Originating in the 12th century in the monastic cloisters in northern France, tennis has grown since its inception and has been adapted over the years to make it the internationally played sport that it is today. During its time, there have been a multitude of exciting matches, history making moments and tennis firsts, resulting in lots of random facts that you might like to know so you’re ready for this years’ tennis season and can be a tennis pro.
Which Grand Slam was founded first?
- Wimbledon was the first of the four Grand Slams to be founded
What's the fastest tennis serve recorded?
The fastest ever tennis serve recorded was delivered by Australian Sam Groth at the Busan Open Challenger Tennis event in 2012, dispatching the ball at 264km/h (163.4 mph)
How many strawberries are eaten at Wimbledon every year?
Every year, 24 tonnes of strawberries are consumed during Wimbledon
How many tennis balls are used each year at Wimbledon?
New balls please! Approximately 54,250 tennis balls are used during Wimbledon
More interesting tennis facts
- The tiebreak was invented in 1965 by James Van Alen, and was introduced to Wimbledon in 1971
- 2007 was the first year that the prize money for Wimbledon winners became equal for men and women, however 1968 was the first year to offer prize money
- A hawk, named Rufus, is stationed at Wimbledon to keep the sky clear of pigeons – he has more than 10,000 followers on Twitter – the Marketing Team’s favourite fact
- The AELTC must approve all players clothing before taking part in The Championships
- Tennis was originally played on an hour-glass shaped court, until the All England Croquet Club at Wimbledon introduced rectangular courts in 1875.
- Up until 1975, three of the total four Grand Slams were played on grass (Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open)
- New balls please! Approximately 54,250 tennis balls are used during Wimbledon
- The loudest grunt came from Maria Sharapova during Wimbledon in 2009, amounting to 105 decibels. This is louder than a motorcycle, a lawnmower and a small aircraft landing!
- Tennis was introduced to the Olympics in 1896 and was later removed in 1924. It was reintroduced at the 1988 Olympics and has been a part of the games ever since
- The most watched tennis match of all time was the Wimbledon men’s final in 2012 against Andy Murray and Roger Federer. Peak viewership reached 16.9 million towards the end of the match, and an average of 11.4 million across the whole match
- While this is probably common knowledge after the Australian Open in 2022, Rafael Nadal holds the record number of the men’s Grand Slam titles ever, with a total of 21.
- On average, a tennis player runs a distance of 3 miles over the duration of a two-set match, due to the restrictive size of the court.
We’d be surprised and very impressed if you knew all fifteen of those facts!
History and memorable moments are always being made in the world of sport, as new rising stars appear on the scene and the legends of the court make new exciting records.
Join us at the cinch Championships, the Rothesay International Eastbourne and The Championships, Wimbledon to witness more exciting tennis action – who knows, a new grunt record could be made!
