Which tennis court surface is right for you?

The dimensions of a tennis court vary according to the type of play: single (2 players) or double (4 players). To lay out your court, you'll need a surface area large enough to accommodate the court itself and the lines that delimit it.

The surface required for simple play

The tennis court is rectangular in shape, 23.77 m long and 8.23 m wide. Several lines are drawn along precise dimensions.

• The baselines, drawn across the width of the tennis court, measure 8.23 metres.
• The side lines, drawn lengthwise, are 23.77 metres long.
• The net support posts will be placed 0.914 metres from the side lines.
• The service lines are drawn 6.40m from the net to which they run parallel.
• The center mark divides the center line in two. It must be 10 cm long.
• Each of these lines must be 5 centimetres wide (the FFT tolerates between 5 and 8cm for the baseline).

The surface required for a double set

The pitch is the same length as a single game, at 23.77 metres, but 10.97 metres wide.

• The baselines, drawn across the width of the tennis court, measure 10.97 metres.
• The side lines, drawn lengthwise, are 23.77 metres long.
• The net support posts will be placed 0.914 metres from the side lines.
• The service lines are drawn 6.40m from the net to which they run parallel.
• The center mark divides the center line in two. It must be 10 cm long.
• The width of each line will also be 5 centimetres (the FFT tolerates between 5 and 8cm for the baseline).

Minimum dimensions of a complete tennis court

To be considered "complete", the pitch must incorporate both the court and the envelope. You'll need a court measuring 18x36 meters. This way, you'll benefit from a 6.10-metre set-back behind each baseline and a 3.50-metre set-back across the width of your court.

Defining your budget

Beyond the surface area, there's the choice of cladding.

To help you, here's the average cost of building a tennis court from bare land:

• Porous concrete: from €45,000 (earthworks + concrete slab + paint + wire mesh)
• Artificial turf: from €55,000 (earthworks + concrete slab + turf + wire mesh)
• Natural turf: from €60,000 (outdoor only) (earthworks + concrete slab + turf + wire mesh)
• Synthetic resin: from €50,000 (earthworks + concrete slab + resin + wire mesh)
• Clay court: from €45,000 (earthworks + concrete slab + clay court + fencing)

The variability of construction costs depends not only on the surface area and surfacing. The work involved in building your tennis court also needs to be taken into account. These include grading, followed by removal of the excavated soil. Prices can rise if the natural ground requires one or more types of treatment. The cost of transporting materials, purchasing raw materials or deconstructing a pre-existing site will also have an impact on total expenditure.

Study the practicality of maintenance

Once you've installed your tennis court, regular maintenance will ensure its longevity. Here again, you'll need to draw up a budget:

• Annual defoaming and unclogging costs around 900€.
• Annual maintenance of a clay court costs around €1,500.
• Annual sanding and maintenance of artificial turf costs around €2,500. Artificial turf can be replaced every 12 years, at a cost of around €15,000.

The upkeep of your lawn should be entrusted to professionals. However, it's important to understand the various steps to follow for impeccable results.

In the case of a porous concrete tennis court, a bell injects high-pressure water to remove the dirt. A high-pressure gun collects the dirt. Finally, the professional covers the court with an anti-moss product. You can sweep your lawn regularly to rid it of dead leaves, which accelerate the appearance of moss.

For resin surfaces, high-pressure cleaning is recommended either around October-November or between February and March. If you neglect maintenance, blisters and cracks may form. These are mainly the result of humidity.

For clay pitches, we strongly recommend trolling. This will remove cigarette butts, branches, dead leaves and other solid residues. As soon as you notice a lack of clay, you should immediately cover the area in question. Decompacting and replenishing the soil is often necessary once a year.

For all types of terrain, repaint the lines annually.

The right plot for you depends on the surface area, the surface finish and the maintenance required.