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Lord's Heritage Trail

Real Tennis Court

Real Tennis, also known as royal tennis or court tennis, is the historic predecessor of modern lawn tennis — played indoors with walls, sloping roofs (“penthouses”) and unique rules. It is the oldest sport played at Lord's and its history dates back to the courts of medieval kings, including Henry VII and Henry VIII, and the sport is mentioned in no fewer than five of Shakespeare's plays. The first Real Tennis Court at Lord's opened in 1839, where the Mound Stand is today, before the surface of the Court was transported to a new building behind the Pavilion, where it stands today. It is one of 24 courts in use in Britain.