2008 Tennis

Once known as lawn tennis, this sport, particularly at the professional level, has come a long way from the leisurely pastime developed in the late 1800s, in the days when players wearing flannel trousers or ankle-length dresses flipped the ball back and forth over the net. As Steve Wilstein of the Associated Press pointed out, 'Everything about tennis, except its essential rules, has changed from the way it was played 100 years ago, when balls, clothes, players and spectators all were white.'

Bright yellow balls have replaced the white ones, although they can still be hard to see when served at 110 mph, propelled by the swing of a sleek composite, not wood-framed, racquet. Practicality forced shorter, less cumbersome clothing, and these days colorful clothes dominate everywhere except at Wimbledon. Most notably, players no longer need to be wealthy amateurs to take part in major tennis events. Since 1968, tennis has been 'open' to anyone with the skill to win a berth in the competition, Ironically, the first winner of the U.S. Open was Arthur Ashe, who would have been excluded from setting foot in most tennis clubs in the earlier years of the sport.

With these changes, tennis has continued to broaden its appeal world-wide. With broader participation, the level of play continues to rise, and the demand for tickets grows. Get your tickets and witness the amazing power and skill of the men and women who now play professional tennis.