Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket strung with a cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent's court. The object is to manoeuvre the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return. If a player is unable to return the ball successfully, the opponent scores a point.
Playable at all levels of society and at all ages, tennis can be played by anyone who can hold a racket, including wheelchair users. The original forms of tennis developed in France during the late Middle Ages. The modern form of tennis originated in Birmingham, England, in the late 19th century as lawn tennis. It had close connections to various field (lawn) games such as croquet and bowls as well as to the older racket sport today called real tennis.
The rules of modern tennis have changed little since the 1890s. Two exceptions are that until 1961 the server had to keep one foot on the ground at all times, and the adoption of the tiebreak in the 1970s. A recent addition to professional tennis has been the adoption of electronic review technology coupled with a point-challenge system, which allows a player to contest the line call of a point, a system known as Hawk-Eye. (Full article...)
The Australian Open is an annual tennis tournament created in 1905 and (since 1988) played on outdoor hardcourts at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The Australian Open is played over a two-week period beginning in mid-January and has been chronologically the first of the four Grand Slam tournaments each year since 1987. The event was not held from 1916 to 1918 because of World War I, from 1941 to 1945 because of World War II and in 1986. The timing of the Australian Open has changed several times. In 1977, the date of the final moved from January to December, which resulted in having two Australian Opens in 1977; there was a January edition and a December edition that year. The originally planned December 1986 edition was moved forward to January 1987, resulting in no Australian Open in 1986. The Australian Open was an Open Era event for the first time in 1969. One year previously in 1968 the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open were Open Era events for the first time. (Full article...)
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The Hungarian Tennis Championships also known as the Hungarian National Championships or the Hungarian Closed Championships is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It is currently part of the official Tennis Calendar of Hungary of the Hungarian Tennis Association and is a gentlemen's and ladies' event. (Full article...)
This article covers the period 1884 to present. Before the beginning of the Open era in April 1968, only amateurs were allowed to compete in established tennis tournaments, including the four Grand Slams. Wimbledon, the oldest of the majors, was founded in 1877, followed by the US Open in 1881, the French Open in 1891, and the Australian Open in 1905. Beginning in 1905 and continuing to the present day, all four majors have been played yearly, with the exception of the two World Wars, 1986 for the Australian Open, and 2020 for Wimbledon. The Australian Open is the first major of the year (January), followed by the French Open (May–June), Wimbledon (June–July), and US Open (August–September).
There was no prize money and players were compensated for travel expenses only. A player who wins all four current major tournaments in the same calendar year, as an individual or as part of a doubles team, is said to have achieved the "Grand Slam". If the player wins all four consecutively, but not in the same calendar year, it is called a "Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam". Winning all four at some point in a career, even if not consecutively, is referred to as a "Career Grand Slam". Winning the four majors and a gold medal in tennis at the Summer Olympics has been called a "Golden Slam" since 1988. Winning all four plus gold at some point in a career, even if not consecutively, is referred to as a "Career Golden Slam". Winning the Year-end Championship also having won a Golden Slam is referred to as a "Super Slam". Winning the four majors in all three disciplines a player is eligible for–singles, doubles, and mixed doubles–is considered winning a "boxed set" of Grand Slam titles. (Full article...)
The Australian Open typically starts around the middle of January and continues for two weeks, concluding with the men's final traditionally held on the last Sunday of the month. It features men's and women's singles, men's, women's and mixed doubles, juniors’ championships, wheelchair, legends, and exhibition events. (Full article...)
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The French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, is an annual tennis tournament held over two weeks in May and June. Established in 1891 and played since 1928 on outdoor red clay courts at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, the French Open is (since 1925) one of the four Grand Slam tournaments played each year, the other three being the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Organised by the Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT), the French Open is the second of the four Grand Slam tournaments of the year to be played. In 1968, it was the first Grand Slam tournament to open to non-amateur players.
Held during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament saw changes in format and personnel compared to previous editions. As a result, withdrawals and opt-outs became a theme of the competition. Defending men's singles champion and world No. 2 Rafael Nadal and No. 9 Gaël Monfils withdrew due to COVID-19 safety concerns, while No. 4 Roger Federer, No. 12 Fabio Fognini, and No. 15 Stan Wawrinka opted out for other reasons. On the women's side, defending singles champion and world No. 6 Bianca Andreescu did not return due to safety concerns, nor did No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, No. 2 Simona Halep, or No. 5 Elina Svitolina, among others. Further, the qualifying rounds of the tournament, in addition to the mixed doubles and juniors draws, were not held due to the pandemic. (Full article...)
The tournament sees players competing for their country in four singles and one doubles matches, known as rubbers, over the course of three days, with the team that wins three rubbers progressing. The countries are divided into groups based upon their location or performance in previous years. The Davis Cup World Group is the top level of the competition and features matches between players from the top 16 countries at the start of the year. Countries that lose their first round match face a relegation play-off against winning countries from the continental zones. World Group winning countries progress to the quarter-finals. Nations have to win a further three ties in order to claim the position of Davis Cup champions.The United States are the most successful nation in the history of the competition, with 32 victories. Australia are second with 28 (individually or in a combined Australasia team) and Great Britain and France are tied for third with 10. Teams from Europe have won the competition the most with 48 victories, followed by North America with 33 and Oceania with 28. (Full article...)
