125-623: Tennis Australia Limited is the governing body for tennis in Australia. It is owned by Australian states and territories. The association organizes national and international tennis tournaments including the Australian Open , Australian Open Series , Davis Cup , Billie Jean King Cup , ATP Cup , and Australian Pro Tour. In addition, the association takes the responsibility to facilitate tennis at all levels from grassroots to elite development. Tennis Australia's state-based member associates carry out
250-536: A felt coating. Traditionally white, the predominant colour was gradually changed to optic yellow in the latter part of the 20th century to allow for improved visibility. Tennis balls must conform to certain criteria for size, weight, deformation , and bounce to be approved for regulation play. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) defines the official diameter as 65.41–68.58 mm (2.575–2.700 in). Balls must weigh between 56.0 and 59.4 g (1.98 and 2.10 oz). Tennis balls were traditionally manufactured in
375-409: A racket and balls. The components of a tennis racket include a handle, known as the grip, connected to a neck which joins a roughly elliptical frame that holds a matrix of tightly pulled strings. For the first 100 years of the modern game, rackets were made of wood and of standard size, and strings were of animal gut . Laminated wood construction yielded more strength in rackets used through most of
500-430: 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
625-517: A Grand Slam. The Australian Open is held annually in Melbourne for about two weeks. The categories of the tournament include women's and men's singles; men's mixed doubles; Junior Championships; the exhibition and legends; and wheelchair events. In 2019, the Australian Open experienced record attendance of more than 780,000 fans. The Australian Open's attendance rate has increased by 13% from 2015. This
750-535: A best-of-five, wins the match. Only in the final sets of matches at the Olympic Games and Fed Cup are tiebreaks not played. In these cases, sets are played indefinitely until one player has a two-game lead, occasionally leading to some remarkably long matches . In tournament play, the chair umpire announces the end of the match with the well-known phrase " Game, set, match " followed by the winning person's or team's name. A game point occurs in tennis whenever
875-523: A boxed set which included a net, poles, rackets, balls for playing the game – and most importantly you had his rules. He was absolutely terrific at marketing and he sent his game all over the world. He had very good connections with the clergy, the law profession, and the aristocracy and he sent thousands of sets out in the first year or so, in 1874." The world's oldest annual tennis tournament took place at Leamington Lawn Tennis Club in Birmingham in 1874. This
1000-494: A bye in the first round of the INZ challenger rounds. In 1966 , the "Europe Zone" was split into two zones, "Europe Zone A" and "Europe Zone B", so the winners of the four zones competed in the INZ challenger rounds. From 1950 to 1967 , Australia dominated the competition, winning the Cup 15 times in 18 years. Beginning in 1972 , the format was changed to a knockout competition , so that
1125-616: A call from the server to his opponent. It was popular in England and France, although the game was only played indoors, where the ball could be hit off the wall. Henry VIII of England was a big fan of this game, which is now known as real tennis . An epitaph in St Michael's Church, Coventry , written c. 1705 , read, in part: Here lyes an old toss'd Tennis Ball: Was racketted, from spring to fall, With so much heat and so much hast, Time's arm for shame grew tyred at last. During
1250-530: 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 . The women's equivalent of
1375-532: A combined team from Australia and New Zealand that competed together until 1914 . The competition was initially titled the International Lawn Tennis Challenge although it soon became known as the Davis Cup , after Dwight Davis' trophy. The Davis Cup competition was initially played as a challenge cup. All teams competed against one another for the right to face the previous year's champion in
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#17328687943761500-552: A doubles team. The single player gets to utilize the alleys normally reserved only for a doubles team. Conversely, the doubles team does not use the alleys when executing a shot. The scoring is the same as for a regular game. This format is not sanctioned by any official body. "Australian doubles", another informal and unsanctioned form of tennis, is played with similar rules to the Canadian doubles style, only in this version, players rotate court position after each game, each player taking
1625-742: A governing body for Tennis in Australia. The state representatives formed the Australasian Lawn Tennis Association for both Australia and New Zealand. The purpose of the Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia in 1904, was to organize the Davis Cup and the Australasian Championships. In 1926, the association moved to Melbourne from Sydney and began to trade as the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia. It
1750-550: A group of American and French tennis players playing exhibition matches to paying audiences. The most notable of these early professionals were the American Vinnie Richards and the Frenchwoman Suzanne Lenglen . Players turned pro would no longer be permitted to compete in the major (amateur) tournaments. In 1968, commercial pressures and rumours of some amateurs taking money under the table led to
1875-437: A nation has a winning 3–1 lead after the first reverse single match and that match has gone to four sets or more, then the remaining reverse single match which is a dead rubber is not played. All five rubbers are played if one nation has a winning 3–0 lead after the doubles match. Ties are played at a venue chosen by one of the competing countries. The right of choice is given on an alternating basis. Therefore, countries play in
2000-498: A new nomination process since 2016. The award winners across the nations are automatically nominated for their equivalent national award. The selection panel then determines the finalists for each Tennis Australia award category. The Newcombe Medal is one of the many awards issued by Tennis Australia annually. It is named in honor of Australian Tennis legend John Newcombe. The Medal is awarded to Australia's most elite Tennis player and ambassador for Tennis. The award seeks to acknowledge
