Although not widely played in the United States, badminton -- viewed as one of the fastest racketsports -- is popular in many European and Asian nations.
Other racketsports also emerged such as racquets, squash racquets, and eventually lawn tennis, which is widely credited to an Englishman, Major Charles Wingfield, who patented the equipment and rules for the game in London in 1874.
Muir, who is also worldwide general manager of Wilson Racquet Sports, says this has manifested in overall increases in ball and racket sales over the same period.