| Tennis courts are standard in dimension, but vary | | | | the unreliability of the bounce, historically players playing |
| widely in surface material. Tennis rules dictate the | | | | on grass tennis courts prefer to volley the ball out of |
| length, width, and placement of the lines on a tennis | | | | the air whenever possible. |
| court. Tennis courts have a variety of surfaces and | | | | Red clay and green clay are the two types of clay, or |
| can be either outdoors or indoors. In this article, we will | | | | slow, court surfaces. Red clay tennis courts are made |
| introduce the basic dimensions and aspects of the | | | | of natural clay or crushed red brick. The French Open |
| tennis courts and discuss the different types of tennis | | | | is played on red clay courts. Green clay, the more |
| court surfaces. | | | | common type of clay court in the U.S., is made of |
| The rules of tennis dictate that tennis courts be 78 | | | | Har-Tru, a mixture of crushed stone, rubber, and |
| feet long from baseline to baseline. A net, 3 feet high in | | | | plastics. Clay courts are considered slow because the |
| the middle, divides the court into two equal halves. | | | | ball bounces more slowly off the court. Typically, |
| Tennis courts are 36 feet wide from doubles sideline | | | | players playing on clay tennis courts prefer to hit balls |
| to doubles sideline, and 27 feet wide from singles | | | | off the bounce from behind the baseline. |
| sideline to singles sideline. | | | | Hard courts, the most common court surface in the |
| Unlike the dimensions of a tennis court, the tennis court | | | | U.S., are another fast court surface. Hard courts are |
| surface can vary in character. The different surfaces | | | | made of asphalt or concrete coated with a thin sealer |
| have different characteristics that affect the style of | | | | and special paint. Some types of hard courts have |
| play. Common surfaces for outdoor tennis courts | | | | more extensive, rubberized coatings. The ball bounces |
| include grass, red clay, green clay, and hard courts. In | | | | high off hard tennis court surfaces and moves through |
| addition, indoor tennis courts often have hard surfaces | | | | the court quickly. Because the ball has a reliable |
| or synthetic, carpet-like surfaces. | | | | bounce and the ball moves quickly off the court, |
| The very first tennis courts were made of grass. | | | | players can employ a variety of tactics. Generally, |
| While the number of grass tennis courts has | | | | aggressive play is preferred. |
| decreased in recent years, some remain, and the | | | | Finally, tennis players also play indoors, especially during |
| world's most prestigious tennis tournament, The | | | | the winter, on indoor tennis courts. Indoor tennis court |
| Championships at Wimbledon, is still played on grass | | | | surfaces are made of concrete or a synthetic or |
| tennis courts. | | | | plastic material that mimics grass. Indoor tennis courts |
| Grass tennis courts are considered a fast surface | | | | are generally the fastest tennis court surface of all. At |
| because the ball moves quickly through the court | | | | the professional level, hard serves, volleys, and |
| when it bounces. Typically, the ball stays low and close | | | | powerful ground strokes dominate matches on indoor |
| to the ground. Because of the speed of the court and | | | | tennis courts. |