Tennis, Tennis, Tennis!

Enjoy this compilation of some of our favorite articles about tennis at AOSE!

Keiri Shuyama

Every year, tens of thousands of people crowd together to sit in the sun in Flushing, New York, to watch people hit a ball with a racket. Yes, I speak of the one and only iconic sport: tennis. Tennis has a complex and interesting history that encompasses royalty and religion. The allure of the sport is known to many, and the numbers speak for themselves. Tennis is a $6.19 billion dollar business, with approximately 87 million players. As we come to learn more about tennis, we find ourselves thinking: why is tennis so popular and interesting?

Modern-day historians have found traces of a game similar to tennis that originated as early as ancient Greece. However, the sport we now consider tennis has been around since the 12th century.  Originally called “Jeu de Paume,” it was developed by European monks. The sport became popular in France in the 13th century, and the French King Louis X died after playing a particularly hard game. In the 16th century, the first racket was invented by the Italians. Before using rackets, they would use a leather glove or their bare hand. 

This sport became beloved by the French and the British, who then spread the love of the sport to America and Australia. Currently, the most famous tennis championships are in Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the Australian Open, and the French Open. 

This sport has since then become a symbol of American culture and of an era of elitism and privilege. But new details prove otherwise. The most famous name in tennis right now is Naomi  Osaka, who works as an activist for mental health and raises awareness of racial inequality. Tennis is also becoming a more equal playing ground, with 47% of tennis players being female and 53% of players being male.

In the history of the Academy, tennis has been around for over 100 years. Our teams are playing phenomenally, with our JV team having a record of 9 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie. The varsity team became undefeated Independence Division Champions after they won 5-0 against Pequannock on Senior Night. They finished the season with a record of 15-2! Congratulations Panthers for an amazing season!

Works Cited

“The History of Tennis.” The History of Tennis, https://www.tennistheme.com/tennishistory.html. 

Magazine, Tennis Industry. “Tennis Economic Index Grows 2.1% through 2018.” Tennis Economic Index Grows 2.1% Through 2018 – Tennis Industry News, http://www.tennisindustrymag.com/news/2019/08/tennis_economic_index_grows_21.html. 

Czermak, Chris. “How Many People Play Tennis in the World?” Tennis Creative, 16 Jan. 2021, https://tenniscreative.com/how-many-people-play-tennis/. 

Melanie Montanez

As the fall sport season is coming to the end, it is time to celebrate the amazing athletes on our St. Elizabeth sport teams. The Varsity Tennis Team rocked this fall season with an overall record of 15 -2.  They won 15 matches in total and only lost 2 matches. This impressive record shows how hard the varsity tennis team worked this year.  This season the Varsity Tennis Team practiced for hours every week to hone and sharpen their tennis skills.  All these hours of hard work paid off as the AOSE Tennis Varsity Tennis Team won the NJAC Independence Division Championship. This is an amazing achievement! The Varsity Tennis Team went undefeated in divisional play with a record of 7 – 0. This year’s team included Emma Kelly ‘23, Emer Vesey ‘23, Morgan Kearns ‘22, Bianca DePasquale ‘22, Abigail Passarella ‘22, Sophie Deutsch ‘24 and Avery Kelly ‘24. Congratulations to everyone on the Varsity Tennis Team for a successful season! 

Isabella Cerciello

The Varsity tennis team played in the NJSIAA girl’s state sectional on St. Elizabeth’s own tennis courts. Bianca DePasquale, Emma Kelly, Morgane Kearns, Sophie Duetsch, Abbi Passarella, Emer Vesey, and Avery Kelly make up the varsity team that competed against two schools during the first week of October. On October 5th, the varsity team came out triumphant 3:2 against St. Dominic Academy, winning with first doubles, third singles, and second doubles.  On October 7th, the team lost 2:3, first singles and second singles gaining a victory, with only one more court needed to win the tournament. Even though the girls aren’t moving on to the semi-finals, they deserve a huge congratulations for the effort, dedication, and talent that got them to sectionals!