About Tennis in France

Le tennis en France

Part of Theme Courses | Sports in French

Where does tennis come from? What are facts about tennis in France?

French Tennis

Where does tennis comes from? Hum… Yes, of course, it comes from the old French game, played until the revolution. It was called the Jeu de paume.

It is said to have been introduced to England in the 19th century and would have taken off as tennis from there. The jeu de paume was the rage in France beginning from the middle-ages on.

It seems that everyone was playing it, from children to adults, men and women alike. It was played, however, with a leather glove, not a racquet though. Jeu de paume was played by single players, or in teams of two. The rules to count points were basically the same as those of modern tennis.

Did you know

that the word “tennis�? comes from the French word “tenez�?
that the word “love�? comes from French word “l’œuf�? (the egg) which represents a zero
that a volley shot comes from the French “à la volée�?

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Tsonga is the son of Congolese hand-ball player Didier Tsonga and French mother, Evelyne Tsonga. He was born in Le Mans, the famous city between Paris and Rennes where they race sports cars: the 24 hours of Le Mans.

According to the New York Times, Tsonga “looks like a young Muhammad Ali but plays quite like himself�?.

Monsieur Hulot

A tennis lesson by Mr Hulot, in this 1953 French classic movie ‘Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday’, by Jacques Tati. Don’t miss that movie if you have a chance. It’s called “Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot�?. C’est la crise de fou rire assurée. Giggles guaranteed, even if the humor is a bit dated. I love it all the same 🙂