2125-411: A properly sanctioned match, but failed to do so. He nevertheless tried to entice top international (particularly British) talent to the U.S. and sanctioned semi-official tours of the top American players to Great Britain. Diplomatic relations between Great Britain and the United States on the tennis front had strengthened such that, by the mid-1890s, reciprocal tours were staged annually between players of
2250-535: 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
2375-413: A sequence of games played with service alternating between games, ending when the count of games won meets certain criteria. Typically, a player wins a set by winning at least six games and at least two games more than the opponent. If one player has won six games and the opponent five, an additional game is played. If the leading player wins that game, the player wins the set 7–5. If the trailing player wins
2500-485: A sequence of sets. The outcome is determined through a best of three or five sets system. On the professional circuit, men play best-of-five-set matches at all four Grand Slam tournaments, Davis Cup, and the final of the Olympic Games and best-of-three-set matches at all other tournaments, while women play best-of-three-set matches at all tournaments. The first player to win two sets in a best-of-three, or three sets in
2625-450: A solicitor, and his friend Augurio Perera developed a game that combined elements of racquets and the Basque ball game pelota , which they played on Perera's croquet lawn in Birmingham , England. In 1872, along with two local doctors, they founded the world's first tennis club on Avenue Road, Leamington Spa . This is where "lawn tennis" was used as the name of an activity by a club for
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#17328687943762750-608: A tennis court at the Staten Island Cricket Club at Camp Washington, Tompkinsville, Staten Island , New York. The first American National championship was played there in September 1880. An Englishman named O.E. Woodhouse won the singles title, and a silver cup worth $ 100, by defeating Canadian I. F. Hellmuth . There was also a doubles match which was won by a local pair. There were different rules at each club. The ball in Boston
2875-459: A turn at playing alone against the other two. As such, each player plays doubles and singles over the course of a match, with the singles player always serving. Scoring styles vary, but one popular method is to assign a value of 2 points to each game, with the server taking both points if he or she holds serve and the doubles team each taking one if they break serve. Wheelchair tennis can be played by able-bodied players as well as people who require
3000-443: A wheelchair for mobility. An extra bounce is permitted. This rule makes it possible to have mixed wheelchair and able-bodied matches. It is possible for a doubles team to consist of a wheelchair player and an able-bodied player (referred to as "one-up, one-down"), or for a wheelchair player to play against an able-bodied player. In such cases, the extra bounce is permitted for the wheelchair users only. Davis Cup The Davis Cup
3125-463: Is 24. However, the distribution among the three zones may vary each year, according to the number of nations promoted or relegated between Group One and the World Group. The number of nations in the World Group and Group One together is 22 from Euro/Africa Zone, 9 from Americas Zone and 9 from Asia/Oceania Zone. As in other cup competitions tie is used in the Davis Cup to mean an elimination round. In
3250-405: Is a let or net service , which is void, and the server retakes that serve. The player can serve any number of let services in a point and they are always treated as voids and not as faults. A fault is a serve that falls long or wide of the service box, or does not clear the net. There is also a "foot fault" when a player's foot touches the baseline or an extension of the centre mark before the ball
3375-523: Is a popular worldwide spectator sport. The four Grand Slam tournaments (also referred to as the majors) are especially popular and are considered the highest level of competition for the sport. These tournaments are the Australian Open , played on hardcourts ; the French Open , played on red clay courts ; Wimbledon , played on grass courts ; and the US Open , also played on hardcourts. Additionally, tennis
3500-556: Is acknowledged that this stereotype still exists). In 1954, Van Alen founded the International Tennis Hall of Fame , a nonprofit museum in Newport, Rhode Island. The building contains a large collection of tennis memorabilia as well as a hall of fame honouring prominent members and tennis players from all over the world. Part of the appeal of tennis stems from the simplicity of equipment required for play. Beginners need only
3625-482: Is called the doubles alley, playable in doubles play. The line that runs across the centre of a player's side of the court is called the service line because the serve must be delivered into the area between the service line and the net on the receiving side. Despite its name, this is not where a player legally stands when making a serve. The line dividing the service line in two is called the centre line or centre service line. The boxes this centre line creates are called
3750-434: Is hit. If the second service, after a fault, is also a fault, the server double faults , and the receiver wins the point. However, if the serve is in, it is considered a legal service. A legal service starts a rally , in which the players alternate hitting the ball across the net. A legal return consists of a player hitting the ball so that it falls in the server's court, before it has bounced twice or hit any fixtures except
3875-516: Is not played, the set is referred to as an advantage set , where the set continues without limit until one player leads by a two-game margin. A "love set" means that the loser of the set won zero games, colloquially termed a "jam donut" in the US. In tournament play, the chair umpire announces the winner of the set and the overall score. The final score in sets is always read with the winning player's score first, e.g. "6–2, 4–6, 6–0, 7–5". A match consists of
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4000-417: Is often the same width as the others. The players or teams start on opposite sides of the net. One player is designated the server , and the opposing player is the receiver . The choice to be server or receiver in the first game and the choice of ends is decided by a coin toss before the warm-up starts. Service alternates game by game between the two players or teams. For each point, the server starts behind
4125-505: Is played as the best of five matches (4 singles, 1 doubles). The ITF determines the host countries for all possible matchups before each year's tournament. The World Group is the top group and includes the world's best 18 national teams. Teams in the World Group play a four-round elimination event. Teams are seeded based on a ranking system released by the ITF, taking into account previous years' results. The defending champion and runner-up are always
