History of tennis royal families of Europe were besieged and real tennis was largely abandoned. Real tennis played a minor role in the history of the French Revolution, through the Tennis Court Oath, a pledge signed by French deputies on a real tennis court, which formed a decisive early step in starting the revolution. In England, during the 18th and early 19th centuries as real tennis declined, three other racquet sports emerged: racquets, squash racquets, and lawn tennis (the modern game). The modern sport is tied to two separate inventions. Between 1859 and 1865, in Birmingham, England, Major Harry Gem, a solicitor, and
Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's singles Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's singles The women's singles tennis tournament at the 2012 Olympic Games in London was held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon from 28 July to 4 August 2012, and was the first Olympic grass court tournament since tennis was re-introduced to the Games. Elena Dementieva was the reigning champion having won gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She retired from the sport in 2010 and thus did not defend her title. The first round provided some surprising results, with Li Na and Samantha Stosur both eliminated