Jvt Tennis Court 1

[Frederic Laureano]

A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles matches. A variety of surfaces can be used to create a tennis court, each with its own characteristics which affect the playing style of the game.

The dimensions of a tennis court are defined and regulated by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) governing body and are written down in the annual 'Rules of Tennis' document.[1] The court is 78 ft (23.77 m) long. Its width is 27 ft (8.23 m) for singles matches and 36 ft (10.97 m) for doubles matches.[2] The service line is 21 ft (6.40 m) from the net.[2] Additional clear space around the court is needed in order for players to reach overrun balls for a total of 60 ft (18 m) wide and 120 ft (37 m) long. A net is stretched across the full width of the court, parallel with the baselines, dividing it into two equal ends. The net is 3 ft 6 in (1.07 m) high at the posts, and 3 ft (0.914 m) high in the center.[3] The net posts are 3 ft (0.914 m) outside the doubles court on each side or, for a singles net, 3 ft (0.914 m) outside the singles court on each side.

Based on the standard rules of tennis, the size of the court is measured to the outside of the respective baselines and sidelines. The "service" lines ("T" and the "service" line) are centered. The ball must completely miss the line to be considered "out". This also means that the width of the line (except for the center service line) is irrelevant to play. The center service line is 2 in (5 cm), the other lines are between 1 and 2 in (3 and 5 cm) wide, whereas the baseline may be up to 4 in (10 cm) wide.[1]

The ITF's Play and Stay campaign promotes playing on smaller courts with slower red, orange, and green balls for younger children. This gives children more time and control so they can serve, rally, and score from the first lesson on courts that are sized to fit their bodies. The ITF has mandated that official competition for children aged 10 years and under should be played on "Orange" courts 18 m (59 ft) long by 6.4 m (21 ft) wide. Competition for children under 8 years is played on "Red" courts that are 11 m (36 ft) long and 5.5 m (18 ft) wide. The net is always 0.8 m high in the center.[4]

Tennis is played on a variety of surfaces and each surface has its own characteristics which affect the playing style of the game. There are four main types of courts depending on the materials used for the court surface: clay courts, hard courts, grass courts and carpet courts. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) lists different surfaces and properties and classifies surfaces into one of five pace settings:[5]

Of the current four Grand Slam tournaments, the Australian and US Open use hard courts, the French Open is played on clay, and Wimbledon, the only Grand Slam to have always been played on the same surface, is played on grass. The Australian Open switched from grass to hard courts in 1988 and in its early years the French championship alternated between clay and sand/rubble courts. The US Open is the only major to have been played on three surfaces; it was played on grass from its inception until 1974, clay from 1975 until 1977 and hard courts since it moved from the West Side Tennis Club to the National Tennis Center in 1978.

Clay courts slow down the ball and produce a high bounce in comparison to grass or hard courts.[7] For this reason, the clay court takes away many of the advantages of big serves, which makes it hard for serve-based players to dominate on the surface. Clay courts are cheaper to construct than other types of tennis courts, but a clay surface costs more to maintain. Clay courts need to be rolled to preserve flatness. The clay's water content must be balanced; green clay courts generally require the courts to be sloped to allow water run-off.

Grass courts are the fastest type of courts in common use.[7] They consist of grass grown on very hard-packed soil, which adds additional variables: bounces depend on how healthy the grass is, how recently it has been mowed, and the wear and tear of recent play. Points are usually very quick where fast, low bounces keep rallies short, and the serve plays a more important role than on other surfaces. Grass courts tend to favour serve-and-volley tennis players.

Grass courts were once among the most common tennis surfaces, but are now rare due to high maintenance costs, as they must be watered and mown often, and take a longer time to dry after rain than hard courts.