4250-558: Is the highest increase among the four slams. This way the Australian Open Tournaments contribute to the hosting state's economy. The 2020 tournaments, for example, created 1775 jobs and generated AU$ 387.7 million worth of Real Gross State Product. The 2020 tournaments also distributed AU$ 71 million worth of prize money. The winners of the Australian Open are awarded with prize money of AU$ 4.1 million as well as trophies with their name inscribed on it. The first Australian Open
4375-487: 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
4500-422: Is unusual in that it is played on a variety of surfaces. Grass , clay , and hard courts of concrete or asphalt topped with acrylic are the most common. Occasionally carpet is used for indoor play, with hardwood flooring having been historically used. Artificial turf courts can also be found. The lines that delineate the width of the court are called the baseline (farthest back) and the service line (middle of
4625-414: The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . The 18 best national teams are assigned to the World Group and compete annually for the Davis Cup. Nations which are not in the World Group compete in one of three regional zones (Americas, Asia/Oceania, and Europe/Africa). The competition is spread over four weekends during the year. Each elimination round between competing nations is held in one of the countries, and
4750-632: The French Championships date to 1891, although until 1925 they were open only to tennis players who were members of French clubs. Thus, Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open and the Australian Open (dating to 1905) became and have remained the most prestigious events in tennis. Together, these four events are called the Majors or Slams (a term borrowed from bridge rather than baseball ). In 1913,
4875-512: The Open Era (pre-1968) were not allowed to compete in the Davis Cup despite the fact that the Grand Slam tournaments and most tennis tournaments became Open Era events in 1968. From 1968 national registered professionals were allowed to compete under the control of their national tennis associations. In 1973 Australian players like Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall were allowed to play in the Davis Cup for
5000-606: The World Covered Court Championships for indoor courts were awarded annually; Sweden, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Switzerland and Spain each hosted the tournament. At a meeting held on 16 March 1923 in Paris, the title "World Championship" was dropped and a new category of "Official Championship" was created for events in Great Britain, France, the US and Australia – today's Grand Slam events. The impact on
5125-546: The "British Isles"), was held at the Longwood Cricket Club in Boston, Massachusetts in 1900 . The American team, of which Dwight Davis was captain, surprised the British by winning the first three matches. The following year the two countries did not compete, but the US won the match in 1902 and Britain won the following four matches. By 1905 the event expanded to include Belgium , Austria , France , and Australasia ,
Tennis Australia - Misplaced Pages Continue
5250-443: 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 . Tennis is played by millions of recreational players and
5375-525: The 18th and early 19th centuries, as real tennis declined, new racket sports emerged in England. The invention of the first lawn mower in Britain in 1830 is believed to have been a catalyst for the preparation of modern-style grass courts, sporting ovals, playing fields, pitches, greens, etc. This in turn led to the codification of modern rules for many sports, including lawn tennis, most football codes, lawn bowls and others. Between 1859 and 1865, Harry Gem ,
5500-406: The 20th century until first metal and then composites of carbon graphite, ceramics, and lighter metals such as titanium were introduced. These stronger materials enabled the production of oversized rackets that yielded yet more power. Meanwhile, technology led to the use of synthetic strings that match the feel of gut yet with added durability. Under modern rules of tennis, the rackets must adhere to
5625-584: The Asia-Pacific Tennis League that run for 36 weeks every year. The participants receive 15,105 world ranking points and the finalists share US$ 111,500 in prize money. The tournaments provide opportunities for emerging tennis players to practice professional tennis as well as connect with international tennis professionals. The tournaments allow players to choose a wide range of categories including surfaces, venues, and circuits. The tournament also offers international participants an opportunity to explore
5750-958: The Darwin International Tennis Centre in which participants of all potential ages 10–18 are able to get involved. The carnival aims to celebrate the culture, music, and food through Tennis. The awards issued by Tennis Australia include the Newcombe Medal, Spirit of Tennis, Coaching Excellence – Performance, Coaching Excellence – Club, Coaching Excellence – Development, Junior Athlete of the Year, Most Outstanding Athlete with Disability, Volunteer Achievement Award, Most Outstanding 30+ Tennis Senior, Excellence in Officiating, Most Outstanding Tennis Club, Most Outstanding Australian Ranking Tournament, Most Outstanding Professional Tournament and Most Outstanding School. Tennis Australia has been following
5875-614: The Davis Cup is the Billie Jean King Cup , formerly known as the Federation Cup (1963–1995) and Fed Cup (1995–2020). Australia, Italy, Russia, the Czech Republic and the United States are the only countries to have won both Davis Cup and Federation/Fed/Billie Jean King Cup titles in the same year. The Davis Cup allowed only amateurs and national registered professional players (from 1968) to compete until 1973 , five years after
6000-418: The Davis Cup, the word rubber means an individual match. In the annual World Group competition, 16 nations compete in eight first-round ties; the eight winners compete in four quarterfinal ties; the four winners compete in two semifinal ties; and the two winners compete in the final tie. Each tie consists of five rubbers, which are played in three days (usually on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). The winner of
6125-554: The Deaf & Hard of Hearing, Intellectual Disability or Autism, Blind & Low Vision, Wheelchair Tennis, and more. Moreover, as Tennis Australia aims to create a discrimination-free environment, it has published a book called ‘Tennis: Everybody Everywhere’. The booklet outlines the scenarios of discriminator language and behaviors as well as provides practical solutions to deal with participants from diverse backgrounds. Furthermore, Tennis Australia along with its Member Associations supports
