Tennis court dimensions vary depending on singles or doubles play. Singles tennis uses the inner sidelines for determining an out-of-play shot, and doubles tennis utilize the full court width out to the outer or doubles sidelines.
Tennis Court Dimensions and Measurements
The quick answer for standard tennis court sizes depends on whether you play singles or double. For singles, the court dimensions are 78 feet by 27 feet. For doubles, the overall court length is 78 feet, and the width is 36 feet.
The surface area for tennis singles is 2,106 square feet and 2,808 sq ft for doubles.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) determines tennis courts’ official dimensions and measurements. Here are the dimensions for a regulation, adult-size tennis court.
Singles Match Court Size
Single players use the narrower width for the dimensions of a tennis court for singles play (designated by the inside singles sidelines). The court length is the same for singles and doubles matches.
Court length: 78 feet (23.77 meters) long. But the width is different.
Court width: 27 feet (8.23 meters) wide.
Doubles Match Court Size
Doubles match rules allow players to use the full-court width all the way to the outer doubles sidelines. The doubles court extends 4.5 feet beyond each side of the singles court sidelines.
Court length: 78 feet (23.77 meters) long.
Court width: 36 feet (10.97 meters) wide. At 36 ft wide, there are nine more feet to cover compared to the singles’ court.
What are Double Alleys, and How Big Are They?
The double alleys of a court are in play for tennis doubles, but not for singles. Each alley is 4.5 feet across and runs the entire length of the court (78 feet).
Where is “No Man’s Land”?
“No Man’s Land” refers to the area contained within the largest box on the tennis court. Because a player isn’t close enough for easy volleys or far back enough to hit groundstrokes easily, it has earned its nickname as a place you generally want to move through quickly.
In No Man’s Land, it is easier for your opponent to hit challenging shots at your feet.
Service Area
A center service line divides the service area on each side of the net into two rectangles. These areas represent the space in which the served ball must land. The size of each area is the same for both singles and doubles matches.
Service line location: 21 feet (6.4 meters) from the net.
Service area dimensions: 13.5 feet wide x 21 feet long (4.1 meters wide x 6.4 meters long). The service areas are sometimes called service boxes.
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What is the Center Mark on a Tennis Court?
The tennis court center mark divides the baseline in half and is perpendicular to the net. It is the shortest line on a tennis court. Its purpose is to define the area you cannot cross when hitting a serve. With a player’s serve, whether you’re serving from the deuce or ad side, you should not cross this mark when serving.
Players are frequently instructed to return to the center mark after hitting a groundstroke.
What are the Width Specifications for Tennis Court Lines?
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) established that tennis court lines have width specifications.
- Baseline: 2 inches wide (5 cm).
- Center mark: 2 inches wide (5 cm).
- Center service line: 2 inches wide (5 cm).
- All other lines: Between 1 inch and 2 inches (2.5 cm to 5 cm).
Please note that all court measurements are to the outside of the lines.
What is a Run-Off Are On a Tennis Court?
A run-off area is provided for line judges, ball boys, girls, benches, and umpires. This is most often seen as stadium courts and indoor facilities catering to bigger tournaments.
Best Tennis Court Size for Home
Here are tennis court dimensions for those looking to build their own backyard court. The area required for a home court is determined mainly by available space, but it is recommended not to build a court within a play area smaller than the minimum size. The sizes below represent the required play area (tennis court plus outer clear space).
Minimum play area for home tennis court: 98.4 feet (30 meters) long x 49.2 feet (15 meters) wide
Ideal play area for home tennis court: 110 feet (33.5 meters) long x 53 feet (16.2 meters) wide
Maximum play area for home tennis court: 119.75 feet (36.5 meters) long x 59.7 feet (18.2 meters) wide.
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Tennis Court Size with Fence
Extra space is required surrounding the court sidelines and baseline to accommodate player overruns. The following is the recommended clear space that is needed around the court.
Court length plus required clear space: 120 feet (37 meters) long.
Court width plus required clear space: 60 feet (18 meters) wide.
Smaller tennis courts for children: The ITF has determined that children under ten years of age can better learn the game of tennis on smaller size courts, using slower orange, red, and green balls.
These smaller size courts have the following dimensions:
Orange courts (children under ten years old): 59 feet (18 meters) long x 21 feet (6.4 meters) wide.
Red courts (children under eight years old): 36 feet (11 meters) long x 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide.
