Royal tennis, often called real tennis in the United Kingdom and court tennis in the United States, is an indoor game in which players hit a ball back and forth over a low net. The players may also bounce the ball off the walls or off a sloping roof called the penthouse. The players score points by hitting the ball so their opponent or opponents cannot return it.
Unlike modern tennis, which is usually played outdoors, royal tennis uses an enclosed court with four irregularly sized walls. The court has a tambour (buttress), dedans (net-covered area for spectators), and grille (courtyard hatch). The net sags across midcourt. On the floor is a maze of lines, which have traditional names, such as a yard worse than last gallery and hazard the door. The players hit a small, hard ball with a pear-shaped, lopsided racket.
Royal tennis uses the same scoring system as modern tennis. Two or four people may play royal tennis. If two people play, the game is called singles. If four play, the game is called doubles. A handicap system enables less experienced players to compete with experienced, more skillful competitors.
Royal tennis is an ancient form of tennis, first played by French kings about 600 years ago. There are only a few dozen royal tennis courts in the world, most of which are in Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Hampton Court, a royal palace in London, has a room called the Tennis Court that was built in the 1500’s by King Henry VIII and is still used for royal tennis.
