Venue: Wimbledon
Dates: Saturday 28 July – Sunday 5 August
Events: Men's and women’s Singles and Doubles; Mixed Doubles
Gold medals up for grabs: 5
Athletes: 172
The first tennis balls were made of wool or hair, wrapped up in leather
Tennis: a history of the sport
Tennis was born in the 11th century when a game called ‘jeu de paume’ became popular in French monasteries and palaces.
The sport developed in England, where croquet lawns were used to stage the first official Lawn Tennis matches.
At Athens 1896, the first Olympic Tennis tournament was won by an Irish student, John Boland. He went to the Games just to watch, but returned an Olympic champion.
Compare that to today, when competitors are among the biggest names in world sport, used to playing for millions on the international circuit.
Tennis at the Games
Arguments over the ‘amateur’ status of players saw it dropped from the programme in 1922, but it eventually returned at Seoul 1988.
Some of the world’s most famous players have since become Olympic champions, including the USA‘s Andre Agassi and his wife, Germany’s Steffi Graf.
Jargon buster
Lob: A ball hit high in the air and deep into the opponent's court.
Half volley: A shot played just after the ball has bounced.
Match point: A point that, if won, wins the match.
Straight sets: Win without losing a set.
Baseline: The end boundary line of a tennis court.
Love: No points; zero.
Serve: To put the ball in play at the beginning of a point.
Ace: A winning legal serve that the opposing player fails to touch with their racket.
Get involved
Your local club is the best place to learn, but you will probably be able to find public courts in your nearest park
Wimbledon will be used for the Tennis competition of the 2012 Games. Up to 30,000 people will be able to watch the players compete.
