Get Involved in Court Tennis
What is court tennis?
- A mix of tennis, squash, and chess
- A blend of time-honored traditions and modern athleticism
- A challenge of endless possibilities in the pursuit of excellence
Court tennis is a small but thriving game.
About five thousand people regularly play around the world.
12 Courts at 11 Clubs in the USA
Court tennis has a wonderful history:
Court tennis has been played for a thousand years. The currently more-popular version of the game, regular tennis, was created in the 1870s as an outdoor version—this is what Serena Williams and Roger Federer play. Since then, the original game has been dubbed real tennis in Great Britain and Australia, jeu de paume in France and court tennis in the U.S.
In the beginning, tennis started as an outdoor version of handball, played in alleys, courtyards and streets of rural France. By the fifteenth century, the racquet was invented and the current, asymmetric shape of the court—designed to replicate a street with awnings and shop windows and doors—was standardized.
Court tennis was wildly popular throughout Renaissance Europe. Almost every king of England and France played, and the oldest standard court in use today is Hampton Court Palace outside London, built in 1530. But tennis was also a game of the people: Paris had more than 250 courts in the seventeenth century and
Shakespeare mentioned the game in five of his plays. The game went into decline in the mid-1700s—thus a court was available for French revolutionaries when the Tennis Court Oath was given in 1789.
Tennis by the Numbers:
FEATURED MATCH
2022 U.S. Pro Singles Semifinal
Camden Riviere vs. John Lumley
Camden Riviere vs. John Lumley
Current Events
Learn where to watch court tennis near you.
Where It's Played
Contact a local club to give the game a try.
The game today:
Court tennis in America is a vibrant game. The United States Court Tennis Association manages a rich list of fixtures: there are singles and doubles tournaments on most weekends of the year, including events for juniors, women, professionals and team inter-club matches. We use the global handicap system (called Real Tennis Online), a method that ensures close, competitive matches.
Court tennis has a dynamic, passionate global community. We send junior teams abroad to play in England and Australia; many individuals and teams go overseas or come here to play in tournaments and tour courts. We also gather annually for world championships which date back to 1819.
The balls are handmade by the pros: they have a core of cork wrapped with tape and hand-sewn with lawn tennis ball felt. They are heavy and take spin differently than a lawn tennis ball, so players usually hit underspin or sidespin rather than topspin. The racquets are wooden and made Grays in England or Harrow Sports in the USA.
