Tennis Court Dimensions – How Big Is A Tennis Court
What are the dimensions of a tennis court in feet? Are all tennis courts the same size?
This post was inspired by a question I received via the contact form which asked me about the size of a tennis court. I’ve written a lot about tennis courts in the past but only ever about court speed, court pace index, and the different court surfaces used but never about the dimensions.
The reader was new to tennis and the camera angle on TV made them think that different tournaments had different size courts. This is obviously not the case because virtually every tennis court across the globe is the same size.
There are obviously some exceptions to the rule where individuals have put in smaller courts for recreational use or for ‘Touch Tennis’ but all ATP and ITF courts are a standard size. But what are the exact dimensions of a tennis court? Let’s take a look.
Regulation Tennis Court Dimensions
Key Tennis Court Dimensions
- Overall Length: 78 ft / 23.77 m
- Overall Width: 27 ft / 8.23 m (Singles), 36 ft / 10.97 m (Doubles)
- Overall Surface Area: 2,106 sq ft / 195.7 sq m (Singles), 2,808 sq ft / 260.9 sq m (Doubles)
Areas of the Tennis Court
- Length of Service Box: 21 ft / 6.4 m
- Width of Service Box: 13.5 ft / 4.1m
- Area of Each Service Box: 283.5 sq ft / 26.3 sq m
- Backcourt (No Man’s Land): 18 ft / 5.5 m x 27 ft / 8.2 m (486 sq ft / 45.2 sq m)
- Doubles Alley: 39 ft / 11.9 m x 4.5 ft / 1.4 m (175.5 sq ft / 16.3 sq m)
- Net: 3ft / 0.9m high in the centre, 3.5ft / 1.1 m high at the net posts
- Center Line: 4″ / 0.1 m long
Traditionally court size is given in the imperial measurement of feet. I’ve added in metres for those who prefer metric rounded to one decimal point.
What About The Size of the Overall Playing Surface?
At every level of tennis, as well as the tennis court marked with the lines, the playing surface needs a run-off area. At club level this is so you don’t run into a fence and for tournament play at ATP & ITF level space is needed for an umpire, line judges and ball boys. Because of this, the ITF does specify the minimum dimensions of a court.
The recommendations include the area behind the baseline and the sides of the court where the umpire plus various other bits of equipment sit.
The size of the area varies from tennis club to tennis club and from tournament to tournament. At the Grand Slams, the main show courts tend to be fairly similar in size at all four slams, although the outside courts can vary depending on the venue, Wimbledon’s outside courts, for example, are fairly small in overall area.
The difference in size variance increases on the ATP tour due to the fact there are so many tournaments, some have purpose-built venues whilst others are shoehorned into existing facilities. The area behind the baseline is typically larger on clay courts due to the nature of the surface and players standing far behind the baseline.
In some cases, outdoor tournaments will store their tarpaulin covers at the back of the court, which David Goffin knows all too well as he badly twisted his ankle at the French Open on the covers when he tripped whilst sliding.
Recommended Overall Court Playing Surface Dimensions
The image and table below shows the minimum and recommended dimensions of an entire court area at an international and recreational level. The minimum is the first figure and the figure in parenthesis is the recommended one.
| Dimension | International (recommended) | International (minimum) | Recreational (minimum) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total length including run-backs | 132 ft / 40.2 m | 120 ft / 36.6 m | 114 ft / 34.8 m |
| Total width including side-run (doubles) | 66 ft / 20.1 m | 60 ft / 18.3 m | 56ft / 17.1 m |
| Run-back (distance behind the baseline) | 27 ft / 8.2 m | 21 ft / 6.4 m | 18 ft / 5.5 m |
| Side-run (distance to the side of the court) | 18 ft / 4.6 m | 12 ft / 3.7 m | 10 ft / 3.1 m |
| The spacing between multiple courts | n/a | n/a | 12 ft / 3.7 m |
Does Overhead Space For Indoor Courts Matter?