Tennis Court Diagram
Tennis Net Size
The tennis net stretches across the width of the court, dividing it equally. The net is attached to posts on either side of the court. The center point of the net is about 6 inches lower than its height at the posts due to its weight. The net posts are located 3 feet (.91 meters) outside the sideline for singles and doubles matches.
Tennis court net height at posts: 3 feet 6 inches high (1.07 meters).
Tennis court net height at the center: 3 feet high (.91 meters).
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Types of Tennis Court Surfaces
There are a variety of surfaces used in the game of tennis. The major surfaces used in tennis include clay courts, carpet courts, grass courts, and hard courts. Hard surface courts are the predominant surface for most indoor courts.
Each surface has its own unique characteristics. A key aspect is how quickly the ball moves on the surface. Grass and hard court surfaces play fast, while clay plays slow.
Hard courts’ foundation is typically asphalt or concrete.
Famous Tennis Courts
Here are some notable tennis courts from around the world.
Wimbledon Centre Court
Seating 14,979 hosts what many consider the most significant tournament in the world – The Championships, Wimbledon. The first championship was in 1877, making it the oldest tennis tournament globally: no women’s or doubles matches, just single men’s.
Of the four majors – U.S. Open, French Open, Australian Open, and Wimbledon – Wimbledon is the only major played on grass courts. At the time of the championship matches, the grass is cut to a height of 8mm.
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Arthur Ashe Stadium
The biggest tennis-only venue in the world, with a capacity of 23,771. It is named after tennis great Arthur Ashe, who won three grand slam titles and was a leader off the court, supporting causes like the fight against racism and poverty worldwide.
Ashe was the first black man to win Wimbledon and the US Open Championship. The stadium is part of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center based in Queens, New York.
The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center features 45 courts, but only 15 are used for the U.S. Open.
Rod Laver Arena
The 14,820-capacity arena in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, is home to the Australian Open. The court surface is a blue Plexicushion. This surface plays similarly to the U.S. Open DecoTurf.
Named after Australian tennis legend Rod Laver, the number one ranked player both as an amateur and a professional between 1961 and 1970.
This arena was the first in Australia to have a retractable roof. The arena is the focal point of the National Tennis Centre at Melbourne Park and serves basketball events, musical concerts, and other special events.
Stade Roland Garros
Seating 14,840, the stadium is named after the first man to fly over the Mediterranean Sea. Garros was a French World War I pilot who also loved the game of tennis.
This venue features clay surface courts, which slows the game slightly as the ball bounces higher.
Indian Wells Tennis Garden
Originally built in March 2000, Indian Wells features 29 concrete courts with a PlexiPave surface. Stadium 1 seats 16,100 people and Stadium 2 has an 8,000-person seating capacity. It is the second-largest tennis stadium in the world. Larry Ellison of Oracle fame now owns the club.
What Tennis Court Surfaces do Grand Slam tournaments Feature?
Australian Open – hard tennis courts.
U.S. Open – hard tennis courts.
French Open – clay tennis courts.
Wimbledon – grass tennis courts.
In addition to the clay, grass, and hard-court tennis court surfaces used at the Grand Slams, carpet courts were also once used in top-level matches. The carpet was composed of textile or polymeric material and laid on any flat concrete or sand surface to make it into a tennis court.
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the governing body for top-level men’s tennis, voted to stop using carpeted surfaces after the 2009 season.
Tennis Fun Facts Quiz
1.) Who was the first African American to win the U.S. Open Tournament?
Arthur Ashe.
2.) What is the fastest tennis serve’s speed?
Australian Sam Groth’s serve hit a top speed of 163.7 miles per hour (263.44 km/h).
3.) What did the first women to participate in the Wimbledon tournament wear?
Dresses.
4.) How many strawberries are consumed at Wimbledon each year?
24 tons.
5.) Who played in the longest tennis match?
11 hours and 5 minutes. In 2010, John Isner beat Nicolas Mahut at the Wimbledon Championships.
6.) What is the maximum tennis racquet length allowed?
29 inches long.
7.) How long have yellow balls been used at Wimbledon?
Since 1986 – originally, white tennis balls have been the choice.
There, you have it. Maybe everything you want to know about tennis courts and their dimensions.
By Mike O’Halloran
Mike, a former tennis instructor, is a writer and the founder of Sports Feel Good Stories. He still owns the racquet that he learned the game on – a Jack Kramer Autograph.
Further Reading
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