What Are The Dimensions Of A Standard Tennis Court?
Contents
- Introduction
- The History of the Standard Tennis Court
- The Dimensions of a Standard Tennis Court
- The Surface of a Standard Tennis Court
- The Lines of a Standard Tennis Court
- The Net of a Standard Tennis Court
- The Service Boxes of a Standard Tennis Court
- The doubles alley of a Standard Tennis Court
- The singles sidelines of a Standard Tennis Court
- Conclusion
The standard tennis court dimensions are 78 feet by 36 feet. This size is for singles matches. For doubles matches, the court size is 78 feet by 27 feet.
Introduction
A tennis court is the playing surface for the sport of tennis. The standard dimensions of a tennis court for singles play are 23.78 metres (78 feet) long and 10.97 metres (36 feet) wide, for a total area of 260 square metres (2,800 square feet). A variety of other surface types can be used, including clay courts, hard courts, and grass courts.
The History of the Standard Tennis Court
The history of the standard tennis court can be traced back to the 18th century. The first known reference to a standard court was in 1740, when a London magazine described a court measuring 30 by 60 feet. By the late 1800s, there were dozens of different size and dimensions being used for tennis courts around the world. It wasn’t until 1926 that the International Tennis Federation (ITF) stepped in and standardized the size of a tennis court.
The ITF’s first official measurements for a tennis court were 34 by 78 feet, which is slightly larger than the standard size we use today. In 1984, the ITF updated their measurements to match the dimensions of an Olympic-sized swimming pool (50 by 25 meters), which is what we use today. The standard tennis court size is 78 by 36 feet for singles matches, and 84 by 39 feet for doubles matches.
The Dimensions of a Standard Tennis Court
A tennis court is the playing surface for the sport of tennis. The standard size for a tennis court is 78 feet by 27 feet. This size is for a singles match. A doubles match is played on a court that is 84 feet by 36 feet. The service line is 21 feet from the back wall.
The Length of a Standard Tennis Court
The standard tennis court is 78 feet (23.77 meters) long. This is the length of the court from the back wall to the front wall. The net hangs down in the middle of the court, dividing it into two halves. Each half of the court is 39 feet (11.889 meters) long.
The Width of a Standard Tennis Court
The international dimensions of a tennis court are specified by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in Appendix II to the Official Rules of Tennis. There are three types of standard court surfaces: hard, clay, and grass. The size of a court varies between these three surfaces. A hardcourt is 78 feet (23.77 m) long by 27 feet (8.23 m) wide for singles matches and 36 feet (10.97 m) wide for doubles matches. For clay courts, the dimensions are 78 feet (23.77 m) by 36 feet (10.97 m). Lastly, grass courts are 84 feet (25.60 m) long by 36 feet (10.97 m) wide for singles and 78 feet (23.77 m) wide for doubles matches
The Height of a Standard Tennis Court
A regulation tennis court is 78 feet (23.77 m) long, and 27 feet (8.23 m) wide for singles matches, or 36 ft (10.97 m) wide for doubles matches. The service line is 21 feet (6.40 m) from the net. Additional clear space around the court is needed in order for players to reach overrun balls on the full extent of their strokes without interference from the net posts or other equipment on the court; in practice, this space is around 2-5 ft (0.61-1.52 m) between the court perimeter and any overhanging obstructions such as balcony edges, stands or broadcasting booths.
The Surface of a Standard Tennis Court
The surface of a standard tennis court is 78 feet (23.77 meters) long, and 27 feet (8.23 meters) wide for singles matches, or 36 feet (10.97 meters) wide for doubles matches. The service line is 21 feet (6.40 meters) from the net, and the baseline is 39 feet (11.89 meters) from the net.
The Lines of a Standard Tennis Court
The Lines of a Standard Tennis Court
A standard tennis court is 78 feet long and 27 feet wide. The diagram below shows the dimensions of a standard tennis court. The court is divided into two equal halves by the net. The service line, which is 21 inches from the net, and the baseline, which is at the back of each half of the court, are also shown in the diagram.
The Net of a Standard Tennis Court
The dimensions of a tennis court are quite standard, with the net running across the center, and the service boxes at either end. The net is 3.5 feet high at the sidelines, and 3 feet high in the center. If you are playing doubles, then each team has only one service box. If you are playing singles, then each player has their own service box. The baseline is 21 feet from the sideline, and 20 feet from the net.
The Service Boxes of a Standard Tennis Court
The service boxes of a standard tennis court are 21 feet wide by 36 feet deep. The outer boundaries of the service boxes are 24 feet wide by 39 feet deep. The back boundary of the court is 60 feet long. The area between the two service boxes is called the doubles alleys and it is 8.5 feet wide.
The doubles alley of a Standard Tennis Court
The dimensions of a Standard Tennis Court are quite simple and are based on the dimensions of a doubles alley of a regulation squash court. The shortest side is 21.32m (70 feet) and the longest side is 26.74m (88 feet). The service boxes at each end of the court are 7.62m (25 feet) long by 3.66m (12 feet) wide. The centre service line divides these two areas in half lengthways, and there is also a centre line running the width of the court which divides it into two equal halves widthways.
The singles sidelines of a Standard Tennis Court
The singles sidelines of a Standard Tennis Court are 21 feet wide. The doubles sidelines are 36 feet wide. The baseline is 21 feet wide. All lines are delineated by a cord, 3/8 inch in diameter, with a itself and the space enclosed by the sidelines and the baseline.
Conclusion
A regulation tennis court is 78 feet long and 27 feet wide for singles matches, or 84 feet long and 36 feet wide for doubles matches. The service line is 21 feet from the back fence, and the baseline is 39 feet from the back fence. The service boxes at the back of the court are 21 by 13.5 feet. For more on this topic, read on.