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 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 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.

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. These surfaces change how the game feels and how players play. The main types are clay courts, hard courts, grass courts, and carpet courts. The International Tennis Federation groups these surfaces by how fast or slow they are.

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. This makes each match exciting in its own way.

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.

Clay courts can also be used indoors with special watering systems to keep the clay moist. Carpet courts were once popular indoors but 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 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.