Tennis in the 19th century referred to a racquet sport.
During most of the 19th century , in fact , the term `` tennis '' referred to real tennis , not lawn tennis : for example , in Disraeli 's novel Sybil -LRB- 1845 -RRB- , Lord Eugene De Vere announces that he will `` go down to Hampton Court and play tennis.
Real tennis -- one of several games sometimes called `` the sport of kings '' -- is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis -LRB- usually simply called tennis -RRB- is derived.
