Tennis is a sport that can be played on many different surfaces having different characteristics, here are the types of tennis surfaces.
4 types of surfaces you will see in Tennis, have a look
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.
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.
1. Grass courts
A grass court is one of the four different types of tennis court on which the sport of tennis, originally known as “lawn tennis”, is played.
Grass courts are made of grasses in different compositions depending on the tournament.
Grass courts (in the absence of suitable covers) must be left for the day if rain appears, as the grass becomes very slippery when wet and will not dry for many hours.
This is a disadvantage on outdoor courts compared to using hard and clay surfaces, where play can resume in 30 to 120 minutes after the end of rain.
Grass courts are most common in the United Kingdom, although the Northeastern United States also has some private grass courts.
The most successful singles players on grass in the Open Era have been Martina Navratilova, Roger Federer, Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Rod Laver, John Newcombe, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Björn Borg, Chris Evert, and Venus Williams.
2. Clay courts
Clay courts are made of crushed shale, stone or brick. This surface slows down the ball and produces a slow and high bounce compared to other surfaces.
This makes rallies generally longer and more suitable for base line players and players who like to play tactically using lots of spin and finding great angles.
This surface takes away many of the advantages of big serves, making it hard for players who rely heavily on their serve to dominate on clay.
One of the most famous clay court tournaments in the world is the French Open.
Almost all red clay courts are made not of natural clay but of crushed brick that is packed to make the court, with the top most layers consisting of finely crushed loose particles.
Such courts are most common in Europe and Latin America.
The exact color of the surface varies with the composition of the bricks used, and can appear from a light yellow to a deep red, with a medium orange being most common.
3. Hard courts
A hardcourt (or hard court) is a surface or floor on which a sport is played, most usually in reference to tennis courts.
It is typically made of rigid materials such as asphalt or concrete, and covered with acrylic resins to seal the surface and mark the playing lines, while providing some cushioning.
Historically, hardwood surfaces were also in use in indoor settings, similar to an indoor basketball court, but these surfaces are rare now.
Although the speed of play on hard courts can depend on the exact material used, they are generally faster than clay, but not as fast as grass.
Both the Australian and US opens are played on this surface. The US Open is played on an acrylic hard court while the Australian Open is played on a synthetic surface.
4. Artificial grass tennis court
An artificial grass tennis court is considered to be safer than the other alternative surfaces.
It really is a player-friendly surface. Tennis can be a rough sport for your body; hence it is important to minimize the impacts on players’ joints.
When clay courts can cause injuries because of the movement of the clay material and hard courts can be tough on joints, the softness of the artificial grass helps to prevent injuries.
It reduces stress to all your harmful spots such as ankles, knees, hips, and lower back.