The earliest known ancestor of modern tennis is jeu de paume, a game played as early as the 11th century in French monastery courtyards. Players used the palm of their hands to strike the ball, and the surrounding walls and sloping roofs formed part of the playing area.
Tennis made its Olympic debut at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. However, it was dropped from the Olympic programme after 1924 and only returned as a medal event at Seoul 1988. Since its reinstatement, the sport has flourished, with professional players now eligible to compete. The Olympic tennis programme includes five events: men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Like most international tournaments, Olympic tennis uses a single-elimination format. All matches are played as best-of-three sets. In each of the five events, semi-final winners compete for gold and silver medals, while the semi-final losers face off for the bronze.
Qatar has played a prominent role in hosting major tennis events. Since 1993, it has organized the Qatar ExxonMobil Open (part of the ATP World Tour) and, since 2001, the Qatar TotalEnergies Open (a WTA Tour event). Both tournaments are held at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha and regularly attract many of the world’s top-ranked players.
Established in 1984, the Qatar Tennis, Squash & Badminton Federation (QTSBF) is the official governing body responsible for organizing, promoting, and developing the three racquet sports in the country. The federation operates in accordance with international standards set by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the World Squash Federation (WSF), and the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
QTSBF plays a vital role in expanding grassroots participation, developing local talent across all age categories, and overseeing the preparation of national teams for regional, continental, and global competitions. The federation also runs year-round training programs, youth circuits, and professional domestic tournaments to foster high-performance athletes.
Several Qatari players have emerged through the federation’s development system, including Mubarak Shannan in tennis and Abdullah Al-Mutawa in squash, along with promising young athletes in badminton who are steadily making their mark on the Gulf and Asian levels.
Qatar has also earned international acclaim as a host of premier events under the federation’s umbrella. These include the annual Qatar ExxonMobil Open (ATP 250) and Qatar TotalEnergies Open (WTA 500), both attracting the world's top-ranked tennis players. The country has also hosted major squash events such as the Men’s World Squash Championship, in addition to multiple Asian and Gulf-level badminton
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