Tennis court dimensions
Every measurement on a full-size court, in feet and metres, drawn to scale.
Full-size court measurements
| Part of the court | Feet | Metres |
|---|---|---|
| Length, baseline to baseline | 78 ft | 23.77 m |
| Width for singles | 27 ft | 8.23 m |
| Width for doubles | 36 ft | 10.97 m |
| Doubles alley (each side) | 4 ft 6 in | 1.37 m |
| Net to service line | 21 ft | 6.40 m |
| Service line to baseline | 18 ft | 5.49 m |
| Each service box | 21 ft × 13 ft 6 in | 6.40 m × 4.115 m |
| Net height at the centre | 3 ft | 0.914 m |
| Net height at the posts | 3 ft 6 in | 1.07 m |
| Net posts, outside the sideline | 3 ft | 0.914 m |
The same court is used for singles and doubles. Singles simply ignores the two alleys down the sides. Lines count as in: a ball touching any part of the line is good.
How much space you need around it
| Level | Behind each baseline | Beside each sideline | Total footprint |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club and recreational | 18 ft (5.49 m) | 10 ft (3.05 m) | 114 × 56 ft (34.75 × 17.07 m) |
| Standard build | 21 ft (6.40 m) | 12 ft (3.66 m) | 120 × 60 ft (36.58 × 18.29 m) |
If you are planning a court at home, 120 by 60 feet is the figure most builders work to. Anything tighter than the recreational minimum makes it hard to chase down wide balls safely.
Junior court sizes
| Stage | Typical age | Court | Net height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | 8 and under | 36 × 18 ft (about 11 × 5.5 m) | 80 cm |
| Orange | 8 to 10 | 60 × 21 ft (about 18 × 6.4 m) | 80 cm |
| Green | 9 to 11 | Full court | Full height |
A red court is often laid out sideways across a full court, using the doubles sidelines as its baselines, since a full court is exactly 36 feet wide. National federations set their own age bands, so check locally.
Why the net is lower in the middle
The net hangs from a cable between two posts and is pulled down by a white centre strap to exactly 3 feet. At the posts it is 6 inches higher. That is why a shot hit cross-court over the middle has a little more margin than one hit down the line.