Tennis enthusiasts visiting Rhode Island are encouraged to swing by the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum, a prominent landmark and cherished institution which has held court to the elegance and grandeur of the game since 1881.

Slicing through history, the sport of tennis is purported to have developed from a game conjured by European monks, played during religious ceremonies. During its humble, monastic origin the first tennis ball made of wood was hit with the hand. Then, a leather glove came into play, soon replaced with an adaptive handle for hitting and serving the ball—the birth of the racket. Eventually the wooden ball gave way to a bouncier leather ball.

H-m-m, though monks are known for their hermitic coexistence and lapses of silence, throughout the 16th-18th centuries the game grew in popularity, predominately in France. Adopted by the royal family and called “je de paume,” players would begin the game by shouting the word “tenez” meaning “play.” In 1874, Major Walter Wingfield acquired the patent rights for the equipment and rules of engagement which bear close resemblance to the modern game of tennis. This same year, the first tennis courts emerged in the United States.

Rhode Island historically stepped up to the net, first serving up the sport of tennis as a grand slam, with the completed construction of the Newport Casino, and its subsequent opening on July 26, 1880. The Casino hosted the first U.S. National Lawn Tennis Championships in 1881 on its grass courts which evolved into today’s US Open.

The Newport Casino which encompasses the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum is highly revered in Rhode Island, earning the distinction as a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Ever since 1881, when American tournament tennis began on its grass courts, the world’s best players have competed in Newport.

From 1915–1967, the Casino Invitational hosted some of the world’s premier players comprising an impressive roster including: “Big” Bill Tilden, “Little” Bill Johnston, Ellsworth Vines, Frank Shields, Wilmer Allison, Don Budge, Bobby Riggs, Don McNeil, Gardnar Mulloy, Ted Schroeder, Bill Talbert, Pancho Gonzales, Frank Sedgman, Tony Trabert, Ken Rosewall, Mal Anderson, Rod Laver, Chuck McKinley, Roy Emerson, and Dennis Ralston.

From 1971-1974, the Newport Casino hosted the Professional Women’s Singles and the Professional Women’s Doubles. Spectators had a golden opportunity to view Kerry Melville, Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Cris Evert, and Francoise Durr in action. The National Amateur Grass Court tournament returned from 1974-1976. In 1976, the Miller Hall of Fame Tennis Championships debuted. The Virginia Slims returned from 1983-1986.

In 2004, Campbell’s Soup Company launched their title sponsorship at the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships here, the only professional tournament played on grass in the United States.

Holding high court to the grandeur and elegance of tennis, synonymous with tennis in America, the Newport Casino rolls out the carpet to the word’s oldest continuously used competition grass courts, as well as having the only competition grass courts open for play to the public. Swing by the International Hall of Fame & Museum to embark on a self-guided tour pertaining to the history of tennis from the 12th century to the present, showcasing a treasure trove of vast collections and exhibits for a smashing first-hand experience.

Since it re-opened on May 20, 2015 after a complete renovation, tourists can look forward to viewing even more memorabilia than before with over 1,900 artifacts of tennis history displayed throughout the redesigned exhibit galleries. And, since the grass is always greener outdoors, you are encouraged to explore the seven acres which comprise the historic grounds of the Newport Casino.

Located at 194 Bellevue Avenue, the Museum is open year-round from 10 AM – 5 PM with seasonal exceptions specified on the website.

A popular spectator sport, tennis has the potential to rally as a match made in heaven when you know the score—points earned and points of proper etiquette in the stands. When in Rhode Island, court your love for tennis at the International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum in Newport. Not only can you take a stand to view live play, but you’ll be able to rub elbows in spirit with premier tennis players of yesteryear at every turn within the Museum’s galleries, and follow in their footsteps along the grass courts.