Tennis During the first 50 years of its history,tennis was

Tennis
   If you are a tennis player or a tennis fan, you are in good company. You are among the millions of people who are enjoying the game in the most exciting period of its history. You are living in the time of the great tennis boom, which began in 1968. As a result of the boom, everyone seems to be playing tennis, not simply sitting back and watching the experts play.
   What triggered the tennis explosion? During the first 50 years of its history, that is, from 1873 to the mid-1920’s, tennis was largely a pastime of wealthy people. In the United States it was played chiefly in the northeast. Gradually, though, it took a more democratic turn. Programs for junior players were started, and the number of tennis courts in public parks increased steadily. By the early 1920’s a few players had risen to world fame and won wider recognition for tennis. Among them were William Tilden ("Big Bill") of the United States and Suzanne Lenglen of France.
   The real step forward on the way to its widespread popularity began with the growth of professionalism, that is playing tennis as a profession, playing for pay. This happened immediately after the major national championships became "open" events, that is, after these championships were opened to professionals as well as amateurs. Amateurs are players whose expenses can be paid but who are not allowed to accept pay directly.
   Soon industrial firms began to sponsor tournaments and offer large cash prizes. Enormous amounts of money poured into what had been strictly a nonc6mmercial sport. Promoters signed rich contracts with star players and sent the players on tours across the country and around the world. Television coverage carried tennis matches into millions of homes. All these activities helped to change tennis from a minor sport to a ma]or sport within a few short years.
   Then came the revolution. Britain demanded the right to stage its Wimbledon championships as an open event. And in 1968 the International Lawn Tennis Federation, which governs tennis worldwide, gave in to the demand. The winners of the singles titles in the first Wimbledon Open were Billie Jean King of the United States and Rod Laver of Australia.
   The British went a step further in 1968. They ended all distinctions between amateurs and professionals. All were simply players. In other countries, players who registered with their national associations could represent their countries in international team matches and receive prize money. In a short time amateur tennis declined as a major attraction. And scores of players, both women and men, began to win prize money they had never dreamed of.
   With the arrival of open tennis, women took second place to men in sharing the harvest of riches. But they organized themselves and pressed their demand for equal prize money. They achieved equality in the United States Open in 1974, when the singles winners, Billie Jean King and Jimmy Connors, each received ＄ 22,500.
   At the same time new equipment came into use, especially metal rackets. Metal rackets could be mass-produced. It greatly reduced the cost for a racket. Equipment for playing tennis no longer must be expensive. It further promoted the growth of tennis among common people. According to a nationwide survey, there were about 5,600,000 tennis players in the United States in 1965. Within 10 years the number had skyrocketed to 34,000,000. Hundreds of millions of dollars were being spent to build tennis courts, and to buy rackets, balls, clothing, and other equipment. Tennis camps, schools, and commercial clubs were opening in ever-increasing numbers. Tennis is becoming a sport for everyone.
   Of course there are many other reasons for the astonishing rise in the popularity of tennis. Greater publicity in newspapers and magazines and on television has been an important factor. People are interested in physical fitness, and they see tennis as a game that can be played the year round, both indoors and outdoors. Best of all, tennis is a game that can be enjoyed throughout a life time.