Real tennis – widely-regarded as the precursor to lawn tennis – was extremely popular in the 15th and 16th Centuries.
With players including Henry VIII and François I of France, it is little wonder that it became one of several activities dubbed “the sports of kings”, alongside polo, hunting, and horse racing.
In recent times, though, its popularity has dwindled in line with the rise of lawn tennis, and there are just 27 real tennis courts in the UK at the moment.
But the Manchester Tennis & Racquets Club – set up in 1876 – has one of them, and they are proud of keeping real tennis alive and are eager to raise its popularity once more…
