Choosing the Right Surface

Choosing a Surface

Anyone involved with the building or upgrading of a tennis court will be faced with the question “which surface?”. The wide range of surfacing options available can make the choice confusing. Unfortunately the inexpensive, non-maintenance, free draining, long lasting surface that satisfies everyone has yet to be invented.

There are many factors which need to be taken into consideration such as playing characteristics of the different surfaces, player preferences, financial viability and local conditions, just to name a few.

Whereever possible the playing surface system under consideration should be inspected and played on to assess it’s playing qualities whilst at the same time being aware that the surface performance can vary depending on its initial construction, its age, its condition and the prevailing weather conditions.

If the new court surface is to be used for competitions, the surface selection may be influenced by compatibility with the court surfaces used within those competitions.

Download the Tennis Infrastructure Planning Guide