Tennis court dimensions: Sizes and markings of the different tennis courts

Tennis court dimensions: Sizes and markings of the different tennis courts

Claudia Kogi
April 17, 2023 at 7:32 PM

Over the past decades, tennis has emerged as one of the most popular sports in the world, with the wave now reaching Indian shores, producing stars like Olympic medalists Leander Paes and women's Grand Slam champion Sania Mirza. And like many other sporting disciplines, the surface of play plays a vital role in the game. So, what is there to know about the tennis court dimensions?

What is the length and breadth of a tennis court?
Aerial photo of a dark and light blue tennis court in Cascais, Portugal. Photo: Nisian Hughes (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Tennis courts are often flat rectangular playing surfaces. These courts vary in materials depending on whether they are for indoor or outdoor uses. In this case, outdoor courts are made of grass, clay, or acrylic-topped concrete, while indoor ones are commonly topped with hardwood flooring or a carpet.

What is the length and breadth of a tennis court?

According to the International Tennis Federation, ITF, the sport's global governing body, an active court should be rectangular, measuring 22.77 metres or 74.70 feet in breadth. The width on the hand, however, differs, whereby, for doubles, it measures 10.97 metres or 39.99 feet, while for singles, it measures 8.23 metres or 27 feet.

While viewing a tennis court from the top view, the two parallel lines drawn horizontally along the width are called the baselines, while the ones running vertically along the length are called sidelines. So, what is the length of a tennis court?

After an in-depth analysis, Sports Brief has expounded on different types of sports displaying various dimensions. Scroll down to learn more about these tennis court dimensions with fences.

Paddle tennis court dimensions

  • Length: 20 metres, 2000 centimetres, or 65.61 feet
  • Width: 10 metres, 1000 centimetres, or 32.80 feet
  • Shape: Rectangular
Paddle tennis court dimensions
Outdoor paddle tennis playing surface filmed with an aerial drone. Photo: Lerexis (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Famously known as pop tennis, it is a racket game adapted from the sport and has been played for over a century. Paddle courts, compared to tennis, are smaller and have no double lanes. Additionally, the net is lower, the ball is smaller, and it is played with a solid paddle instead of a strung racquet.

So, what are the dimensions? Well, for starters, it should be rectangular, with a width of 10 metres or 32.80 feet and a length of 20 metres or 65.61 feet. The court is often confined between walls.

Lawn tennis court dimensions

  • Length: 23.77 metres, 2377 centimetres, or 78 feet
  • Width: 8.2 metres, 820 centimetres, or 27 feet
  • Shape: Rectangular

Lawn tennis is one of the most common disciplines in the sport. Played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles), every player uses a racket strung with a cord to strike a hollow rubber ball.

Its surface of play is flat and rectangular with a length of 23.77 metres, 2377 centimetres, or 78 feet, and a width of 8.2 metres, 820 centimetres, or 27 feet for singles and 11 metres, 1100 centimetres, or 36 feet for doubles.

Table tennis court dimensions

  • Length: 2.74 metres, 274 centimetres, or 9 feet
  • Width: 1.525 metres, 1525 centimetres, or 5 feet
  • Height of the table from the ground: 76 centimetres or 2.5 feet
  • Shape: Rectangular
Table tennis court dimensions
A close view of the table tennis playing surface with two bats and a ball. Photo: James Benet
Source: Getty Images

Another yet common and popular racket game is table tennis, otherwise known as ping-pong or whiff-whaff. The game is distinguished by its playing surface, which is done on a stationary table rather than a regular court. Therefore, it is without a doubt that it is among indoor sports.

Whether individually or in teams of two, athletes must take alternating turns returning a light, hollow plastic ball over the table's net onto the opposing half using small rackets called bats. The game is quite enjoyable as it requires more intense attention rather than stamina from an athlete.

