Editing Tennis (section)

=== Rackets ===
{{main|Racket (sports equipment)#Tennis}}
[[File:Teniszütő.JPG|thumb|Wooden racket – c. 1920s]]
The components of a tennis racket include a handle, known as the grip, connected to a neck which joins a roughly elliptical frame that holds a matrix of tightly pulled strings. For the first 100 years of the modern game, rackets were made of wood and of standard size, and strings were of [[catgut|animal gut]]. Laminated wood construction yielded more strength in rackets used through most of the 20th century until first metal and then composites of carbon graphite, ceramics, and lighter metals such as titanium were introduced. These stronger materials enabled the production of oversized rackets that yielded yet more power. Meanwhile, technology led to the use of synthetic strings that match the feel of gut yet with added durability.

Under modern rules of tennis, the rackets must adhere to the following guidelines;<ref>{{cite web|title=ITF Tennis&nbsp;– Technical&nbsp;– Appendix II|url=http://www.itftennis.com/technical/rules/equipment/appendixii.asp|publisher=ITF|access-date=4 May 2012|archive-date=13 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120413021059/http://www.itftennis.com/technical/rules/equipment/appendixii.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>

* The hitting area, composed of the strings, must be flat and generally uniform.
* The frame of the hitting area may not be more than {{convert|29|in|cm}} in length and {{convert|12.5|in|cm}} in width.
* The entire racket must be of a fixed shape, size, weight, and weight distribution. There may not be any energy source built into the rackets.
* The rackets must not provide any kind of communication, instruction or advice to the player during the match.

The rules regarding rackets have changed over time, as material and engineering advances have been made. For example, the maximum length of the frame had been {{convert|32|in|cm}} until 1997, when it was shortened to {{convert|29|in|cm}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=ITF Tennis&nbsp;– Technical&nbsp;– The Racket|url=http://www.itftennis.com/technical/rules/history/racket.asp|publisher=ITF|access-date=4 May 2012|archive-date=26 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626213840/http://www.itftennis.com/technical/rules/history/racket.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Many companies manufacture and distribute tennis rackets. Wilson, Head and Babolat are three of the most commonly used brands; however, many more companies exist.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tennisdepartment.com/tennis-racquet-brands/ | title=What are the most popular tennis racket brands | access-date=17 January 2021}}</ref> The same companies sponsor players to use these rackets in the hopes that the company name will become better known by the public.