Section 3: Playing Area
Court Dimensions (ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 1)
The court is a rectangle, longer than it is wide. Official dimensions are:
- Length: 23.77 m (78 feet)
- Width (singles): 8.23 m (27 feet)
- Width (doubles): 10.97 m (36 feet)
The court is divided across its width by a net suspended from a cord or metal cable of a maximum diameter of 0.8 cm (one-third of an inch), the ends of which shall be attached to, or pass over, the tops of two net posts. The net shall be extended fully so that it fills completely the space between the two net posts.
The Net (ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 2)
- Net height at posts: 1.07 m (3 feet 6 inches)
- Net height at centre: 0.914 m (3 feet), held down by a strap
- Net posts height: 1.07 m (3 feet 6 inches)
- Net posts position (singles): 0.914 m (3 feet) outside each singles sideline
- Net posts position (doubles): At each doubles sideline
- Centre strap width: Maximum 5 cm (2 inches), white
- Net band (top): 5 cm to 6.35 cm (2–2.5 inches) wide, white
- Net mesh: Shall be sufficiently small to prevent the ball passing through it
Court Lines (ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 1)
Lines at the ends of the court are called baselines. Lines at the sides of the court are called sidelines (there are singles sidelines and doubles sidelines). On each side of the net, at a distance of 6.40 m (21 feet) measured parallel to and on each side of the net, are the service lines. The area between a sideline and the service line on each side and extending from the net is divided into two equal parts by the centre service line, which is 5 cm (2 inches) wide and parallel to the singles sidelines; this creates the service boxes (right service box and left service box).
Each baseline is bisected by an imaginary continuation of the centre service line; a short mark called the centre mark is drawn inside the court, perpendicular to and touching the baseline, with a length of 10 cm (4 inches).
- Baseline width: Up to 10 cm (4 inches)
- Other lines width: Between 2.5 cm (1 inch) and 5 cm (2 inches), except the centre service line and centre mark which shall be 5 cm (2 inches)
- All lines are part of the court areas they define (i.e., a ball landing on any line is considered "in")
Court Surfaces
The ITF Rules do not prescribe a specific surface material, but the ITF publishes a Court Pace Classification (CPC) system. Courts are classified on a scale of 1 (Slow) to 5 (Fast) based on the ITF's laboratory pace rating. Grand Slam surfaces: Australian Open (Plexicushion Prestige, pace 4), Roland Garros (clay, pace 2), Wimbledon (grass, pace 5), US Open (DecoTurf, pace 4).