ধর্মই মননশীলতা ও সৃষ্টিশীলতার সবচেয়ে বড় অন্তরায় Tennis is thought to have originated in France from the handball game called jeu de paume (game of the palm) played during the 12th and 13th century. Initially the ball was struck with the hand but later in the 16th century the racket was introduced and the game came to be known as "Tennis". The sport evolved and became famous in France and England. Back then it was played indoors where the ball could be hit off the wall. Harry Gem and his friend Augurio Perera established a game that was a combination of the ball game pelota and rackets. In 1872, they along with two local doctors established the world's first tennis club in Leamington Spa. In December 1873, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield introduced a similar game named Sphairistike (From ancient Greek meaning "skill at playing at ball") which marked the beginning of Tennis as an outdoor game. In 1877 the first championships were played at Wimbledon in London. In 1874 Mary Ewing Outerbridge, a young American socialite arranged for a new tennis court at the Staten Island Cricket Club in New Brighton Staten Island in New York. The first American National tournament was played there in 1880. On May 21, 1881, the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (now the United States Tennis Association) was formed to organize competitions and to standardize the rules. The U.S. National Men's Singles Championship, the US Open, was first held in 1881 at Newport, Rhode Island. The U.S. National Women's Singles Championships were first held in 1887. In France, the French Open started in 1891.Thus, Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open and the Australian Open (dating to 1905) began and so far remain the most prominent events in tennis. These four events together are called the Majors or Slams. In 1924 the International Lawn Tennis Federation (now International Tennis Federation) propagated the all-inclusive rules. In the same year, tennis was withdrawn from the Olympics after the 1924 Games but after 60 years Tennis returned as a 21-and-under demonstration event in 1984. The event earned huge success and the IOC decided to reestablish tennis as a full medal sport at Seoul in 1988. The Davis Cup, an annual competition between men's national teams, commenced in 1900. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the ITF the equivalent competition for women's national teams, the Federation Cup, was initiated in 1963. In 1926, C.C. Pyle, an organizer, went for the first professional tennis tour with a group of French and American tennis players and played demonstration matches for paying audiences. Vinnie Richards, an American, and Suzanne Lenglen, a French woman, were among the most prominent professional tennis players. Once a person became a prominent player he or she could not compete in the major amateur tournaments. This lead to a lot of controversial issues and so in 1968, all players were allowed to compete in all tournaments, and top players were permitted to take tennis as a profession. Thus, with the beginning of this new era, the popularity of tennis spread worldwide and no longer remained a sport only for the privileged ones. Tennis is thought to have originated in France from the handball game called jeu de paume (game of the palm) played during the 12th and 13th century. Initially the ball was struck with the hand but later in the 16th century the racket was introduced and the game came to be known as “Tennis.” The sport evolved and became famous in France and England. Back then it was played indoors where the ball could be hit off the wall. Harry Gem and his friend Augurio Perera established a game that was a combination of the ball game pelota and rackets. In 1872, they along with two local doctors established the world's first tennis club in Leamington Spa. In December 1873, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield introduced a similar game named Sphairistike (From ancient Greek meaning "skill at playing at ball") which marked the beginning of Tennis as an outdoor game. In 1877 the first championships were played at Wimbledon in London. In 1874 Mary Ewing Outerbridge, a young American socialite arranged for a new tennis court at the Staten Island Cricket Club in New Brighton Staten Island in New York. The first American National tournament was played there in 1880. On May 21, 1881, the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (now the United States Tennis Association) was formed to organize competitions and to standardize the rules. The U.S. National Men's Singles Championship, the US Open, was first held in 1881 at Newport, Rhode Island. The U.S. National Women's Singles Championships were first held in 1887. In France, the French Open started in 1891.Thus, Wimbledon, the US Open, the French Open and the Australian Open (dating to 1905) began and so far remain the most prominent events in tennis. These four events together are called the Majors or Slams. In 1924 the International Lawn Tennis Federation (now International Tennis Federation) propagated the all-inclusive rules. In the same year, tennis was withdrawn from the Olympics after the 1924 Games but after 60 years Tennis returned as a 21-and-under demonstration event in 1984. The event earned huge success and the IOC decided to reestablish tennis as a full medal sport at Seoul in 1988. The Davis Cup, an annual competition between men's national teams, commenced in 1900. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the ITF the equivalent competition for women's national teams, the Federation Cup, was initiated in 1963. In 1926, C.C. Pyle, an organizer, went for the first professional tennis tour with a group of French and American tennis players and played demonstration matches for paying audiences. Vinnie Richards, an American, and Suzanne Lenglen, a French woman, were among the most prominent professional tennis players. Once a person became a prominent player he or she could not compete in the major amateur tournaments. This lead to a lot of controversial issues and so in 1968, all players were allowed to compete in all tournaments, and top players were permitted to take tennis as a profession. Thus, with the beginning of this new era, the popularity of tennis spread worldwide and no longer remained a sport only for the privileged ones.