Routledge Handbook of Tennis

<p>Tennis is one of the world’s most popular sports as levels of participation and spectatorship demonstrate. Moreover tennis has always been one of the world’s most <i>significant</i> sports expressing crucial fractures of social class gender sexuality race and ethnicity - both on and off court. </p><p>This is the first book to undertake a survey of the historical and socio-cultural sweep of tennis exploring key themes from governance development and social inclusion to national identity and the role of the media. It is presented in three parts: historical developments; culture and representations; and politics and social issues and features contributions by leading tennis scholars from North America Europe Asia and Australia. </p><p>The most authoritative book published to date on the history culture and politics of tennis this is an essential reference for any course or program examining the history sociology politics or culture of sport.</p>