Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in subsequent chapters of this book. The book concerns itself with the social history of tennis in Britain, which stretches far beyond Wimbledon and into the clubs and tournaments that constitute and have always constituted the ';bread and butter' of British tennis, and the millions of people who play, teach, watch, administrate, invest in, write about, study or simply follow the sport. The social history of tennis in Britain represents more than a story of the leading players or key events that made newspaper headlines. Wimbledon is a quintessential British institution, and as a sporting venue, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) ranks alongside Lords, Wembley and Twickenham as a bastion of British historical sporting significance. Periods of British success in tennis have often corresponded to eras of dominance in other sports, and at times they have also reflected British supremacy on a global-political scale.