Royal tennis is the distant ancestor of lawn tennis, the game today played all over the world. As with many other games and sports, the original version dates back to ancient times. Racket and ball games, with ping-pong type, rackets are known from ancient Egypt and Persia, and tennis-like games were played by at least the 11th century, almost 1000 years ago. But the medieval tennis game appears to have its direct origin in handball games. These games were played by striking the ball with a bare hand. The original ball used was made of tightly rolled cloth pieces stitched together Later the hand was wrapped up to give the ball more spring, and probably to protect the hand. Later still, string rackets were used.

In France Jeux de Paume (palm play) became popular with both the nobility in their enclosed courts and the ordinary people who played longe-paume on common land. The medieval annal of St. Foix written around 1300 AD describes the game: "The exercise consists in receiving the ball and driving it back again with the palm. The game was first played with the bare hand, then with the glove, lined or unlined; afterwards they bound cord or rattin around the hand to make the ball rebound more forcibly."

Royal tennis, as the name might tell you, was popular with the kings of both England and France in the 16th and 17th centuries. The sport is mentioned in Shakespeare's play, Henry V, when the French crown prince sent a gift of tennis balls to the English king as a form of insult (I guess that's sort of like getting underwear for your birthday). A famous tennis court was built in 1530 for King Henry VIII at his palace in Hampton Court. The earliest set of complete rules dates from 1599. The rules for the modern game of tennis were drawn up a little more than 100 years ago in 1878.

Royal tennis was played by two or four players, with a ball made from tightly-bound cloth strips, and rackets made from ash wood weighing about 500

grams. The walled court was about 28 metres long and 2.5 metres wide. Scoring is the similar to lawn tennis, but with the best of 11 games played. What is Keatsen?