6250-522: The IOC decided to reintroduce tennis as a full-medal sport at Seoul in 1988. The Davis Cup , an annual competition between men's national teams, dates to 1900. The analogous competition for women's national teams, the Fed Cup , was founded as the Federation Cup in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the ITF. In 1926, promoter C. C. Pyle established the first professional tennis tour with
6375-502: The ITF voted to change the format of the competition from 2019 onwards, changing it to an 18-team event to happen at the end of the season, with 71% of ITF member federations voting in favour of the change. The new format, backed by footballer Gerard Piqué and Japanese businessman Hiroshi Mikitani , was likened to a world cup of tennis and was designed to be more attractive to sponsors and broadcasters. Opposing federations included those from Australia, Germany, and Great Britain. Support for
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#17328687943766500-561: The International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF), now the International Tennis Federation (ITF), was founded and established three official tournaments as the major championships of the day. The World Grass Court Championships were awarded to Great Britain. The World Hard Court Championships were awarded to France; the term "hard court" was used for clay courts at the time. Some tournaments were held in Belgium instead. And
6625-639: The Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club was the most recent Davis Cup played in Australia. Like the Davis Cup, the Fed Cup is the world's largest women's international team championship. 116 countries participate in the Fed Cup and the top 12 countries compete in the finals. The tournaments run for over one week. In 2020, it was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup after the 10-time winning champion Billie Jean King. The most recent Fed Cup hosted by Tennis Australia
6750-458: The Olympics after the 1924 Games , but returned 60 years later as a 21-and-under demonstration event in 1984. This reinstatement was credited by the efforts of then ITF president Philippe Chatrier , ITF general secretary David Gray and ITF vice president Pablo Llorens, with support from International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch . The success of the event was overwhelming, and
6875-518: The U.S. the following summer, which would represent the first British lawn tennis "team" to compete in the U.S. Coincidentally, some weeks before Larned left for his British tour, the idea for an international competition was discussed also between leading figures in American lawn tennis—one of whom was tennis journalist E.P. Fischer—at a tournament in Niagara-on-the-Lake , Ontario. Dwight F. Davis
7000-469: The US Junior Championship tournament. In 1962, Laver became the only second player to win the Grand Slam and in 1969, he won the Grand Slam again. Rod Laver was ranked the world's number-one tennis player for seven successive years from 1964 to 1970. Throughout his career, Laver won thirty-nine titles and had a winning record of about eighty percent. Laver retired from professional tennis in 1979 and
7125-601: The United States and Europe. Although the process of producing the balls has remained virtually unchanged for the past 100 years, the majority of manufacturing now takes place in the Far East . The relocation is due to cheaper labour costs and materials in the region. Tournaments that are played under the ITF Rules of Tennis must use balls that are approved by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and be named on
7250-584: The Wimbledon final against Australian Tennis champion Margaret Court and won the Wimbledon title. In 1972, Evonne Goolagong Cawley was named Australian of the Year. Evonne continued to win every Australian state title and Australian singles title in 1974, 1975, and 1976 as well as more Wimbledon titles. Hence, an English Journalist nicknamed her the ‘Sunshine Supergirl’. In 1991, Evonne Goolagong Cawley moved to Noosa and restored her connections with her Wiradjuri people, and got involved with Aboriginal affairs. In 2018 she
7375-503: The abandonment of this distinction, inaugurating the Open Era , in which all players could compete in all tournaments, and top players were able to make their living from tennis. With the beginning of the Open Era, the establishment of an international professional tennis circuit, and revenues from the sale of television rights, tennis's popularity has spread worldwide, and the sport has shed its middle-class English-speaking image (although it
7500-454: The arm than most strings. Most synthetic strings are made from monofilament or multifiliament nylon strings. Monofilament strings are cheap to buy, and are used widely by many recreational level players for their all round performance, while multifilament strings are created to mimic natural gut more closely by weaving together fibres, but are generally more expensive than their monofilament counterparts. Polyester strings allow for more spin on
7625-432: The ball than any other string, due to their firm strings, while keeping control of the ball, and this is why many players use them, especially higher player ones. Kevlar tennis strings are highly durable, and are mostly used by players that frequently break strings, because they maintain tension well, but these strings can be stiff on the arm. Hybrid stringing is when a tennis racket is strung with two different strings for
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#17328687943767750-410: The baseline, between the centre mark and the sideline. The receiver may start anywhere on their side of the net. When the receiver is ready, the server will serve , although the receiver must play to the pace of the server. For a service to be legal, the ball must travel over the net without touching it into the diagonally opposite service box. If the ball hits the net but lands in the service box, this
7875-406: The baselines, dividing it into two equal ends. It is held up by either a cord or metal cable of diameter no greater than 0.8 cm ( 1 ⁄ 3 in). The net is 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) high at the posts and 3 feet (0.91 m) high in the centre. The net posts are 3 feet (0.91 m) outside the doubles court on each side or, for a singles net, 3 feet (0.91 m) outside
8000-574: The best British players against six of the best Americans, in a mixture of singles and doubles matches. This was discussed openly in two articles in the Chicago Tribune , but did not come to fruition. Nevertheless, the following summer, Great Britain—though not under the official auspices of the Lawn Tennis Association —sent three of its best players to compete in several US tournaments. Their relative poor performances convinced Dwight and other leading officials and figures in American lawn tennis that
