Tennis was first developed in France during the Middle Ages. It was origianlly played without rackets and players would hit the ball with their palms. It grew and became very prominate in England, which later came to define the layout and rules for how the sport will be played. During the 1870s England established the use of rackets and grass courts and clearly defined the rules of the sport.
Since England established the rules of the sport it spread across the world. In the 1960s championships were established. Since becoming a sport that can be played professionally it has produced some of the most incredible sportsman in the world, creating household names like the Williams sisters, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic.