Theory: Royal Tennis Academy's Location

Abstract

The Royal Tennis Academy seen in Mario Tennis (GBC) and Mario Tennis: Power Tour is located in England. The other tennis schools (Empire, Factory, and Union) are also located in Great Britain.

Argument 1: Tennis has a long history in Great Britain, with the sport’s official rules being codified there and members of the royal family being avid fans of the game. It is mentioned in Mario Tennis: Power Tour that the Academy was founded by “a king long ago.” This king could very well have been a British king, many of which played the game. In real life, there is the Royal Tennis Court at the Hampton Court Palace in London, where Henry VIII often played and that is still used to this day (well, 2015). With this possible inspiration and a nearby coastline and island, it would make sense for the Royal Academy to be in southern England. The island could be based off the Isle of Wright, nicknamed “The Island.”

It could be argued it was founded by Peach’s ancestors, with how focused the Mario characters are on the school, but they choose the best player from all four the schools - three of which have no connection to royalty.

Argument 2: The sign outside the academy’s restaurant still says “CAFE,” even in the Japanese version, suggesting the school uses English. There is also a Tea Lounge, solidifying the academy being in Britain rather than another English speaking country like the US.

Argument 3: With how close the Royal Academy is to the Island Open, it is only fair the other three schools mentioned are also nearby. The schools’ names can also be linked to British culture and history: Union could refer to the Union Jack or the United Kingdom in general, Empire could refer to the British Empire, and Factory could refer to how the Industrial Revolution began in Britain. Finally, dialogue suggests that the main character choose the Royal Academy just because of its name, meaning location is not a selling point for these schools.