Real tennis has been played for centuries, long before lawn tennis took over parks and clubs. Its history runs from medieval handball games in France to royal courts in England and the birth of the modern sport in the 19th century.
Also called jeu de paume in France and court tennis in some countries, real tennis is still played today. Its unusual indoor courts, handmade-style wooden racquets and tactical scoring preserve a game that has changed far less than most people expect.
Where real tennis began
The exact starting point of real tennis is unknown. The game is usually traced to medieval France, where people played ball games by striking the ball with the hand. The French name jeu de paume means “game of the palm.” Players later used gloves and then racquets as the game developed.
By the late Middle Ages, versions of the game were popular in parts of France and Europe. Players used enclosed courts, and the ball could rebound from walls and other features. That made the game different from a simple contest of hitting a ball back and forth: players had to read angles, use the court’s architecture and plan where the next bounce would fall.
The word “tennis” is often linked to the French call tenez, meaning “take” or “receive,” which a server may have called before striking the ball. The exact path from that expression to the English word is not fully certain, but the connection is widely accepted.
Royal courts and the game’s golden age
Real tennis became especially fashionable among European nobles. Kings and courtiers played it, and purpose-built courts appeared in palaces and towns. In England, Henry VIII was a keen player. Hampton Court Palace’s real tennis court dates to his reign, though the present building has been altered over time.
The game also left its mark on French history. In 1789, representatives of the Third Estate took the Tennis Court Oath in an indoor court at Versailles, promising not to separate until France had a constitution. The event was political, not a tennis match, but it shows how familiar the game’s courts were in French public life.
Real tennis reached a high point in the 16th and 17th centuries, but its popularity later declined. Courts were costly to build and maintain, and the game needed more space and specialist knowledge than many new sports. In France, the Revolution also disrupted royal and aristocratic institutions that had supported it.
How lawn tennis changed the story
Real tennis did not disappear, but it faced a new rival in the 19th century. In 1873, British army officer Major Walter Clopton Wingfield introduced a version of outdoor lawn tennis. It was easier to set up on a grass lawn and simpler for clubs and families to take up.
Lawn tennis spread quickly. Its rules and court dimensions were standardized, and Wimbledon held its first championship in 1877. As the newer sport grew, players began using terms such as “real tennis” and “court tennis” to distinguish the older indoor game from lawn tennis.
The two sports share a scoring system and some vocabulary, but their play is quite different. Lawn tennis relies on a flat, open court. A real tennis court is enclosed and asymmetrical, with sloping penthouse roofs and openings called galleries. The ball may be played off walls and roofs, so a shot that looks defensive can set up a winning angle.
What makes a real tennis court distinctive?
A real tennis court is built around features that affect both the rules and tactics. One side has a service end, where the server sends the ball onto a sloping roof called the penthouse before it lands in the service court. Openings in the walls can score points directly, while other shots create a “chase.”
A chase marks where the ball’s second bounce occurs. Rather than ending the point immediately, it can set a target for later in the game. The players may switch ends, and the chase is then played out: the player who can make the opponent’s ball bounce farther from the end of the court wins it. This makes placement and judgment as important as power.
The court’s shape rewards patience and imagination. Players use the penthouse and side walls to change the ball’s direction, and they must account for odd angles and low openings. A strong player is not simply trying to hit hard; they are trying to make the next shot awkward and control the chase.
How real tennis has survived
Real tennis is now played by a relatively small community, but it has an active club culture in Britain, France, the United States and Australia. Courts are rare compared with lawn-tennis facilities, and maintaining them requires specialist care. That scarcity gives many courts a strong sense of continuity: the same building may have served players for generations.
Some champions have become part of the sport’s story. French player Pierre Etchebaster held the world championship for many years in the 20th century, from 1928 to 1954. His long reign helped raise the profile of the game at a time when it was known to far fewer people than lawn tennis.
Today, governing bodies and clubs keep the game going through coaching, competitions and court preservation. New players often begin by learning how to read the walls and understand chases. It takes time, but that learning curve is part of the appeal: real tennis rewards observation and touch as much as athletic speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is real tennis older than lawn tennis?
Yes. Real tennis developed from medieval European ball games, while lawn tennis took shape in the 19th century. The newer sport borrowed some familiar scoring terms, but it is played on a very different court.
Why is it called real tennis?
“Real” means royal, as in “royal tennis,” and helps distinguish the older game from lawn tennis. In France, the traditional name is jeu de paume; in the United States, it is commonly called court tennis.
Is real tennis played with the same equipment as lawn tennis?
No. Real tennis uses a smaller, solid ball and a wooden racquet with a distinctive shape. The ball and racquet are suited to the enclosed court and its walls, roofs and openings.
Can beginners learn real tennis?
Yes. Many clubs offer beginner coaching and equipment. Learning the court features and chase rules takes practice, so a first lesson is often the easiest way to understand how the game works.
Final Thoughts
Real tennis history is not just a story about an old sport surviving. It is a history of changing court design, royal fashion, French and English traditions, and the rise of lawn tennis. The game remains compelling because its court turns every wall and roof into part of the contest. For players willing to learn its patterns, it offers a direct link to tennis’s distant past—and a challenging game in its own right.
