The ancient form of tennis is termed as real tennis. Real tennis started over three centuries, from an earlier ball game played around the 12th century in France where players use their bare hand to hit a ball and then later changing to use a glove. By the 16th century, the glove then became a racquet, the game had moved to an enclosed playing area, and the rules had standardized. Real tennis spread in popularity throughout royalty in Europe, reaching its peak in the 16th century. The Four Majors or Grand Slam tournaments are considered the biggest competitions for tennis are Wimbledon (started 1877), the US Open (started 1881), the French Open (started 1891), and the Australian Open (started 1905).