There are many sports in this world, but there are not many as popular as tennis. It is considered the sport of royals, and millions of fans watch the international competitions at the edge of their seats every year. As far as game-play goes, tennis is pretty straightforward. In a single match, opponents hit the ball from one side of the court to another in an attempt to evade return from the other side.
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In double matches, there are two players on each side of the field, but the goal remains the same. Even if game-play sounds kind of dull, the sport itself is extremely exciting. It also has an interesting history that you might not know about. You might be shocked to find out how the sport evolved and became what it is today. Here are some fascinating things regarding the U.S. Open, and the history of tennis.
1. The Sport Had A Rocky Start
When people think about a sport as popular as tennis, they can only think that it can be traced to an undeniable beginning. This is not the case for tennis. Although it has become so deeply ingrained in the modern fabric of sports, its origins are still a mystery. There are actually two theories behind it. Some say that it all began in Egypt, although there is little evidence to support this claim. Supporters of this claim say that tennis comes from the city of Tinnis. They also believe that the world racquet comes from the Arabian one, rahat, which means hand. The second theory is that tennis was invented by French monastery monks who played a rudimentary version of it with their hands and a rope net.
2. The Tennis Court Was Adopted from the Croquet Ones
When you think about a tennis court, you can only think that it was created especially for this game. It is so perfect for this game that it couldn’t possibly be adapted from another sport. Wrong again! The tennis court was actually adopted from the croquet one. During the 1850s when tennis finally started to resemble its modern day version, croquet was extremely popular, so many tennis players adapted croquet courts to suite their needs.
3. Tennis Was (and still is) a Game of Hands
If you ever took tennis classes you have probably been asked to play with your hands, by the instructor. As crazy as it may sound, it is one of the best ways to learn how to play. In the past, people also used hands instead of rackets. Only when it became to painful to bear was the racket invented.
Interesting Facts About the U.S. Open
Wimbledon and the U.S. Open are the oldest forms of grand slams in the world. They have been the witness of many incredible plays and achievements. Here are a few interesting things that you probably didn’t know about the U.S. Open:
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Tennis players have always dominated the field when the played on home soil, but it is the United States that seems to have dominated the charts. Since its inception in 1881, American players have not appeared in the singles finals on only six occasions.
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In 1973 a new prize pool and trophy were picked for the U.S. Open. Since then, neither of them have changed. The trophy is designed by Tiffany and Co..
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You may already know this fact, but we will present it nonetheless. Tennis is the single richest sporting event in the world, and the U.S. Open has the largest single prize pool. Rafael Nadal took home 2.8$ million after winning the 2011 competition.
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A strange thing happened during the 1977 U.S. Open. John McEnroe was playing Eddie Dibbs in a third-round match, when the game was halted by commotion in the crowd. It appeared that someone had been shot. The game quickly resumed, and McEnroe won. It was later discovered that a fans was actually shot in the leg by a stray bullet from the Queen’s Streets.
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Even if the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at the Flushing Meadow is the largest tennis stadia in the world, it is not the best. Unlike its counterparts, the main court lacks a roof, and when you think about the threat of hurricanes, it might not sound like such a good idea to book a full house for the games.