Tennis court

A tennis court is the special playing area where the sport of tennis takes place. It is a firm, rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the middle. People can play tennis in two different ways on the same court: in pairs, called doubles and singles, or alone against one opponent.

Tennis courts can be made from many different materials, like grass, clay, or hard surfaces such as concrete or wood. Each type of surface gives the game a unique feel and changes how players move and hit the ball. Whether it's a peaceful grass court in a tournament or a busy hard court at a local park, every tennis court is designed to make the game fair and fun for everyone.

Dimensions

The size of a tennis court is set by the International Tennis Federation. A normal court is 78 feet long. It is 27 feet wide for single matches and 36 feet wide for doubles matches. There is a net in the middle, 3 feet high at the edges and 3 feet 6 inches high in the center.

Smaller courts are used for younger children. For kids under 10, "Orange" courts are 18 meters long and 6.4 meters wide. For kids under 8, "Red" courts are 11 meters long and 5.5 meters wide. The net height for these smaller courts is always 0.8 meters in the center.

Surfaces

Tennis is played on different types of surfaces, each affecting how the game feels and how players style their play. The main types are clay courts, hard courts, grass courts, and carpet courts. The International Tennis Federation categorizes these surfaces into slow, medium-slow, medium, medium-fast, and fast.

The Australian Open and US Open use hard courts, the French Open uses clay, and Wimbledon uses grass, which has always been its surface. Each surface changes the speed of the game and the way the ball bounces, making matches different and exciting in their own way.

Indoor courts

Some tennis courts are indoors, which allows play no matter the weather and makes things more comfortable for spectators. Hard courts are the most common indoor surface because they are easy to install and maintain. They can be built permanently on a concrete base or temporarily using wooden panels covered with acrylic.

Clay courts can also be used indoors with special watering systems to keep the clay moist. While carpet courts were once popular indoors, they are now mostly replaced by removable hard courts. Some historic tournaments used other surfaces like wood courts.

Terminology

Main article: Glossary of tennis terms

A tennis court has many special names for its different parts. The baseline is the back line of the court, farthest from the net. The service line runs parallel to the net and marks where serves must land. The service boxes are the areas where serves need to go, split by the center service line. When playing doubles, the alleys or tramlines on the sides of the court come into use. These terms help players know where to stand and where the ball should go during a match.