Increase your life expentancy
Playing tennis can increase life expectancy by 9.7 years compared to a sedentary lifestyle. While other sports also offer benefits, tennis stands out as the top choice.
Tennis was originally played with bare hands
Today, tennis players use rackets to hit the ball, but that wasn't always the case. The game originally involved players striking the ball with their bare hands, a practice known as "jeu de paume," or "game of the palm" in French. It wasn’t until the 16th century that rackets were introduced, leading to the evolution of the sport as we know it today.
The longest tennis match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes
In 2010, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut competed in the longest tennis match in history at Wimbledon. Lasting 11 hours and 5 minutes over three days, the final score was 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, and 70-68. The match was so lengthy that the scoreboard ran out of space for the score and had to be updated manually.
The fastest serve recorded was 163.7 mph
In 2012, American tennis player Sam Groth set the world record for the fastest serve at 163.7 mph during a Challenger tournament in Busan, South Korea. Although this record has since been surpassed by other players, it remains an impressive achievement.
The longest rally lasted 29 minutes and 43 seconds
In 1984, the French Open witnessed the longest rally in professional tennis history. French players Vicky Nelson and Jean Hepner engaged in a remarkable exchange that lasted 29 minutes and 43 seconds, with 643 shots exchanged.
Tennis was initially played indoors
Although we often see tennis played outdoors on grass, clay, and hard courts today, it was originally played indoors. The game began in a monastery in France to avoid interruptions from the weather.