For indoor facilities at the tournament level, the minimum overhead clearance should be 40 feet above the height of the net. You can see the ITF recommendations in the table below:
| Play Level | Height Above Net | Height Above Baseline | Height Above Backstop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recreational | 29.5 ft / 9 m | 20 ft / 6.1 m | 16 ft / 4.9 m |
| Tournament | 40 ft / 12.2 m | 40 ft / 12.2 m | 40 ft / 12.2 m |
| Davis Cup | 29.5 ft / 9 m | 29.5 ft / 9 m | 29.5 ft / 9 m |
| Davis Cup World Group | 39.4 ft / 12 m | 39.4 ft / 12 m | 39.4 ft / 12 m |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all tennis courts the same size?
Yes, all-tournament courts and any registered tennis club courts are the same size. The only difference in size is the areas around the marked court which differs from venue to venue with some having more space to play with than others. As mentioned there are exceptions to the rule with junior courts often being smaller but scaled down in proportion to full-size measurements. Some individuals may lay smaller courts too for more recreational play.
Are professional courts larger?
No, all tennis courts are the same size. At least they should be if the organisation or individual commissioning the construction of a court has followed the standard rules for court sizing. The only time a court can be smaller is for juniors or private recreational use.
How wide are the lines on a tennis court?
The white line-markings that mark the areas of the court also have standard thicknesses. The centre service line and centre mark should be 2 inches (5 cm) wide. The other lines of the court must be between 1 inch (2.5 cm) and 2 inches (5 cm) wide, except the baseline that may be up to 4 inches (10 cm) wide.
How big is a tennis court in square metres?
The overall surface of a tennis court is 195.7 sq m for singles and 260.9 sq m for doubles.
How much space do you need to build a tennis court?
The minimum amount of space depends if the court is used for competitive play or recreational use. For recreational use, the recommended minimum length is 114 ft / 34.8 m and the minimum width is 56ft / 17.1 m. Making a total of 595.1 sq metres.
Out of Blue Post?
Somewhat, someone emailed me about court dimensions so I did a post 🙂
Why does it seem too small when i hit a backhand down the line???
???
Maybe it’s the opponent handing out dodgy calls?!
2nd
Chapeau to Shapo!
Actually, he played well. Not so wild with high risk shot making.
Thanks. I can see why someone questions the size of different courts on the tour. I believe Paris is the worst for distortion?
For watch-ability, the colour of the court makes a difference too. If you look back at old footage of say the AO, the all green court is hard on the eyes. I like the blue and the grey for LA is nice too.
Hope everyone is well! Lots of snow here. Scored tickets to Sir Paul…woohoo.
I’d never even thought about it tbh until someone asked. Paris is always a weird angle. Challenger streams are often weird angles too.
Macca? He’s past it and can no longer sing. Don’t waste your cash!
Too late. I’ll waste my cash for the experience. And soon I’ll be wasting my cash watching Nadal and Djokovic play. But in the sun and warmth. Could use some of that about now.
Hey Sue, have you seen this carpool with Paul?
https://youtu.be/QjvzCTqkBDQ
Thanks, Wanda. Love the pub scene. Laver Cup for you?
The impression of the court size depends on:
1) The horizontal distance of the camera to the court
2) The height at which the camera is fixed
3) The “look-down” angle (this is strongly dependent on the choice of 1) or 2), so it’s not really a variable).
4) The focal length of the camera lens (also known as “zoom”…)
There.
The surrounding seats and hoardings play a part too.
Excellent, I always wanted to know about these stuff.
¿Can you do another one about the speed of the courts and surfaces?
Thanks, for the speed you can just search the site or use the links in the opening paragraph, I’ve covered them all many times. As of right now, I don’t see much else to go at? Maybe more on the surface composition I can do at a later date.
Your image with dimensions has an error. You placed the alley dimensions in the place for no man’s land.
Yeah cheers corrected that after, although I guess it’s still cached for some people 🙂
Hi Jon, I presume these measurements already include the thickness of the lines? You said “The other lines of the court must be between 1 inch (2.5 cm) and 2 inches (5 cm) wide, except the baseline that may be up to 4 inches (10 cm) wide.” Does that mean the outside lines actually do not have a standard thickness?
When I watch the pros play the court seems so big. When I do, the ball would go out so easily when I don’t even hit it hard ?