Hard courts are made of uniform rigid material, often covered with an acrylic surface layer[7] to offer greater consistency of bounce than other outdoor surfaces.[8] Hard courts can vary in speed, though they are faster than clay but not as fast as grass courts. The quantity of sand added to the paint can greatly affect the rate at which the ball slows down.[9]

"Carpet" in tennis means any removable court covering.[7] Indoor arenas store rolls of rubber-backed court surfacing and install it temporarily for tennis events, but they are not in use any more for professional events. A short piled form of artificial turf infilled with sand is used for some outdoor courts, particularly in Asia. Carpet is generally a fast surface, faster than hardcourt, with low bounce.[7]

Notable tennis tournaments previously held on carpet courts were the WCT Finals, Paris Masters, U.S. Pro Indoor and Kremlin Cup. Since 2009, their use has been discontinued on the top tier of the ATP. ATP Challenger Tour tournaments such as the Trofeo Citt di Brescia still use carpet courts. The WTA Tour's last carpet court event, the International-level Tournoi de Qubec, was discontinued after 2018.

Different court surfaces have been used indoors. Hard courts are most common indoors, as they are the easiest to install and maintain. If the installation is permanent, they are constructed on an asphalt or concrete base, as with outdoor courts. Temporary indoor hard courts are typically constructed using wooden floor panels topped with acrylic which are installed over the venue's standard floor. This is the system used for modern indoor professional events such as the ATP Finals.

Carpet courts were once the most prominent of indoor surfaces, especially in temporary venues, but have largely been replaced by removable hard courts. They were used on both the ATP World Tour and World Championship Tennis circuits, though no events currently use them.

The conclusion of the Wimbledon Championships, in 2012, was played on the lawn of Centre Court under the closed roof and artificial lights; the Halle Open has also seen a number of matches played on its grass court in the Gerry Weber Stadion with the roof closed. These, however, are outdoor venues with retractable roofs.

While viewing a tennis court from the top, the two parallel lines drawn horizontally along the width of the tennis court are called the baselines while the lines running vertically along the length of the tennis court are called sidelines.

This forms two lanes, each 1.37 metres wide and 23.77 metres long, on either side of the tennis court. The lanes are outside the playing zone in singles matches but inside the playing area for doubles matches.

The mid-points of the two service lines, then, are joined by a vertical centre service line, which forms two rectangular boxes, called service areas, adjoining the net in each half of the tennis court. This area is crucial during serving.

Additionally, the service areas are only in play during the serve. All subsequent shots, including the service return, is legal if the ball crosses the net and bounces for the first time inside the playing area.

On grass surfaces, the ball skids and can see unpredictable bounce, while maintaining its speed. Matches on grass courts, hence, are fast and favours players with immaculate technique, concentration, and speed.

The more common red clay courts are popular in Europe and Latin America. The French Open Grand Slam, for example, is played on red clay courts. They are mostly made of packed crushed brick with a top layer of loose materials, which give it a reddish colour.

The speed on hard courts may vary according to the amount of sand present in the top layer but are generally faster than clay courts but slower than grass courts. The US Open and Australian Open Grand Slam tournaments are played on acrylic-topped hard courts currently.

In addition to the three primary types of tennis court surfaces in use at the Grand Slams, carpet courts were also used in top-level matches at one point of time. These are textile or polymeric material supplied in rolls or sheets which can be laid on any flat concrete or sand surface to make it into a tennis court.

A few parks offer opportunities to play tennis indoors. Indoor tennis does not require an NYC Parks tennis permit, has special pricing, schedules, and hours of play, and may be used after tennis season has ended. Please check the listings below for indoor tennis locations.

The Sportime Tennis Center is a concession offering 12 courts to NYC Parks Tennis Permit holders during the outdoor season, which is from the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day. For more information, visit the Sportime Randall's Island tennis page. Designated NYC Parks Courts:

Courts that offer lessons are identified. Please call the individual courts for more information on lessons. If any numbers are incorrect/not working or if any addresses are wrong, please call (212) 360-8245. NOTE: Only smooth-soled tennis shoes are allowed on the tennis courts.

Court Reservation Fees: A system to provide the ease and convenience of planning tennis or pickleball games at select city courts is now at your fingertips. For years, players have asked Rec and Park to implement a modest reservation fee to prevent unused bookings and ensure fair access. In response, we are proposing a $5 per hour fee for reservations at 28 locations. Forty-five neighborhood spots will offer free walk-up play. Read more details on the proposed court reservation fees.

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