Tennis News, Updates and Exclusive Interviews
Tennis is truly a sport for everyone. Catering for those after culture and ambiance all the way to the simple sports fan, tennis captures the heart and soul of all those who dare dip a toe. SportsBoom unpack various aspects of this great game, including all of the latest news, and exclusive interviews.
South Africa's Philip Henning won the Curro Center Court Series, defeating Nino Ehrenschneider 6-4, 6-1. In the women's singles final, Jeong Beyoung beat Jahnie van Zyl 6-2, 7-6, showcasing top-level tennis. The event highlighted local talent and provided crucial world ranking points to aspiring South African players.
A Brief History of Tennis
Although tennis has its roots closer to the Mediterranean, but it was thanks to the Monks and French Court which made the game popular and brought it to the general populace.
Modern tennis adapted the indoor version from the medieval time and put the game of tennis onto a lawn surface. The next adaptation saw a move away from the use of one’s hands and rather to a racket.
There are various tournaments and fixtures which make up the calendar for professional players, but four stand above others. The Grand Slams. The Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open all make up the Grand Slams in tennis.
The Rules of Tennis
The markings on the court all show the boundaries for every shot. The baseline is where each point starts, the server must land a serve into the service box to begin a point. For doubles tennis, the court becomes a touch wider as the ‘trams’ are now part of the court.
Tennis rackets are aluminum these days, and through scientific development, they are continually developed to be lighter and more aerodynamic for their owners. Tennis balls are hollow, a rubber core covered with a felt for what is considered aesthetic.
Scoring in a tennis match sees a best of three or five sets. A set is awarded to a player after they have won six games. To win a game, a player must win four points (scored as 15, 30 and 40).
Major Tennis Tournaments
As we previously mentioned, the Grand Slam in tennis is made up of the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. The Association of Tennis Players (ATP) and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) are the responsible bodies for rankings in the sport of tennis.
They each host various tournaments throughout the season, each worth various ranking points before hosting a tournament for the top ranked players at the end of the season.
The Grand Slam Tournaments
The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam of the year, held in Melbourne, Australia. Played on a hard surface, the pace of the game is usually heightened and currently Novak Djokovic holds the record for number 1 rankings.
The tour then heads to Paris for the French Open. Rafael Nadal holds the record for winning the title a record setting 14 times! Wimbledon is the oldest of the lot, hosted in London it is often seen as the most prestigious and sought after title in all of tennis.
The US Open is another tournament held on the hard court and essentially brings down the curtain – along with the WTA and ATP tournaments.
Tennis Legends
These are the legends which left their indelible mark on the sport;
Roger Federer
Federer is a Swiss former professional tennis player – he was ranked as the best player in the world for 310 weeks! Winning more than 103 singles titles, Federer won Wimbledon a staggering eight times, the Australian Open title six times, the US Open on five occasions and a French Open title for good measure.
Rafael Nadal
Another giant in the world of tennis, Nadal managed 22 Grand Slam titles in his career, that included 14 Roland Garros titles. Nadal also added an Olympic gold medal to his collection but is perhaps most remembered – beside the 14 French titles – for completing a career golden slam in singles tennis.
Novak Djokovic
The Serbian set a new record after being ranked as the best in the world for 438 weeks! He has also set the record for the most men’s single titles in tennis. He too has competed the golden career slam when claimed an Olympic gold medal in Paris.
Serena Williams
A powerful figure on the women’s tour, Serena has won a staggering 23 career Grand Slams. Rising from the public courts in Compton, Serena has shattered records and proved why many consider her to be the greatest female athlete of all time.
Steffi Graf
The German former professional tennis player won 22 major titles during her career – second most in the open era. Amongst those titles, Steffi as also won the Australian Open, US Open and Wimbledon.
The Future of Tennis
For a long time, the ‘big three’ of Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic dominated men’s tennis. As youngsters who ushered in a new dawn of tennis, they have now been subject to seeing history repeat itself.
Carlos Alcaraz has arrived onto the scene and almost immediately commanded the respect of the tour. The current world number one, Jannick Sinner, is another youngster who has absolutely ripped through the field this year. A Grand Slam winner – both of them – it is clear that the rise of young talent in tennis is a continuous one.
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