Wednesday, 25 January 2023

How tennis began in Estonia

With the Australian Open currently taking place in Melbourne it made me wonder about the history of tennis in Estonia. The first tennis club in Estonia was formed in Narva-Jõesuu (formerly known by the German name Hungerburg) in 1909. The sport was initally played by the Baltic Germans then became increasingly popular with Estonians. By 1913 the Kalev tournament had all Estonian participants including the multi talented Eduard Hiiop who was an accomplished skater, gymnast, athlete and cyclist. 


Estonia has produced many fine tennis players over the years including Anett Kontaveit, Jürgen Zopp, Kaia Kanepi, Kristian Lasn and Maret Ani who are considered some of Estonia's best.

More information about the history of tennis in Estonia can be found here Eesti Tennis 100