The ITF's governance responsibilities include maintaining and enforcing the rules of tennis, regulating international team competitions, promoting the game, and preserving the sport's integrity via anti-doping and anti-corruption programs. The ITF partners with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) to govern professional tennis. (Full article...)
The French Open begins in late May and continues for two weeks. The tournament and venue are named after the French aviator Roland Garros. (Full article...)
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The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is organised by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and contested annually between teams from over 150 competing countries, making it the world's largest annual team sporting competition. It is described by the organisers as the "World Cup of Tennis" and the winners are referred to as the world champions. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Great Britain and the United States. By 2023 155 nations entered teams into the competition.
The most successful country over the history of the competition is the United States (winning 32 titles and finishing as runners-up 29 times). The most recent champions are Italy, who beat Netherlands to win their third title (and second consecutive one) in 2024. (Full article...)
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Australian chair umpire Scott Ray positions himself prior to a match at Wimbledon In tennis, an official is a person who ensures that a match or tournament is conducted according to the International Tennis Federation Rules of Tennis and other competition regulations.
At the highest levels of the sport, a team of up to eleven officials may be on court at any given time. These officials are broken up into categories based on their responsibility during the match. Contrastingly, many tennis matches are conducted with no officials present directly on court. (Full article...)
Image 20Kateřina Siniaková was part of the winning women's doubles team in 2024. It was her eighth major title and her third at the French Open. (from French Open)
Image 21Court 10. On the outside courts there is no reserved seating. (from Wimbledon Championships)
Image 22New Rod Laver Arena entrance added in 2018 as part of the Melbourne Park redevelopment. (from Australian Open)
Image 47Laura Siegemund was part of the winning mixed doubles team in 2024. It was her second major title. (from French Open)
Image 48Carlos Alcaraz, the 2024 men's singles champion. At 21, he became the youngest male player to win a major title on three different surfaces. (from French Open)
Image 60Wimbledon operates a ticket resale system where returned Show Court tickets can be purchased. All proceeds go to charity. (from Wimbledon Championships)
Image 61Iga Świątek, the 2024 women's singles champion. It was her fifth major title and her fourth at the French Open. (from French Open)
Madison Keys (born February 17, 1995) is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked as high as world No. 6 in singles by the WTA. Keys has won ten WTA Tour-level singles titles, including a major triumph at the 2025 Australian Open, where she defeated world No. 1 and two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. She was also a major finalist at the 2017 US Open.
Keys was inspired to start playing tennis after watching Venus Williams at Wimbledon on TV. Originally from the Quad Cities, she moved to Florida to train at the Evert Tennis Academy. Keys turned professional on her 14th birthday, becoming one of the youngest players to win a WTA Tour level match a few months later. Keys first entered the top 100 of the WTA rankings in 2013 at the age of 17. She had her first breakthrough at a major in early 2015 when she reached the semifinals of the Australian Open as a teenager. (Full article...)
... that in high school, tennis player Sara Daavettila went an entire season without losing a game?
... that American Colossus is a biography of a man who was "the most famous sportsman in the world" and "the most forgotten great athlete in American history"?
The Australian Open is an annual tennis tournament created in 1905 and (since 1988) played on outdoor hardcourts at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The Australian Open is played over a two-week period beginning in mid-January and has been chronologically the first of the four Grand Slam tournaments each year since 1987. The event was not held from 1916 to 1918 because of World War I, from 1941 to 1945 because of World War II and in 1986. The timing of the Australian Open has changed several times. In 1977, the date of the final moved from January to December, which resulted in having two Australian Opens in 1977; there was a January edition and a December edition that year. The originally planned December 1986 edition was moved forward to January 1987, resulting in no Australian Open in 1986. The Australian Open was an Open Era event for the first time in 1969. One year previously in 1968 the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open were Open Era events for the first time. (Full article...)
