Meetings on Lawn Tennis Courts: Women and Tennis in 19^th Century Brazil

Abstract:

Considering that, in the international scenario, the initiatives organized around tennis have always been marked by the strong involvement of women, this article aims to discuss the female participation in the first experiences of this sport structured in Brazil, specifically those promoted in the last two decades of the nineteenth century, in cities in which there was an active presence of Briton. As sources, newspapers were used, notably The Rio News. More than thinking about the formation of a sporting culture, the intention is to take a look at the increase of female visibility in the Brazilian society. It is argued that the practice of tennis was a strategy of subjectivation that was articulated with the process of considerations about the social role of women.

Keywords:
Genre; Sport History; Tennis