Tennis court

What is a Tennis Court?

A tennis court is a special playing area for the sport of tennis. It is a firm, rectangular surface with a low net in the middle. People can play tennis in pairs or alone on the same court.

Tennis courts can be made from 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 is a grass court in a tournament or a hard court at a local park, every tennis court is designed to make the game fair and fun for everyone.

Sizes and Surfaces

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.

Tennis is played on different types of surfaces. The main types are clay courts, hard courts, grass courts, and carpet courts. The Australian Open and US Open use hard courts. The French Open uses clay. Wimbledon uses grass, which it has always used. Each surface makes the game speed different and changes how the ball bounces.

Indoor Courts

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

Parts of a Tennis Court

A tennis court has special names for its parts. The baseline is the back line of the court, farthest from the net. The service line runs parallel to the net and shows 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 are used. These terms help players know where to stand and where the ball should go during a match.