Changes

What became known as "real tennis" emerged by the early 13th century in France. Louis X was known to be a found enthusiast of the handball game of tennis. England also became influenced by the game of tennis. A glove was now sometimes used by this period. The key transformation was the adoption of the game by royal households. Tennis courts were now built on palace grounds rather than in church courtyards. Henry V was the first king in England known to adopt the sport. By the 16th century, a racquet was now used and the oldest surviving tennis court derives from this period, found in Falkland Palace (Figure 1). During the 16th century, the game of tennis now became even more popular with the royal court in England. Henry VIII was known to have built a tennis court in Hampton Court Palace and played the game. In fact, one of the earliest known games of doubles originated at this time. Henry VIII and Charles V of France played in a match against the Prince of Orange and Marquis of Brandenburg. The French had developed the game in the 16th century so that a volley, rather than stopping the ball, would be how points would be scored. The rule was the ball can bounce once but not twice; this new rule quickly spread throughout Europe, making it a firm part of solidifying this rule for the game's rulesfuture. During this time, lines were also added to demarcate boundaries where the ball can land. As tennis gained popularity with the royalty, they encouraged their courts to also play the game, helping to spread its popularity beyond royal families and into the nobility.<ref>For a history of royal courts playing tennis in the late Medieval period and early Renaissance, see: Guttmann, A. (2004). Sports: the first five millennia. Amherst, Mass.: University of Massachusetts Press, pg. 63.</ref>