8125-442: The chair umpire in tournament play. A break point occurs if the receiver, not the server , has a chance to win the game with the next point. Break points are of particular importance because serving is generally considered advantageous, with servers being expected to win games in which they are serving. A receiver who has one (score of 30–40 or advantage), two (score of 15–40) or three (score of love–40) consecutive chances to win
8250-439: The country where the last tie between the teams was not held. In case the two countries have not met since 1970, lots are drawn to determine the host country. Venues in the World Group must comply with certain minimum standards, including a minimum seating capacity as follows: Prior to each tie, the captain (non-playing coach appointed by the national association) nominates a squad of four players and decides who will compete in
8375-424: The court). The short mark in the centre of each baseline is referred to as either the hash mark or the centre mark. The outermost lines that make up the length are called the doubles sidelines; they are the boundaries for doubles matches. The lines to the inside of the doubles sidelines are the singles sidelines, and are the boundaries in singles play. The area between a doubles sideline and the nearest singles sideline
8500-433: The cup after India refused to travel to South Africa in protest of South Africa's apartheid policies. The following year saw the first actual final between two "outsider" nations, when Sweden beat Czechoslovakia 3–2, and since then, many other countries have gone on to capture the trophy. All contract professionals were not allowed to play in the Davis Cup until 1973. The tennis stars who turned professional prior to
8625-493: The current tennis. Others argue that France and England introduced tennis around the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1875, a meeting was held in England that determined a standardized set of rules for the sport of Lawn Tennis. In January 1880, Australia hosted its first tennis tournament at the Melbourne Cricket Club. In the following 20 years, the popularity of Tennis grew among wealthy Australians. In 1904, Australia required
8750-408: The defending champion was required to compete in all rounds, and the Davis Cup was awarded to the champion. Up until 1973 , the Davis Cup had only ever been won by the United States, Great Britain/British Isles, France and Australia/Australasia. Their domination was eventually broken in 1974 when South Africa and India made the final; however, the final was scratched and South Africa was awarded
8875-426: The doubles rubber: the two singles players, two other players (usually doubles specialists) or a combination. Each rubber is normally played as best of five sets . Since 2016 , all sets use a tiebreak at 6–6 if necessary (formerly, the fifth set usually had no tiebreaker, so play continued until one side won by two games e.g. 10–8). However, if a team has clinched the tie before all five rubbers have been completed,
9000-466: The final round. Beginning in 1923 , the world's teams were split into two zones: the "America Zone" and the "Europe Zone". The winners of the two zones met in the Inter-Zonal Zone ("INZ") to decide which national team would challenge the defending champion for the cup. In 1955 a third zone, the "Eastern Zone", was added. Because there were three zones, the winner of one of the three zones received
9125-442: The first day's singles rubbers. However, in certain circumstances, the team captain may replace one or two of the players who played the singles on Friday by other players who were nominated for the tie. For example, if the tie has already been decided in favour of one of the teams, it is common for younger or lower-ranked team members to play the remaining dead rubbers in order for them to gain Davis Cup experience. Since 2011, if
9250-461: The first time since 1962 (for Laver) and since 1956 (for Rosewall). In 1981 , a tiered system of competition was created, in which the 16 best national teams compete in the World Group and all other national teams compete in one of four groups in one of three regional zones. In 1989 , the tiebreak was introduced into Davis Cup competition, and from 2016 it is used in all five sets. In 2018,
9375-440: The first time. In Tennis: A Cultural History , Heiner Gillmeister reveals that on 8 December 1874, British army officer Walter Clopton Wingfield wrote to Harry Gem, commenting that he (Wingfield) had been experimenting with his version of lawn tennis "for a year and a half". In December 1873, Wingfield designed and patented a game which he called sphairistikè ( Greek : σφαιριστική , meaning "ball-playing"), and which
9500-497: The following guidelines; The rules regarding rackets have changed over time, as material and engineering advances have been made. For example, the maximum length of the frame had been 32 inches (81 cm) until 1997, when it was shortened to 29 inches (74 cm). Many companies manufacture and distribute tennis rackets. Wilson, Head and Babolat are three of the most commonly used brands; however, many more companies exist. The same companies sponsor players to use these rackets in
9625-529: The four recipient nations to replace the "world championships" with "official championships" was simple in a general sense: each became a major nation of the federation with enhanced voting power, and each now operated a major event. The comprehensive rules promulgated in 1924 by the ILTF have remained largely stable in the ensuing 80 years, the one major change being the addition of the tiebreak system designed by Jimmy Van Alen . That same year, tennis withdrew from
9750-404: The game (tying the set 6–6) a tiebreak is played. A tiebreak, played under a separate set of rules, allows one player to win one more game and thus the set, to give a final set score of 7–6. A tiebreak game can be won by scoring at least seven points and at least two points more than the opponent. In a tiebreak, two players serve by 'ABBA' system which has been proven to be fair. If a tiebreak
9875-411: The game has break point , double break point or triple break point , respectively. If the receiver does, in fact, win their break point, the game is awarded to the receiver, and the receiver is said to have converted their break point. If the receiver fails to win their break point it is called a failure to convert. Winning break points, and thus the game, is also referred to as breaking serve , as
