I was watching The Seven Percent Solution (Nicol Williamson is a swell Sherlock Holmes) wherein Sigmund Freud (Alan Arkin) is challenged to a ‘duel’ of tennis. The match takes place in a black, blue, uneven and totally enclosed space. Like tennis, but with incomprensible rules and instant win spots to hit along the court. I looked it up, and it’s called ‘real tennis’. Still played today, and way cooler than tennis. ‘Real’ tennis. Don’t know what to call it anymore.

Here’s an archive article from the NYT - https://archive.is/IoXWx

Here are the rules - https://www.tennisandrackets.com/real-tennis/play

    • @dr_scientistOPEnglish
      27•2 days ago

      According to the very long and exhaustive wiki

      “The term real was first used by journalists in the early 20th century as a retronym to distinguish the ancient game from modern lawn tennis”, and, is it happens, 'It is also known as court tennis in the United States, royal tennis in England and Australia, and courte-paume in France."

      I think the kings were pissed when they started playing tennis outside. “That’s not real tennis”, they probably said.

      • @wjriiEnglish
        13•2 days ago

        Even in the video, the modern version looks like the kind of game where the “gentlemen” decided that the riff-raff have taken over squash and made it an undignified game.