Tennis movies span from romantic comedies to biographical dramas, all celebrating family struggles, competition and rivalries within society. Films such as Citizen Ashe and Borg vs McEnroe show how determination can bring success.
Li Na has established herself as an effective representative for female athletes despite the gender inequality that often inhibits them from engaging with sporting representation and engaging with audiences worldwide through her public persona.
Romantic Writing
Tennis has long been used as an inspiration for writers. Perhaps this is due to the game being often played in scenic locales such as green grass courts or grand arenas that evoke feelings of romance, or because its nature serves as a metaphor for other aspects of life such as competition or pursuit of excellence.
Romanticism in literature typically spans from 1790-1850 and can be defined as a period marked by intense social change, from revolutions in France and America, through experimentations with democracy to poetry that breaks free of conventional forms by emphasizing individual feeling over conventional form and an emphasis on individual emotion over group expression; its presence being marked by natural world themes of love, loss and desire that resonated throughout its literature.
William Blake’s works are often held up as examples of Romanticism’s impact on writing, with themes like conflict between good and evil, identity searching and being unable to fully comprehend another person coming through in his poetry. Many scholars see similarities between William Blake’s poetry and those seen in tennis with regards to striving for success despite hardship in order to reach one’s goals.
Tennis was long dominated by amateur players, which fostered an air of heroism and gentility that often pervaded writing about the sport. As professional ventures entered the scene, however, this ideal began to disintegrate as its courts of Wimbledon, Roland Garros and Forest Hills no longer seemed idyllic; writing on tennis began to reflect this change.
Technology’s advancement in tennis has altered writing about it significantly. This trend has resulted in more writing covering aspects such as food and beverage services, the aesthetic beauty of courts and fan interactions – rather than simply covering gameplay itself.
Music
Music and sports go hand-in-hand; whether it be Torvill and Dean dancing to Ravel’s Bolero or certain sports subcultures such as snowboarding surfing where music plays an integral part. And tennis has been no different. Many musicians have written songs about tennis or used footage from it in their music videos; such as Denver-based husband and wife duo Tennis who created songs inspired by it on Cape Dory (recognized for its surf-pop sound) while Young and Old offers more soulful, atmospheric accompaniments.
From its inception as an upper class leisure game, tennis has long been an inspiring source of literature. Many writers have explored its psychological and competitive elements in their works; authors such as Shakespeare (who featured six scenes featuring tennis in his plays), Chaucer, Rabelais Edmund Spenser John Milton William Blake and Renaissance poets have all written extensively about real tennis through centuries.
Early 20th century tennis saw its initial burst of Romantic excitement through sports journalists with academic precision and poetic imagery when reporting matches. These writers are highlighted throughout this book; it is particularly notable that they often coexist alongside more romantic novelists who also wrote about tennis.
This scholarly book also delves into the history and evolution of tennis over time, from its early forms as an ancient ball game to modern lawn tennis. From various old ball and racket activities with strings that used a ball as well as racket strings in its formation. However, modern tennis started to take form around mid-18th century when several tennis clubs emerged that eventually gave rise to lawn tennis today.
Tennis has quickly become a global sport over the past 20 years. While England, Australia and the US have long held supremacy in this sport, today the top 100 ranked players hail from 39 nations – proof that tennis truly has become an international pastime that brings people from different walks of life together.
Television
Tennis has long captured the interest of both writers and scholars, becoming part of popular culture since ancient times and inspiring numerous genres of literature. Today’s top players have also become celebrities – often appearing on television programs or being advertised for different products; as a result there are some questions regarding their depiction in media; among them are issues concerning sexualization of athletes which has become an ongoing theme since professional sports were popularized early 20th century.
This book’s essays explore these themes. Other chapters examine how tennis has developed over time, especially its globalization and commercialization; how it has altered over time; its social class structure has also evolved over time; in particular the role played by women’s tennis has been explored with special reference made to Suzanne Lenglen who introduced a whole new style of female play.
This book presents a captivating and comprehensive exploration of the history of tennis, beginning with its origins as an activity played at monasteries during the 12th century, followed by its development into one of Europe’s nobility and upper classes’ favorite pastimes by 16th century Europe. Famous writers including Shakespeare (with six scenes featuring tennis), Chaucer, Rabelais Edmund Spenser Gower and Pepys have all mentioned tennis at some point throughout their works.
Gillmeister’s second edition of her best-selling study features rare color photographs and medieval/renaissance drawings that further adorn this lavishly illustrated text. Gillmeister disproves several longstanding myths surrounding tennis while providing numerous literary and historical sources to support her analysis – this marks her as one of the first truly scholarly studies of this game.
Golf
Similar to golf, tennis has long been considered an engaging social activity that unites players and spectators alike. Boasting its rich aristocratic heritage as well as numerous major tournaments with packed stands, tennis has maintained an elite status over time.
Tennis was among the earliest sports to reach an international audience and since its introduction as an art form it has served as an ideal vehicle for literary genres, being used as a metaphor for all sorts of social and cultural issues. Tennis’ elegant nature and high-minded social ideals lend it itself perfectly to literary treatment from professional musician etiquette-conscious lifestyles to 1920s flapper crowd flirtations (as depicted by authors such as Lolita or Infinite Jest).
Tennis’ wide popularity makes it particularly suited for television viewing, with top players often becoming household names with their own brand identities. Given this phenomenon, several chapters explore its media influence on tennis as a sport, specifically regarding gender issues and the sexualization of female bodies.
Another recurring theme of this collection is the effect of American culture on tennis in general and specifically how its innovations altered its rules and ethos in the first half of the 20th century. These changes also led to gradual shifts in international sporting rivalries; as England and Australia gradually fell behind as dominant powers, leading eventually to America becoming its predominant power.
Alongside these thematic tropes, several essays examine the rise of tennis as a global player, including the rise of women’s tennis with chapters dedicated to Anna Kournikova and Maria Sharapova as examples of women players, along with geographic chapters focusing on its growth across North Africa and India.