10000-635: The groups and the two best second places advancing to quarterfinals. The series between the teams in this stage will feature two singles matches and one doubles match, instead of the best-of-5 series, with the matches changing from best of 5 sets to best of 3. As the World Group will now take place as one single competition, this event has been named as the Davis Cup Finals. The lower zone groups I and II will be composed of single ties deciding promotion or relegation. Note: The total number of nations in Group One
10125-565: The hopes that the company name will become better known by the public. There are multiple types of tennis strings, including natural gut and synthetic stings made from materials such as nylon , kevlar , or polyester . The first type of tennis strings available were natural gut strings, introduced by Babolat. They were the only type used until synthetic strings were introduced in the 1950s. Natural gut strings are still used frequently by players such as Roger Federer. They are made from cow intestines, and provide increased power, and are easier on
10250-421: The iconic areas of Australia as the tournaments are played across the nation in regional and metropolitan areas. Rod Laver Rodney George Laver , an Australian Tennis legend, and the only player in the history of tennis to hold the Grand Slam twice. Laver was born in the sunshine state of Australia and nicknamed ‘Rocket’ by his coach Harry Hopman who was a Davis Cup captain. At the age of 17, in 1956, Laver won
10375-482: The idea, which was tentatively agreed, and he ordered an appropriate sterling silver punchbowl trophy from Shreve, Crump & Low , purchasing it from his own funds for about US$ 1,000. They in turn commissioned a classically styled design from William B. Durgin 's of Concord, New Hampshire , crafted by the Englishman Rowland Rhodes. Beyond donating a trophy for the competition, Davis's involvement in
10500-402: The incipient development of the team competition that came to bear his name was negligible, yet a persistent myth has emerged that Davis devised both the idea for an international tennis competition and its format of mixing singles and doubles matches. Research has shown this to be a myth, similar in its exaggeration of a single individual's efforts within a highly complex long-term development to
10625-510: The losing teams facing relegation to the next-lower group. The teams in Groups III and those in Group IV play a round-robin event with promotion and relegation. For the 2019 edition , the format of the cup is changed. The main modification is the World Group taking place at one location and in one week, with eighteen teams divided in six round-robin groups of three teams each, with the winners of
10750-553: The mains (the vertical strings) and the crosses (the horizontal strings). This is most commonly done with two different strings that are made of different materials, but can also be done with two different types of the same string. A notable example of a player using hybrid strings is Roger Federer, using natural gut strings in his mains and polyester strings in his crosses. Tennis balls were originally made of cloth strips stitched together with thread and stuffed with feathers. Modern tennis balls are made of hollow vulcanized rubber with
10875-450: The modern style. Louis was unhappy with playing tennis outdoors and accordingly had indoor, enclosed courts made in Paris "around the end of the 13th century". In due course this design spread across royal palaces all over Europe. In June 1316 at Vincennes , Val-de-Marne, and following a particularly exhausting game, Louis drank a large quantity of cooled wine and subsequently died of either pneumonia or pleurisy , although there
11000-480: The myths of William Webb Ellis and Abner Doubleday , who have both been wrongly credited with inventing rugby and baseball, respectively. Davis nevertheless went on to become a prominent politician in the United States in the 1920s, serving as US Secretary of War from 1925 to 1929 and as Governor-General of the Philippines from 1929 to 1932. The first match, between the United States and Britain (competing as
11125-480: The net competing against each other. Both players move freely around their side of the court, between the double side-lines and baselines. Tennis Australia hosts men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles. Inclusion and Diversity Tennis Australia and its Member Associations are committed to embracing diversity. Tennis Australia provides an environment in which people of diverse backgrounds can participate and feel comfortable. It organizes Tennis tournaments for
11250-399: The net. A player or team cannot hit the ball twice in a row. The ball must travel over or round the net into the other players' court. A ball that hits the net during a rally is considered a legal return as long as it crosses into the opposite side of the court. The first player or team to fail to make a legal return loses the point. The server then moves to the other side of the service line at
11375-408: The official ITF list of approved tennis balls. Tennis is played on a rectangular, flat surface. The court is 78 feet (23.77 m) long, and 27 feet (8.2 m) wide for singles matches and 36 ft (11 m) for doubles matches. Additional clear space around the court is required in order for players to reach overrun balls. A net is stretched across the full width of the court, parallel with
11500-562: The participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders through funding and promoting Indigenous Tennis Program (ITP). The ITP organizes programs that offer tennis coaching to the Indigenous communities. The ITP employs a holistic approach to support Indigenous Australians to become officials, coaches, and administrators. This ultimately ensures the interested participants have a satisfactory and safe tennis experience. Moreover, Tennis Australia holds an annual National Indigenous Tennis Carnival at
11625-507: The performances, achievements, and contributions made by Tennis Australia's members. The nominees of the awards are selected by a panel appointed by Tennis Australia. The panel includes Australian Tennis champions and well-respected members of the Tennis community. Tennis 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
11750-488: The player who is in the lead in the game needs only one more point to win the game. The terminology is extended to sets (set point), matches (match point), and even championships (championship point). For example, if the player who is serving has a score of 40–love, the player has a triple game point (triple set point, etc.) as the player has three consecutive chances to win the game. Game points, set points, and match points are not part of official scoring and are not announced by
