Does Tennis need more like Major Walter C. Wingfield?

The inventor of Lawn Tennis (5/6)

He was the first true innovator of tennis. It was his invention and for that very reason, we must recover the values he represented.

On February 24th, 1874, Queen Victoria approved the patent of Lawn Tennis, 151 years ago. That moment marked the beginning of a new era. Major Walter Clopton Wingfield etched his name into history like the Lawn Tennis inventor.

With pioneering mindset, he imagined a game that could be played in public parks, with family, friends, and partners. That’s the first key value he embodied: inclusion. Wingfield was a Tennis Developer long before the term existed. He believed everyone should be able to play the game.

His second defining quality was Innovation with purpose. Wingfield didn’t invent the racquets, balls, nets, or poles, those already existed in the “Royal game” and the “Jeu de Paume,” reserved for the elite. He did a powerful invention, he combined them into a box, also creating rules to play the game. He transformed the foundation of an inclusive game, later a global sport.

In 1873 he first introduced the game, he called it “Sphairistike,” derived from the Greek for “ball game.” Six months later, realizing how unpronounceable it was, he changed the name to “Lawn Tennis” and filed a new patent. This was his third value: business intelligence. He did a masterstroke in marketing. A decisive move that ensured our global game recognition.

Wingfield was designing an experience that blended recreation, social connection, and fun. What set him apart was to unify 3 essential qualities on him:

- A developer’s mindset

- An innovator’s spirit

- And a business vision

Also, he became the first tennis author, publishing “The Book of the Game” (1873) and “The Major’s Game of Lawn Tennis” (1874). They were the first texts of a vision that would shape the identity of tennis for generations.

Friends, we’re talking about 1874, just three years before Wimbledon began in 1877. Today, more than 300 million people play tennis globally. All this grew from one man’s idea, one concept, one passion.

Reigniting the spirit of Wingfield is a priority.

Today, as we face growing challenges in the tennis world, we need to revive his spirit. Innovation. Development. A business mentality. All of that is necessary to create growth.

Wingfield’s legacy lives in every player, coach, and academy leaders committed to evolving Tennis. His story reminds us that we must not only develop the game, but we must also reinvent ways for a better future.

Let’s embrace bold thinking, build innovative systems, and connect education, business, and leadership. Let’s ignite new ideas to engage the next generation just as he once did.

Honoring Major Wingfield, remembering the past, but more by continuing his mission, let’s build the future of tennis with the same fearless innovation, passion, clarity of purpose, and entrepreneurial energy.

We can make it!

Fernando