Tennis was invented as lawn tennis in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, in the 19th century, developing from earlier handball-style games played in France.

Quick scoop

  • The modern sport called lawn tennis was created in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, in the late 1800s.
  • It grew out of an older indoor game known as “real” or “royal” tennis, which had been especially popular in France.
  • Many historians trace its deeper roots to French monks in the 11th–12th centuries, who played a courtyard handball game called jeu de paume.

Short timeline

  • 11th–12th century: Monks in France play jeu de paume by hitting a ball with the hand in monastery courtyards.
  • 16th century: Rackets and more formal indoor courts appear in France and England, giving rise to “real tennis.”
  • 1859–1865: In Birmingham, England, Harry Gem and Augurio Perera combine rackets with other ball games on a lawn, setting the stage for lawn tennis.
  • 1870s: Lawn tennis spreads quickly in Britain and then to the United States and beyond.

So where was tennis invented?

If the question means “Where did modern lawn tennis begin?” the answer is:

  • Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, in the 19th century.

If the question means “Where did the earliest form of the game come from?” then:

  • Most evidence points to medieval France, where jeu de paume was played long before lawn tennis existed.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.