11875-410: The player's scores equal at 40 apiece, the score is not called out as "40–40", but rather as "deuce". If at least three points have been scored by each side and a player has one more point than his opponent, the score of the game is "advantage" for the player in the lead. During informal games, advantage can also be called "ad in" or "van in" when the serving player is ahead, and "ad out" or "van out" when
12000-504: The promotion, management, and development of tennis within Australia. Other than that, it administers amateur tournaments and youth development programs. Tennis Australia's headquarters is located in Melbourne , Australia. It administers tennis projects throughout Australia, employing around 716 full-time staff. The association generates income from selling tournament tickets, TV rights, and through sponsorship from companies. The organization
12125-449: The receiver has disrupted, or broken the natural advantage of the server. If in the following game the previous server also wins a break point it is referred to as breaking back . Except where tiebreaks apply, at least one break of serve is required to win a set (otherwise a two-game lead would never occur). Another, however informal, tennis format is called Canadian doubles . This involves three players, with one person playing against
12250-414: The receiving player is ahead; alternatively, either player may simply call out "my ad" or "your ad". The score of a tennis game during play is always read with the serving player's score first. In tournament play, the chair umpire calls the point count (e.g., "15–love") after each point. At the end of a game, the chair umpire also announces the winner of the game and the overall score. A set consists of
12375-571: The reform was also mixed among current and former players, with some such as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal being in favour of the new format, but others such as Rod Laver , Lucas Pouille and Roger Federer being opposed. On 12 January 2023, the ITF announced that the partnership with the new promoter ends and that ITF is taking back the control of the event. Davis Cup games have been affected by political protests several times, especially in Sweden: Russia and Belarus were suspended after
12500-404: The service boxes; depending on a player's position, they have to hit the ball into one of these when serving. A ball is out only if none of it has hit the area inside the lines, or the line, upon its first bounce. All lines are required to be between 1 and 2 inches (25 and 51 mm) in width, with the exception of the baseline which can be up to 4 inches (100 mm) wide, although in practice it
12625-417: The singles court on each side. The modern tennis court owes its design to Major Walter Clopton Wingfield . In 1873, Wingfield patented a court much the same as the current one for his stické tennis (sphairistike). This template was modified in 1875 to the court design that exists today, with markings similar to Wingfield's version, but with the hourglass shape of his court changed to a rectangle. Tennis
12750-537: The standard Davis Cup format, mixing single and doubles matches, and in 1895 England played against France in a national team competition. During Larned's tour of the British Isles in 1896, where he competed in several tournaments including the Wimbledon Championships , he was also a spectator for the annual England vs. Ireland match. He returned to exclaim that Britain had agreed to send a group of three to
12875-468: The start of a new point. A game consists of a sequence of points played with the same player serving. A game is won by the first player to have won at least four points in total and at least two points more than the opponent. The running score of each game is described in a manner peculiar to tennis: scores from zero to three points are described as "love", "15", "30", and "40", respectively. If at least three points have been scored by each player, making
13000-414: The start of the Open Era . The idea for an event pitting the best British and Americans in competition against one another was probably first conceived by James Dwight , the first president of the U.S. National Lawn Tennis Association when it formed in 1881. Desperate to assess the development of American players against the renowned British champions, he worked tirelessly to engage British officials in
13125-511: The start of the Australian Open tournament. The Series’ tournaments include: The ATP Cup is a men's team competition that is annually hosted in Australia by Tennis Australia. Players from 24 different countries participate in the ATP Cup. The tournaments are held in the NSW Tennis Centre at Sydney Olympic Park before the Australian Open. The total prize money of US$ 15 million is distributed to
13250-529: The summer of 1899, that four members of the Harvard University tennis team—Dwight Davis included—travelled across the States to challenge the best west-coast talent, and upon his return, it apparently occurred to Davis that if teams representing regions could arouse such great feelings, then why wouldn't a tennis event that pitted national teams in competition be just as successful. He approached James Dwight with
13375-420: The tennis facilities meet the shared objective of the sport's governing body. The four rules are accountability, community benefit, sustainability, and accessibility. Singles The tennis singles tournaments involve individual players competing against each other. Tennis Australia hosts various Tennis singles tournaments. Doubles The tennis doubles tournaments include a pair of players on both sides of
13500-421: The tie is the nation which wins three or more of the five rubbers in the tie. On the first day, the first two rubbers are singles , which are generally played by each nation's two best available singles players. On the second day, the doubles rubber is played. On the third day, the final two rubbers are typically reverse singles , in which the first-day contestants usually play again, but they swap opponents from
13625-431: The tie. On the day before play starts, the order of play for the first day is drawn at random. In the past, teams could substitute final day singles players only in case of injury or illness, verified by a doctor, but current rules permit the captain to designate any player to play the last two singles rubbers, provided that no first day matchup is repeated. There is no restriction on which of the playing team members may play
13750-560: The time was right for a properly sanctioned international competition. This was to be staged in Newcastle in July 1898, but the event never took place as the Americans could not field a sufficiently strong team. A reciprocal tour to the U.S. in 1899 amounted to just a single British player travelling overseas, as many of the players were involved in overseas armed conflicts. It was at this juncture, in
