The history of tennis dates back to the jeu de paume in France in the 11th century, where the ball was hit by hand in the courtyards of monasteries. In 19th century England, modern tennis took shape when the All England Croquet Club opened its croquet courts to the game of tennis, quickly overtaking croquet in popularity. The creation of the International Lawn Tennis Federation in 1913 marked the beginning of an international organization for the sport.
At the Olympic Games, tennis was present in Athens from 1896, but left the Olympic programme in 1924 due to problems related to the professionalisation of the sport. After a brief appearance as a demonstration sport in 1968, tennis returned to Seoul for good in 1988. Since then, the world’s best players have competed in Olympic competitions, with iconic champions such as Rafael Nadal, Serena and Venus Williams, and Roger Federer all winning Olympic medals, underlining the importance of the sport at the Olympic Games.
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