The game's surface of play, the table, measures 2.74 metres, 274 centimetres, or 9 feet long, a width of 1.525 metres, 1525 centimetres, or 5 feet, and its height from the ground is 76 centimetres or 2.5 feet.

Mini-tennis court dimensions

  • Length: 11 metres, 1100 centimetres, or 36 feet
  • Width: 5.49 metres, 549 centimetres, or 18 feet
  • Shape: Rectangular

Just from the name of the game, you can tell that it is meant for children as it provides them with perfect opportunities to learn the fundamentals of the sport at a tender age. Since it is designed purposely for children between 4 and 10, it utilises smaller courts, nets, balls, and even rackets.

Interestingly, the game is divided into three levels with different stages and goals. They include:

  • Green (Stage 1): 10-year-olds
  • Orange (Stage 2): 8- to 9-year-olds
  • Red (Stage 3): 4- to 8-year-olds

These mini courts have a length of 11 metres, 1100 centimetres, or 36 feet, with a width of 5.49 metres, 549 centimetres, or 18 feet.

Beach tennis court dimensions

Beach tennis court dimensions
Visitors play beach tennis on Prado beach in Marseille, France on 25 April 2021. Photo: Jeremy Suyker
Source: Getty Images
  • Length: 16 metres, 1600 centimetres, or 78 feet
  • Width: 8 metres, 800 cenitimetres, or 36 feet
  • Shape: Rectangular

You can tell from the game's name that the sport is played at the beach, making it an outdoor game. It is played in over 50 countries and is followed by over a million people. With its immense popularity in countries like Italy, Brazil, and Spain, the sport offers a highly aerobic cardio workout with low impact on the knees and joints.

Its playing surface is traditionally rectangular. For doubles, the court's length should be 16 metres, 1600 centimetres, or 78 feet, while the width should be 8 metres, 800 cenitimetres, or 36 feet. On the other hand, the measurements differ in the singles, as the court appears narrower with a width of 4.5 metres, 450 centimetres, or 27 feet.

Touchtennis court dimensions

  • Length: 12 metres, 1200 centimetres, or 39 feet
  • Width: 5 metres, 500 centimetres, or 16 feet
  • Shape: Rectangular

Touchtennis share multiple similarities with other forms of the sport, only it is more advanced and modified. For starters, it is played on a compact court with foam balls and shorter rackets measuring 21 inches or 53 centimetres.

Its playing surface measures 12 metres, 1200 centimetres, or 39 feet lengthwise with a width of 5 metres, 500 centimetres, or 16 feet for singles, while for doubles, the length equates to 12 metres, 1200 centimetres, or 39 feet, while the width, 6 metres, 600 centimetres, or 20 feet.

How do you measure a tennis court?

How do you measure a tennis court?
Drone view of a tennis match from above. Photo: valentinrussanov
Source: Getty Images

Whether it is about installing a new tennis playing surface or maintaining an existing one, specific guidelines ought to be followed to achieve an incredible result. Some of the essential guidelines to take heed of include the following;

  • Size
  • Playing area
  • Dimensions and measurements
  • Side and back spaces
  • Backstops and fences
  • Markings and labels
  • Poles, posts, and columns

Like any other sport, fans ask for details about tennis court dimensions to understand the game's basics. Besides, knowing about these dimensions is vital to the athletes and the fans as they create these playing surfaces on their own.

READ ALSO: Top 21 richest tennis players in the world and their net worth

Sports Brief recently published an article about the top 21 richest tennis players globally and their net worth. Tennis is one of the most entertaining individual sports that has produced many talented players.

Top tennis stars like Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova spent years perfecting the art of swinging the racket. Through their efforts, they have earned fortunes in their careers. Follow the above link to know how much they are worth!

Authors
Claudia Kogi photo
Claudia Kogi
Claudia Kogi is a Kenyan content creator with over 3 years of experience. Claudia joined Sportsbrief.com as a writer in January 2022, covering sports and relatable content.
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