13875-492: The top two seeds in the event. The losers of the first-round matches are sent to the World Group playoff round, where they play along with winners from Group I of the regional zones. The playoff round winners play in the World Group for the next year's competition, while the losers play in Group I of their respective regional zone. Each of the three regional zones is divided into four groups. Groups I and II play elimination rounds, with
14000-415: The two nations, and an ensuing friendship between American William Larned and Irishman Harold Mahony spurred efforts to formalize an official team competition between the two nations. International competitions had been staged for some time before the first Davis Cup match in 1900. From 1892, England and Ireland had been competing in an annual national-team-based competition, similar to what would become
14125-498: The winners. The players can also win up to 750 singles and 250 doubles ATP ranking points. The Davis Cup is a Men's International Tennis Tournament organized annually by various countries. It is owned and regulated by the International Tennis Foundation and Kosmos Tennis Group. Tennis Australia frequently hosts the Davis Cup for Australia. It hosted 12 Davis Cup contests from 1946 to 2017. The 2017 Davis Cup held at
14250-602: Was also suspicion of poisoning. Because of the contemporary accounts of his death, Louis X is history's first tennis player known by name. Another of the early enthusiasts of the game was King Charles V of France , who had a court set up at the Louvre Palace . It was not until the 16th century that rackets came into use and the game began to be called "tennis", from the French term tenez , which can be translated as "hold!", "receive!" or "take!", an interjection used as
14375-515: Was appointed as a Companion of the Order of Australia. Tennis Australia (TA) is involved with the local governments to support tennis at the grassroots. The local government owns 80 percent of tennis venues around Australia. Hence, TA recognizes and supports the local government's involvement in organizing tennis in the local community, parklands, and open spaces. Furthermore, TA and Local governments around Australia have developed four rules to ensure all of
14500-409: Was formulated and incorporated in 1904. In 1904, it operated as the Lawn Tennis Association of Australasia . However, the name was changed to the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia in 1906. Finally, in 1986, the name was changed to Tennis Australia (TA). The exact origin of tennis in Australia is not known. Many believe the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome initiated racket and ball games like
14625-479: Was held in 1905 with only seventeen participants. By 1924, the Australian Open was a national event and it was hosted by different states every year. Since 1972, the Australian Open has only been held in Melbourne, Victoria. Women's tennis tournaments were only included in the Australian Open from 1922. In 1969, the Australian Open allowed all players and professionals to compete in the tournament. The Australian Open Series tournaments are pro tournaments held prior to
14750-468: Was in 2019 in Perth, WA. The event considerably contributed to the state's economy. It attracted more than 3000 people to Perth who spent AU$ 4.5 million. Also, as the tournament was broadcast internationally, it highlighted the state's attractions to international tourists. This would help boost WA's tourism markets in the future. The Australian Pro Tour includes Pro Tour events, Australian Money Tournaments, and
14875-470: Was in attendance at this tournament, and was thought to have got wind of the idea as it was discussed in the tournament's popular magazine, and Davis's name was mentioned as someone who might 'do something for the game ... put up some big prize, or cup'. Larned and Fischer met on several occasions that summer and discussed the idea of an international match to be held in Chicago the following summer, pitting six of
15000-940: Was larger than the one normally used in New York. On 21 May 1881, the oldest nationwide tennis organization in the world was formed, the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (now the United States Tennis Association ) in order to standardize the rules and organize competitions. The US National Men's Singles Championship, now the US Open , was first held in 1881 at the Newport Casino , Newport, Rhode Island . The US National Women's Singles Championships were first held in 1887 in Philadelphia . Tennis also became popular in France, where
15125-461: Was managed by Sir Norman Brookes until 1955. As tennis grew in popularity around the world during the 1970s and 1980s, the association formed a company and remanded Tennis Australia in 1986. The Australian Open , formerly known as the Happy Slam, is one of the major tennis tournaments hosted by Tennis Australia. Along with the US Open, French Open, and Wimbledon, the Australian Open is classified as
15250-513: Was one of the original Olympic sports , and has been consistently competed in the Summer Olympic Games since 1988 . Historians believe that the game's ancient origin lay in 12th-century northern France, where a ball was struck with the palm of the hand. Louis X of France was a keen player of jeu de paume ("game of the palm"), which evolved into real tennis , and became notable as the first person to construct indoor tennis courts in
15375-758: Was part of the International and Australian Tennis Halls of Fame between 1981 and 1993. In 2000, as a tribute to Rod Laver, the 'Centre Court' or 'Flinders Park' in Melbourne Park was named after him; the Rod Laver Arena. Evonne Goolagong Cawley Evonne Goolagong Cawley , part of the Wiradjuri Aboriginal tribe, held the title of women's world number one tennis player from 1971 to 1976. At the age of 13, Goolagong-Cawley moved to live with tennis coach Vic Edwards. In 1971, 20-year-old Goolagong-Cawley competed in
15500-486: Was soon known simply as "sticky" – for the amusement of guests at a garden party on his friend's estate of Nantclwyd Hall , in Llanelidan , Wales. According to R. D. C. Evans, turfgrass agronomist , "Sports historians all agree that [Wingfield] deserves much of the credit for the development of modern tennis." According to Honor Godfrey, museum curator at Wimbledon, Wingfield "popularized this game enormously. He produced
15625-514: Was three years before the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club would hold its first championships at Wimbledon, in 1877. The first Championships culminated in a significant debate on how to standardise the rules. In the United States in 1874, Mary Ewing Outerbridge , a young socialite, returned from Bermuda with a sphairistikè set. She became fascinated by the game of tennis after watching British army officers play. She laid out
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