The popularity of lawn tennis had overtaken croquet in England. For this reason, the All England Croquet Club embraced the sport and designated certain croquet lawns to be used for tennis. It was this natural supply of venues combined with the already existing framework for a racquet game that resulted in the birth of the modern game in England. In 1874, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield took out a patent in London for a form of tennis with very similar rules and equipment to the modern game. Many players and observers were unhappy with Wingfield’s patented rules, even after he modified them in 1875.
At this time, croquet courts were a numerous feature in the gardens of the upper and middle classes as well as being found in some public parks. The smooth grass croquet courts proved easily adaptable for the game of tennis. A landmark event in the history of tennis occurred in 1877 when the All England Club held the first ever tournament at Wimbledon. The organising committee of the tournament decided to use a rectangular court rather than Wingfield’s hour-glass style where the court narrowed at the net. At this point the net was still five feet high at the sides and the service boxes 26 feet deep. By 1882 the rules of the game had evolved into those we now recognise in tennis today.
The United States Tennis Association was formed on 21 May 1881. This was formed in an attempt to standardise rules to enable both national and international tournaments to be held. The first U.S. Open followed shortly, still then known as the U.S. National Men’s Singles Championship, it was held in August 1881 at Newport, Rhode Island. The U.S. National women’s Singles Championship was established in 1887.
Tennis spent 64 years outside the Olympic family and because of this it is easily forgotten that it was one of the original sports when the first modern Olympiad was staged in 1896. The competition took place in a tent, with some matches being played outside in the centre of the Velodrome. John Boland of Ireland was the first Olympic tennis winner. No women's events in any sport were held that first year, but four years later the women were admitted as the Summer Olympic Games moved to Paris. Great Britain made a clean sweep of the gold medals for the four tennis events that were played. Charlotte Cooper the Wimbledon champion of 1895, 1896 and 1898, beat Helene Prevost in the women’s singles final to claim the distinction of being the first woman in any sport to win an Olympic gold medal.
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