How tall is a tennis net

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 utilizes the full court width out to the outer or doubles sidelines.

Tennis Court Dimensions and Measurements

The quick answer for the size of a tennis court for singles is 78 feet by 27 feet. For doubles, 78 feet by 36 feet.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) determines the official dimensions and measurements for tennis courts. Here are 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 9 more feet to cover compared to the singles’ court.

Tennis Court Diagram

How tall is a tennis net

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).

See the Play Tennis Day page.

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 center: 3 feet high (.91 meters).

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Best Tennis Court Size for Home

Here are tennis court measurements 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 entire play area required (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 10 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 10 years old): 59 feet (18 meters) long x 21 feet (6.4 meters) wide.
Red courts (children under 8 years old): 36 feet (11 meters) long x 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide.

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 tend to play fast while clay plays slow.

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 the 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 and supporting causes like the fight against racism and poverty worldwide.

Ashe was the first black man to win Wimbledon and the U.S. 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 US 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 also serves events in basketball, 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 down the game a bit 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 are used in Grand Slam tournaments?

Australian Open – hard tennis courts.

US Open – hard tennis courts.

French Open – clay tennis courts.

Wimbledon – grass tennis courts.

Tennis Fun Facts Quiz

1.) Who was the first African American to win the US 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.) At Wimbledon each year, how many strawberries are consumed?
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 were 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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How tall is a high school tennis net?

The tennis net should be attached to two side posts at a height of 42 inches (107 cm). At the center of the tennis court, the height of the net should be 36 inches (91.4 cm).

How high is a tennis net Australia?

The net is 0.914m high at the centre, where is held down tightly by a white strap. A white band covers the cord or metal cable and the top of the net. For doubles matches the centre of the net posts are 0.914m outside the doubles court on each side.

Is a tennis net higher than a pickleball net?

In pickleball the net is a bit lower than in tennis. The net in pickleball is hung at 36” at the ends and 34” in the middle, and in tennis the height of the net at the center is 3 feet.