up with demand. If a single tournament can go through more than 70,000, then it’s incredible to think how high the demand is from professionals alone — and that’s before you take amateurs into account!
A Tennis Ball is Only Used for 20 Minutes
If someone told you that a tennis ball would only be used for 20 minutes in each game, you would not believe them. Well, we can confirm that this is true. During a match, the average amount of time a tennis ball stays in play is for 20 minutes. Yes, a match lasts a lot longer than this. But, the ball is only in movement for this period of time. This often surprises a lot of people considering that a match can be over two hours.
Aircraft is Quieter Than Maria Sharapova
Over the years, it has become known that certain players like to make a lot of noise when they are playing. At first, it was something that was done to intimidate the other player. Then, it became a trademark. For example, this is something that happened to Maria Sharapova. People knew her for her grunting noise. Well, a fun fact to enjoy is that this grunt has been recorded as high as 101 decibels, which is louder than aircraft.
It Started with an Hour-Glass Court
What shape would you say that a tennis court is? A lot of people would say a rectangle and you would be right. But, this is not how it started. In fact, it was first an hourglass shape. In addition, the net was known to be higher at the same time. So, the courts that you see today were not introduced until 1875. If you like to watch tennis, do not forget that you can now wager on matches. You can visit the 10CRIC’s casino app if you want to do this.
A Grand Slam Final was 34 minutes Long
If you are competing in a Grand Slam Final, you need to make sure that you are prepared to play your opponent for quite a while. This is something that is draining physically and mentally. But, there was one Grand Slam Final that was very short. We are talking about being only 34 minutes in length. This final was won by Steffi Graf in 1988.
Tennis Balls Were Not Always Yellow
If someone asks you the color of a tennis ball, you are always going to say yellow. This is the color they have become known to be over the years, but it was not always this way. In fact, this only happened in 1972. The reason for this color change was because of the television. It became easier to see on screens. So, before this time, the tennis ball was white. The first yellow tennis ball was used in Wimbledon in 1986.
The Oldest Tennis Court in the World is Still Open
Of course, there has to be one tennis court that is the oldest in the world. Well, you are going to find this in London. It is called the Royal Tennis Court, which is at Hampton Court Palace. It was first built between 1526 and 1529. In fact, it was where Henry VIII would play tennis. You may be surprised to hear that it is still open to this day.
A Clock Inspired the Scoring System
Have you ever wondered why the scoring system is so different when it comes to tennis? Well, it is said that this is based on a clock. For example, if you score a point, this is going to be 15 after the first quarter mark on a clock. Indeed, this is a unique way to keep score and something that no other sports seem to follow in the same way.
Jimmy Connors Won on Three Surfaces
A lot of people that play tennis will tell you that it is difficult to play on different surfaces. The ball reacts differently on this surface, as well as on your own feet. So, this means that it can take some getting used to when you are playing tennis. But, this is often something that is also out of your control. For example, a US Open can be played on different surfaces and this is just the way that it is for you as a player.
But, there is one player that has managed to win this competition on three different surfaces. This is Jimmy Connors and he set a record by doing this. In 1974, he won the US Open on a grass surface at Forest Hills. Then, two years later, he won the competition again but this time, it was on clay. Add another two years onto this and he made a record by winning the US Open again. This time, he was playing on a hard court at Flushing Meadows.
