Tennis and it's Beginning

It can be seen though an analysis of the history of tennis why individuals would choose to play this sport over many others.  Back in the 1600’s tennis was popular among royalty such King Henry VIII and throughout history other powerful and wealthy individuals played the sport. One can then infer that those who desire to play tennis over other sports is because it represents an elevated and sophisticated culture that people want to be associated with.  Back in the 1600’s only the rich could afford to build what was a standard tennis court at the time, severely depriving commoners from playing the sport.  This kept the real sport very exclusive and forced commoners to come up with revisions to the game so they could play without an actual court.  

Although in the present day most hotels and resorts offer tennis as a main leisure activity that all guests can partake in.  This cannot be a coincidence that the physical courts for tennis are located in hotels where mostly wealthy and well-traveled individuals would be able to afford to play the sport.  Additionally, for women in the 1920’s tennis may have come to represent a break from contemporary society as “Her calf-length cotton frocks were described as “shocking and indecent”, worn as they were without corsets or petticoats, but her speed and grace about the court made her a heroine with women keen to throw off the shackles of decorum ”(Pictorial History of Tennis).  This could represent a need for women during the early 20^th century to depart from the customs and manners profound in society at the time.  Tennis can be seen as the medium though which women were able to gain freedom from the mundane and strict rules after a normal working day.