Yes, the measurement is to the outside edge of the line. So the court is 78 feet long from one baseline to the other.
The baseline is thicker to help with line calling I think. I guess it also helps on TV for viewers seeing the baseline in the distance.
Good to know properly even for an armchair fan (I used to play, though). Surprised that the sidelines could be different… I wonder if David Goffin got some compensations. Poor guy.
Thanks for the education anyway, Jonathan.
Thanks, what do you mean by the sidelines? The areas around the court?
The dimensions of the court outside the actual ball playing area matters a lot to few players. I remember Rafa complaining that the size of the court being not big in enough on the Central Court of Rome Masters was one of reasons for his loss to Thiem 2 years back ? May be wanted to reach the balls that were going to spectators ?
Yeah Nadal loves the big courts. Look at where he stands to return serves.
Some rather interesting comments from Martina Navratilova recently.Just saying,as they say.
any link to that?
Google is your friend Muser.
She wrote an article about transgender in sport:
“To put the argument at its most basic: a man can decide to be female, take hormones if required by whatever sporting organisation is concerned, win everything in sight and perhaps earn a small fortune, and then reverse his decision and go back to making babies if he so desires.”
The whole thing is a farce. Anyone with half a brain knows she is correct. Only weird libtards or those scared of being accused of hate crimes seem to disagree. It’s worrying how fashionable being transgender has become.
Have you seen Hannah Mouncey playing handball? 😆
Yes, I tried google. Thought perhaps this was the hint. Seems an unfair praxis, yes. A case for throughly investigation by competent scientists.
Why waste money with a scientific investigation that will only prove what biology since the dawn of man kind has shown us?
A man who decides to be a woman and compete in sport is going to wipe the floor with females. There was a weight lifting one last week setting records galore.
You’re going to get people transitioning now purely on the basis you can make money doing it ?
It’s not a controversial stance from her, just media and all the usual idiots acting offended.
Easy answering. Sometimes people are born as girls, and other think they are men, and will take their results away. In such cases those accusations ought to be proved.
“In such cases those accusations ought to be proved.”
What accusations need to be proved?
Mother fucking Libtards. And that is all I have to say for now.
Also,just come back from Madrid from a city break.More Art than tennis.But quite a few adverts for the Madrid tournament.I have never seen a clay court tournament.Apart from RG can anybody recommend a clay court tournament.?
The one where Roger is playing.
OF COURSE ?
Madrid is a pretty good tournament.
Any in Switzerland will be good. Umag looks a great venue as does Bastad.
And Roger is playing it,Madrid that is.?
For n indoor court, I see the heights posted along the length of the court, at the center and baseline. What should the height be at the sidelines in the centre of the court?
The same ideally.
It seems like your sq area and dimensions for the service box are off bc they should include the extra inch of line thinkness for each box. If the lines are 2″ in width then the width of the service box would actually be 14.5 inches. Is that correct?
Hi,
Not sure I’d fancy serving into a 14.5-inch wide service box 😁
The dimensions on the diagram are correct. 13.5 ft is each service box, 27 ft wide the singles area.
you are right, I messed up. not a 14.5 inches.
But you have to consider the extra inch for the width of the service line. 13.5 feet is to the middle of the line. so the width of the box is 13.583 feet. this makes the sq feet 285.24
It’s to the edge of the line…
Goodness what a great article. We were searching for info to determine how much space in our backyard we would need for a court, you covered every little detail we could have ever imaged. Thank you so much for making my search so quick and the findings so complete. Well done.
Cheers 👍
Hello…am a new subscriber…wondering how active/current this site is…? Most recent post/comment listed is in 2021…is now middle of 2022. Have a question to something in FAQ about tennis courts, for anyone in the know, if there, etc. Thank you. Will await a current reply.
Where do you see the most recent post is from 2021? The site is updated a few times per week.
Maybe not clicking the hompage link but any lin k found in Google?
I think, I have in Chrome somehow the link to Nishikori article and the autocomplete feature in Chrome displays this link when I enter “pe”.
In this case si mply click the “perfecttennis” logo and you should land on the homepage
Probably looking in Google for “court dimensions” or similar and landed just here, not on the homepage 😉