Rafael Nadal, the all-time record holder in men's singles. (from French Open)
Commemorative plaque at Court 18 marking the longest tennis match in history (from Wimbledon Championships)
Taylor Townsend was part of the 2025 winning women's doubles team. (from Australian Open)
Margaret Court Arena at the Australian Open in 2005 prior to its redevelopment. Rod Laver Arena is in the background. (from Australian Open)
Mate Pavić was part of the winning men's doubles team in 2024. It was his fourth major title. (from French Open)
Margaret Court, the all-time record holder in women's singles. (from Australian Open)
Chris Evert, the all-time record holder in women's singles. (from French Open)
Édouard Roger-Vasselin was part of the winning mixed doubles team in 2024. It was his first major title. (from French Open)
John Peers was part of the 2025 winning mixed doubles team. (from Australian Open)
The Ladies' (top) and Gentlemen's singles trophies (from Wimbledon Championships)
Henry Patten was part of the 2025 winning men's doubles team. (from Australian Open)
Harri Heliövaara was part of the 2025 winning men's doubles team. (from Australian Open)
Aerial view of the grounds (from Wimbledon Championships)
New Show Court Arena that opened in 2022 (from Australian Open)
Richard Sears, a joint all-time record-holder in men's singles (from US Open (tennis))
Centre Court at Wimbledon in May 2019 (from Wimbledon Championships)
Sébastien Grosjean takes a shot on Court 18 during the 2004 Championships. (from Wimbledon Championships)
Rafael Nadal holding the Coupe des Mousquetaires in 2006. (from French Open)
Kateřina Siniaková was part of the winning women's doubles team in 2024. It was her eighth major title and her third at the French Open. (from French Open)
Court 10. On the outside courts there is no reserved seating. (from Wimbledon Championships)
New Rod Laver Arena entrance added in 2018 as part of the Melbourne Park redevelopment. (from Australian Open)
People watching the Championships' broadcast in Canary Wharf (from Wimbledon Championships)
Jordan Thompson was part of the 2024 winning men's doubles team. (from US Open (tennis))
Marcelo Arévalo was part of the winning men's doubles team in 2024. It was his second major title. (from French Open)
Novak Djokovic, the all-time record holder in men's singles. (from Australian Open)
The Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup (from Australian Open)
Lyudmyla Kichenok was part of the 2024 winning women's doubles team. (from US Open (tennis))
The Royal Gallery at Centre Court, Wimbledon (from Wimbledon Championships)
Madison Keys, 2025 women's singles champion. (from Australian Open)
Jan Zieliński was part of the 2024 winning mixed doubles team. (from Wimbledon Championships)
Roger Federer, the all-time record holder in men's singles (from Wimbledon Championships)
Barbora Krejčíková, the 2024 ladies' singles champion. (from Wimbledon Championships)
Arthur Ashe Stadium with the roof closed in 2018. (from US Open (tennis))
Max Purcell was part of the 2024 winning men's doubles team. (from US Open (tennis))
Wimbledon ball girl at the net, 2007 (from Wimbledon Championships)
Arthur Ashe stadium in 2010, before the retractable roof was added. (from US Open (tennis))
Jannik Sinner, 2025 men's singles champion. (from Australian Open)
Composition of the courts. (from French Open)
The order of play for all courts is displayed on boards around the grounds. (from Wimbledon Championships)
Jeļena Ostapenko was part of the 2024 winning women's doubles team. (from US Open (tennis))
Molla Mallory, the all-time record holder in women's singles (from US Open (tennis))
Bill Tilden, a joint all-time record holder in men's singles (from US Open (tennis))
A Royal Marines Commando as a services steward in 2005 (from Wimbledon Championships)
Sara Errani was part of the 2024 winning mixed doubles team. (from US Open (tennis))
Laura Siegemund was part of the winning mixed doubles team in 2024. It was her second major title. (from French Open)
Carlos Alcaraz, the 2024 men's singles champion. At 21, he became the youngest male player to win a major title on three different surfaces. (from French Open)
Martina Navratilova, the all-time record holder in women's singles (from Wimbledon Championships)
Kateřina Siniaková was part of the 2024 winning women's doubles team. (from Wimbledon Championships)
Olivia Gadecki was part of the 2025 winning mixed doubles team. (from Australian Open)
Todd Woodbridge holding the Gentlemen's doubles silver challenge cup in 2004 (from Wimbledon Championships)
The Melbourne Sports and Entertainment precinct on the banks of the Yarra River in 2010. (from Australian Open)
Rod Laver Arena, the main court of the Australian Open, in 2023 (from Australian Open)
Debenture of the All England Lawn Tennis Ground Ltd., issued 20th August 1930 (from Wimbledon Championships)
Hsieh Su-wei was part of the 2024 winning mixed doubles team. (from Wimbledon Championships)
Coco Gauff was part of the winning women's doubles team in 2024. It was her second major title. (from French Open)
Rod Laver Arena night session in 2007, the last year the tournament used the Rebound Ace surface. (from Australian Open)
Carlos Alcaraz, the 2024 gentlemen's singles champion. (from Wimbledon Championships)
Wimbledon operates a ticket resale system where returned Show Court tickets can be purchased. All proceeds go to charity. (from Wimbledon Championships)
Iga Świątek, the 2024 women's singles champion. It was her fifth major title and her fourth at the French Open. (from French Open)
Jannik Sinner, 2024 men's singles champion. (from US Open (tennis))
Andrea Vavassori was part of the 2024 winning mixed doubles team. (from US Open (tennis))
Aryna Sabalenka, 2024 women's singles champion. It was her third major title. (from US Open (tennis))
View from seats of Wimbledon Court No. 1 (from Wimbledon Championships)
Henry Patten was part of the 2024 winning men's doubles team. (from Wimbledon Championships)
Court Philippe Chatrier during the 2013 French Open. (from French Open)
Bill Larned, a joint all-time record holder in men's singles (from US Open (tennis))
Harri Heliövaara was part of the 2024 winning men's doubles team. (from Wimbledon Championships)
Australian player Norman Brookes who won three singles titles at Grand Slam tournaments.
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