tennis

tennis indoor or outdoor game for two players (singles) or four players (doubles). Although originally lawn tennis was played only on grass courts, today the surfaces are more often of clay, asphalt, or synthetics. The court measures 78 ft by 27 ft (23.8 m by 8.2 m) for singles play; it is 4.5 ft (1.4 m) wider for doubles. A net 3 ft (91 cm) high in the middle divides the court laterally. Play is directed toward hitting the inflated, felt-covered ball (about …

…borrowed from older forms of the game. The first world championship, held (1877) at Wimbledon, England, became the famous tournament of that name. In the U.S., where tennis was introduced in 1874, the national men's championship has been contested since 1881, the women's since 1887. The Davis Cup international team competition (begun in 1900) focused world attention on the sport. Major tournaments, originally restricted to amateurs, have been open to professionals since 1968. Tennis has been an Olympic sport since 1988.