This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s new guide to tennis
It was the bored monks of medieval France who invented the sport that has become one of the most captivating of modern times. To pass the time, they struck a ball against a wall, and then over a crude net, using nothing but their bare hands. Overindulgence in the improvised jeu de paume, “game of the palm”, led to painful bruises and callouses, so they began to use gloves. Some of them sought a technological edge by sewing webbing between the fingers. The game grew in popularity.
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