Tennis · Level 9
Master
5 sub-levels · 20 tests · 200 facts · updated 13 October 2026
Level 9 is the history of tennis: its origins, the early championships and governance, the Open Era, how equipment and rules changed, and how playing styles evolved.
Sub-levels
Sub-level 9.1OriginsWhere tennis came from: the French game of the palm, Major Wingfield's boxed game of 1874, the bouncing rubber ball, and the first Wimbledon in 1877.4 tests · 40 factsSub-level 9.2Early Growth and GovernanceHow the game spread and was organised: the early national championships, the Davis Cup, the founding of the international federation, and tennis at the Olympic Games.4 tests · 40 factsSub-level 9.3The Open EraHow tennis opened up in 1968: the split between amateurs and professionals, the first open tournaments, the players organising, and the fight for equal prize money.4 tests · 40 factsSub-level 9.4The Evolution of Equipment and the RulesHow the tools and the rules of tennis changed: wood to metal and graphite rackets, the tiebreak, yellow balls and new strings, and the surfaces and technology of the majors.4 tests · 40 factsSub-level 9.5The Evolution of Tactics and StyleHow the way tennis is played has changed: the serve-and-volley era on grass, the rise of topspin baseliners, the power baseline game, and the modern all-round player.4 tests · 40 facts
Written from
ITF history, International Tennis Hall of Fame, the Grand Slam tournaments' own histories, Davis Cup, Olympedia and ATP. Original questions authored, nothing reproduced.
- ATP Tour and Tennis Majors, Open Era history
- General tennis history references (ITF history, International Tennis Hall of Fame)
- ITF, History of tennis (itftennis.com)
- International Tennis Hall of Fame, history pages
- Wimbledon, history of The Championships
- Grand Slam tournament histories (usopen.org, ausopen.com, wimbledon.com)
- Davis Cup, history (daviscup.com)
- Olympedia and IOC, tennis at the Olympic Games