Facts About Equipment & Playing Area of Tennis

Tennis is one of the few sports with an uncomplicated court and simple equipment. All one really needs is a net, ball and racket to play the game, but tennis equipment and courts come with their own specifications.

  1. Yellow Ball

    • In 1986, Wimbledon introduced the first yellow ball that is commonly seen on tennis courts today.

    Ad and Deuce Court

    • Each player's right-hand side of the court is called the deuce court, while the left side of the court is the ad court.

    Foot Fault

    • On the court, if a server touches the baseline before the ball is hit, a "foot fault" is called. This type of fault is also called if the player touches an extension of the center mark.

    Court Size

    • An official tennis court for singles is 78 feet by 27 feet, while a doubles court is 78 feet by 36 feet.

    Court Material

    • At the beginning of tennis history, games were played on grass and tennis was called "lawn tennis." Now, tennis courts are made from myriad materials such as asphalt, synthetic grass, concrete, clay and carpet.

    Tennis Net

    • The net is 3 feet high and held up by posts positioned 3 feet outside of the court. These posts reach half a foot higher than the net.