Whether you’re completely new to tennis or you’ve been playing the sport for a while, it’s worth having a rough idea of what the dimensions of a tennis court are.
Standard tennis court dimensions
Standard tennis court dimensions are defined by the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The ITF distinguishes between two types of tennis court: tennis courts for recreational play and tennis courts at a tournament level. The dimensions of the court itself are the same for both, though there are significant differences to the amount of space needed around the tennis court.
Key tennis court dimensions
There are many lines and dimensions on a tennis court, so if you’re just looking for the short version, here are the key dimensions of a tennis court:
• Tennis Court Length: 78 ft / 23.77 m
• Tennis Court Width: 27 ft / 8.23 m (Singles), 36 ft / 10.97 m (Doubles)
• Tennis Net Height: 3 ft / 0.914 m (at the center)
Also Read | Tennis Rules Explained - the basics
The lines of a tennis court
The baseline is the line furthest from the net on either side of the court, running parallel to the net. The baseline limits the length of the court and is the line the players serve from.
Center Mark: 4 inches long.
The center mark is the small division line on the baseline that divides the court into two halves. It’s primarily used as a guide to determine where a player should stand when serving.
Service Line: 27 feet wide.
This is the line running parallel to the net, half way between the net and the baseline. It marks the length of the service box. When serving, the ball must bounce in front of the service line.
Center Service Line: 21 feet long.
The center line is the line running perpendicular to the net from its center and divides the service boxes, setting out the deuce side and the advantage side of the court.
Singles Sidelines: 39 feet long.
The singles sideline is the innermost line spanning the entire length of the court (perpendicular to the net). There are two per court, one on the left and one on the right, and they limit the width of the court.
Doubles Sidelines: 39 feet long.
The doubles sideline is the outermost line spanning the entire length of the court (perpendicular to the net). There are two per court and limit the width of the doubles court. As the name suggests, the doubles sidelines only come into play in doubles tennis.
It’s also worth knowing that the thickness of each line also varies according to official rules. The center mark should be no wider than 4 inches, the service line and center service line should be 2 inches wide and all other lines on the court should be between 2-2.5 inches wide.
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The areas of a tennis court
Tennis Court Area: the overall surface area of a tennis court is 2,106 square feet / 195.7 square meters in singles and 2,808 square feet / 260.9 square meters in doubles.
Service Boxes: each of the service boxes is 21 feet long and 13.5 feet wide, making the area of a service box 283.5 square feet. The service boxes are the zones the ball must land in when serving.
No Man’s Land / Backcourt: this is the area at the back end of the court, stretching from the service line to the baseline and is 18 feet long and 27 feet wide (486 square feet). This is usually a part of the court you should avoid as you’ll generally be too close to the net for a groundstroke and not close enough for a volley. When standing in No Man's Land, you’ll find the ball landing at your feet, making it an extremely uncomfortable position to be in.
Doubles Alleys: the doubles alleys are 39 feet long and 4.5 feet wide, making the area of each of them 175.5 square feet). As mentioned before, the doubles alleys are only used in doubles tennis.
Also Read | Types of Tennis Courts
