Come watch and play real (royal) tennis, the authentic game played from the Middle Ages to the Ballarat goldfields to the present.About this Event
A day showcasing the historic sport of real tennis which is still played today at the Ballarat Tennis Club.
The event will feature two costumed exhibition matches of the 800-year-old game from which all other racquet sports are derived - with players representing historical figures from the 1200s to the 2000s. The first costumed historical mash-up event, a singles match, is on at 10am, and the doubles match begins at 2pm.
Tickets are sold separately for each event. To book your tickets, navigate to the dates in the above calendar, and select the appropriate time: 10am for the singles demonstration and 2pm for the doubles.
You can also book a one-hour clinic class to get on the court and have a go yourself in a small group setting. Clinics are on at 11:30am and 3:30pm. To book a class, click on the desired time in the dates above. Wear comfortable clothes and make sure you put on non-marking shoes such as sneakers. Rug up if it's cold, there is no heating on the court.
In the club room (which is, thankfully, heated) you will be able to see demonstrations of the living rare traditions of repairing wooden racquets and the making of hand-stitched balls.
Special historic guests will mingle with visitors in the court's unique Gallery areas - openings in the walls of the court which have a dual purpose of giving spectators a great view of the match, while also being part of the game's intricate scoring system.
Feel like getting your costume on? Go for it. Come along dressed as any spectator from any time, place or dimension.
Tennis played in a walled court first came to Ballarat in the 1860s as Europeans flocked to the gold rush and brought their pastimes with them. Here is your chance to connect to this great tradition of entertainment in a game that combines skill, athleticism, and complex tactics.
Entry is free, but there is limited seating available. Book now to reserve your spot!
Photographs by Jary Nemo. CC-BY.
Agenda
🕑: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Exhibition Match One: Caravaggio v. Margot of Hainault
Host: Players to be announced
Info: To book a ticket for this match select the '10am' option in the dates above. Ballarat Tennis Club members represent historical characters in this costumed history mash-up exhibition game. Italian renaissance painter Caravaggio played a mean game of tennis, literally. He killed someone after a match-related disagreement in Rome in 1606. He faces Margot of Hainault, an unknown Belgian woman who arrived on the streets of Paris in 1427 and won against all the men she played.
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Clinic Session: Come and Try
Host: Tobias Horrocks, Assistant Tennis Professional
Info: To book a ticket for this clinic select the '11:30am' option in the dates above. A chance to get on the court and have a go, guided by the pro. Wear comfortable clothes, non-marking shoes such as sneakers, and rug up if its cold.
🕑: 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Exhibition Match Two: Henry VIII & a Monk v. Mary Queen of Scots & Louis X
Host: Players to be announced
Info: To book a ticket for this match select the '2pm' option in the dates above. Ballarat Tennis Club members will represent historical characters in this costumed history mash-up exhibition game. English Tudor king Henry VIII, who loved playing tennis, gambling on tennis, and arresting his wives while they were gambling on tennis, partners with 13th century French monk and fellow tennis obsessive Bernard. This formidable team faces off Mary Queen of Scots, who scandalously wore breeches when she played, and King Louis X of France, 'the Quarrelsome', who invented indoor tennis and unfortunately died of suspected poisoning after a vigorous match in 1314.
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Clinic Session: Come and Try
Host: Tobias Horrocks, Assistant Tennis Professional
Info: To book this clinic session select the '3:30pm' option in the dates above. A chance to get on the court and have a go, guided by the pro. Wear comfortable clothes, non-marking shoes such as sneakers, and rug up if its cold.
Event Venue
388 Larter St, 388 Larter Street, Ballarat Central, Australia
