ABSTRACT
The Italian tennis historian Gianni Clerici once wrote that lawn tennis could be seen ‘as a work of art’ (Clerici 1976, p.36). The game has certainly continuously inspired professional artists as it has developed, within shifting social conditions, historical contexts and artistic movements internationally. This chapter highlights the artists who were initially drawn to this genteel sporting pastime of the upper/middle classes and those who gradually reflected the constantly changing game, as it transformed into a professional sport played at major tournaments in front of vast crowds internationally.
