Tennis Court Dimensions: How Big is a Tennis Court?

What are the Dimensions of a Tennis Court?

The dimensions of a full-size tennis court are 78’ x 36’ (23.77m x 10.97m) but there are actually lots of variables. 

There are different tennis court dimensions for singles and doubles, different court sizes based on the level of play, and many more variations. 

Read on to find out more about tennis court dimensions.

Full-Sized Tennis Court Dimensions 

A full court measures 78’ x 36’ (23.77m x 10.97m) and this entire area is within bounds for doubles play. In singles, by contrast, both tramlines (side-lines or alleys) become an out-of-bounds area reducing the in-play surface. This gives a slightly smaller within-bounds playing surface of 78’ x 27’ (23.77m x 8.22m). So ultimately, for doubles, the overall playing area is 260.87m2 and for singles, this is reduced by 25% to 195.65m2. 

The court, irrespective of the format, is equally divided lengthways by the net and the length of a court, regardless of whether you play singles or doubles formats, remains unchanged. 

Each court has four ‘service’ boxes. They sit either side of the net and upon a full-size court measuring 21’ x 13’4” (6.4m x 4.11m).  And when it comes to serving, remember there is no distinction between singles and doubles. Irrespective of the format, you must serve the ball within the respective box and within the tramlines too – so no added extra allowances for doubles players!  

Early stages – Red Tennis Court Dimensions

Life on a tennis court for junior players starts with ‘red’ tennis. 

‘Red tennis’ is played with foam balls that travel 75% more slowly through the air than regular balls and each ball bounces gently to give children an opportunity to get familiar with simply hitting a ball. The emphasis is on fun while at the same time being a faithful representation of ‘adult’ tennis. 

‘Red tennis’ courts are naturally played on much smaller areas with dimensions of 36’ x 18’ (10.97m x 5.48m), which is around 25% the size of a full-sized tennis court. And similarly, the net for this form of tennis is also modified with a reduced height of 2’9” (0.88m), 3” below the height of regularly sized nets. 

NB: At this stage, doubles is not generally played, so the court playing area is always constant.

Making progress – Orange tennis

As children grow and their skill and physical capabilities develop, so the game and the playing surface evolves. Once capable, children graduate to ‘orange tennis’ using a slightly firmer ball that moves at half the speed of a regular ball. Naturally, it bounces higher and travels with greater speed than the red ball which means that this form of tennis graduates to a slighter bigger playing surface. 

For ‘orange tennis’ we see the court grow to 60’ x 21’ (12.28m x 6.40m) for singles play, and for the introduction of doubles tennis, the in-play surface increases to 60’ x 27’ (18.28m x 8.22m). Meanwhile, the net height rises to 3’ (0.91m) to demand slightly more of juniors whose skill set is developing.

Green Tennis

Green tennis is the final phase for developing children, the ball is only 25% slower than the fully-fledged version and it is played on a full-sized court. Many children will migrate directly to ‘yellow ball’ tennis and will skip this stage, but nonetheless, it is a useful option to ensure your child progresses carefully and within their physical capabilities.    

Other Racket Sports Court Dimensions

It is hard to escape the growing popularity of both Pickleball and Padel Tennis and you wonder how these formats differ from our beloved tennis – again, we have you covered.

Pickleball is considered to be a hybrid between tennis and badminton played on what looks to be a smaller tennis court. In fact, Pickleball shares the same court dimensions with a badminton court at 20’x44’ (6.1m x 13.41m). You can actually fit four Pickleball courts onto a regular-sized tennis court! 

Padel Tennis by contrast straddles the divide between regular tennis and squash on a much smaller court complete with rebound walls. As the name suggests it is played with ‘padels’ that resemble oversized table tennis bats and similarly, the court is much smaller at 20’x10’ (6.1m x 3.05m).

Use the Tennis Court Dimensions to Your Advantage

Tennis court dimensions have remained untouched for centuries, and while the surface may change – from hardcourt, grass and clay, everything else remains constant. But somehow, however, certain players always appear to defy these static measurements. They are always within reach of the ball while making the other side of the court appear like it should be measured in acres!

Roger Federer once remarked that the best movers are the best players. Roger cited fellow ‘GOAT’ Novak Djokovic as the game’s premier exponent at court coverage. Here, you can see Novak’s ability to ‘cover’ the court by virtue of his skill, athleticism and anticipation. And next time you watch a pro in action, take time to study the player in isolation (as opposed to following the ball). 

Novak Djokovic for example is in constant motion, hitting and moving, pre-empting where his opponent will direct their next shot – and with mastery of his own placement, Novak can make his opponent feel as though their side of the court is twice its size by placing balls far out of reach, using spin and hitting close to the lines to grab every millimeter from the playing surface. 

And to learn more about how you can improve your footwork and gain an advantage over the competition, we have an exceptional footwork guide that will give you a real edge. An edge that will help towards putting you in prime position to cover the court and make angles that defy logic.

Knowing the Dimensions of a Tennis Court Can Come in Handy

As we have seen, the dimensions of a standard tennis court are 78’ x 36’ (23.77m x 10.97m) but we now know that is just the tip of the iceberg. 

The many different formats of tennis and likewise different sports based on a tennis court mean that knowledge of each discipline can bring a real edge to your game. 

And now that we have talked you through the different tennis court dimensions we’ve got a wide range of great resources to help you further.

• 9+ Best Tennis Rackets For Intermediate Players
• Wilson vs Head Tennis Racket Comparison (Choose the Right Racket)
• Carlos Alcaraz Forehand Analysis
• Jannik Sinner Racket and Strings (How Does He Hit So Big?)

And for the ultimate guide to gaining an advantage check out our Singles Tactics guide and then you can really use the tennis court dimensions to your advantage!