The Racket and Ball graphic above is through the courtesy of the Real-Tennis Web Site in the UK. Click on the link to go to this excellent site.
Court Tennis, also known as real tennis in the UK and the rest of the world, began around 1100 AD and was initially played in monasteries off the sloping roofs in France and Great Britain. At one time there were over 2000 courts in Paris. On another occasion, the King of England banned the game because he felt his archers were losing their edge as bowmen due to playing too much tennis!
Perhaps the best known story about tennis is that Britain's Henry VIII was playing tennis at the time he was informed that Ann Boelyn, his wife, had been beheaded. It is reported that he then finished his game.
At the time of the French Revolution, the famous "Oath of the Tennis Court" took place on a court tennis court, the one at Versailles.
In the USA, with the addition of the new court at the Regency Sports Complex in McLean, Virginia, there are now a total of 10 active courts. Two of them are public, the one in McLean and the Casino in Newport. The remainder are in private clubs along the east coast. Probably 250 people play the game regularly in the US and about 2500 play it world wide. Active courts are in the UK, France, and Australia.
What is court tennis? Perhaps moving chess is an apt description. While the game is scored the same as lawn tennis from which it is derived, the fact that the game can be played off the walls, and the penthouse (a sloping roof), results in a number of ways to score. If a ball drops in the black lined area of the court two times, a chase occurs that must be played off when the score reaches 40 or if two chases occur at any other time. Then the players switch sides and try to better the chase scored (or keep their opponent from doing so). The complexity, strategy and the use of spin on a solid 5 ounce ball make a big difference.
The opening of Prince's court in Washington, the fifth court to bear that name, marked the first use of glass panels as the main wall of the court between the gallery known as the dedans (inside in French) and the tambour in the history of the game.
It adds excitement since the reflections from the glass and the bong that the ball makes hitting the wall changes the equation. It also makes me think that perhaps we should migrate to yellow balls or a slightly darker tint in the glass if the idea is used in the future. However, it is a major accomplishment by all the folks in Washington who made it happen. If you are interested I suggest that you call Austin the pro at the club.
Prince's Court was conceived and brought to completion by Haven Pell during a ten year period that involved many false starts. In 1980, Haven's father, Clary Pell, had successfully completed a renovation of the court tennis court at the Casino in Newport, Rhode Island. It is a tribute to Haven and the other visionaries in Washington who helped to bring it to completion. Freddie Prince was his first major backer after whom the court is named. Others include but are not limited to Temple Grassi and Chick Cudlip. Congratulations to all involved in this project which is so important to the future of the game.