When I set out to discover the humble beginnings of tennis, I wasn’t sure there would be a story that people would want to hear. Boy, was I wrong. Most stories that take place in the Middle Ages have death in them. Tennis in the 14th and 15th centuries was no different. I stumbled upon King Louis X, who happened to have died from a tennis-related (loosely) death. I thought to myself, oh wow, that’s a great tennis story from long ago.
How tennis became the killer of kings
Long before it became a game of speed, strategy, and stamina, tennis was the sport of kings...and death. (It also didn’t have racquets, but whatever, be cool.)
Back then they didn’t even have racquets, so we’re talking waaay back. So there it is, right? Until I found out just how popular tennis was among kings. These dudes loved their tennis, so naturally it was a big part of their lives. And you can’t have something be a big part of people’s lives without it being part of a few deaths. So once I found out that King Louis X wasn’t the only one, it was time to run down to the store for an $8 bottle of wine and get to work. The fruits of my labor? 1st - Episode 4. The Kings of Tennis.
