Grass Tennis Court Specifications

Outdoor tennis is played on three main surfaces: clay, hard surface and grass. The type of court used has a clear effect on the style of tennis played. Grass is the fastest of the three surfaces, favoring a "serve-and-volley" style of play.

  1. Dimensions

    • The dimensions of a tennis court are always the same, regardless of the surface. The rectangular court measures 78 feet (23.77 meters) in length. For doubles, the playing area is 36 feet (10.97 meters) wide, but is only 28 feet (8.23 meters) wide for singles matches.

    Colors

    • International Tennis Federation (ITF) rules state only that the playing area should be marked using lines of a color "clearly contrasting" with that of the playing surface. Grass courts are usually marked within white lines. Often this is done with white paint, but at Wimbledon--perhaps the world's most famous grass court--the lines are marked using China clay.

    Types of Grass

    • The ITF does not lay down any specifications about the specific type of grass which should be used, although most clubs plant their courts with rye grass. In 2001, England's Lawn Tennis Association caused controversy by replacing the previously 100 percent rye grass at Wimbledon with a blend of 70 percent rye and 30 percent creeping red fescue. This made the courts more durable, but slowed the ball down, changing the style of tennis played at the tournament.