The Tennis Court's Transformation
From monastery cloisters to modern stadiums, a journey through the evolution of tennis court surfaces.
Outdoor Hard Courts, International Tennis Hall of Fame (2017) by Kate Whitney Lucey for International Tennis Hall of FameInternational Tennis Hall of Fame
Tennis court evolution
The familiar tennis court wasn't always so standardized. Read on to explore the fascinating history behind its evolution through the ages.
Courts Advertisements Collage from American Lawn Tennis Magazine (2024) by Nicole Markham for International Tennis Hall of FameInternational Tennis Hall of Fame
Tennis court culture
American Lawn Tennis magazine featured many ads for court maintenance and construction, along with articles on building and maintaining courts and the clubs that housed them.
Postcard, Court Tennis ("Early Days of the Sport: Tennis in the Time of Henry VIII") (1907) by Raphael Tuck & SonsInternational Tennis Hall of Fame
From monastic cloisters to royal courts
Tennis' origins trace to a game of handball, or jeu de paume, played by 12th century monks. Evolving into Real Tennis (also known as Royal or Court Tennis), his game became a popular pastime among European royalty and nobility.
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The game of, and for kings
Henry VIII was a keen player and a Real Tennis court had been built at Hampton Court Palace in 1525-29. The current court at Hampton Court Palace was built in 1625 for Charles I, and is presently the oldest (and still active) Real Tennis court in Britain.
Provisional Patent for Portable Court Granted to Major Walter Clopton Wingfield by Queen Victoria (1874-02-23) by British GovernmentInternational Tennis Hall of Fame
Lawn tennis emerges
As elements of Real Tennis moved outdoors, various racquet games developed. On February 23, 1874, Walter Clopton Wingfield received a provisional patent for "a portable court for playing tennis". He created a boxed lawn tennis set, with all the needed equipment and rules.
Lawn Tennis Emerges
Wingfield's 1874 provisional patent marked a shift, introducing a court inspired by a Real Tennis court, but hourglass-shaped and played outside. The dimensions were 60 by 30 feet, divided in the middle by a net about 5 feet high.
"The space required for the erection of a perfect 'Lawn Tennis' Court is 20 yards by 10. The ground need not even be turf; the only condition is, it must be level." - Major Walter Clopton Wingfield (from his first rulebook that accompanied his boxed lawn tennis sets)
Illustration of the first tennis tournament at Wimbledon (1977) by The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis MuseumInternational Tennis Hall of Fame
From hourglass to rectangle
The 1877 Wimbledon Championships marked a turning point, establishing the rectangular court's dimensions and design, which remains the standard today.
The rectangular court prevails
Measuring 78 feet long, the tennis court's width varies depending on the game: 27 feet for singles, 36 feet for doubles. The central net, a 3 feet high at the center and 3.5 feet at the posts, was established in 1882.
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Where "lawn tennis" got its name
Until the early 1970s, most tennis tournaments were played on grass, including three Grand Slams – the Wimbledon Championships, the Australian Open, and the US Open.
Wimbledon remains the only Grand Slam event played on grass.
Stade Roland Garros (1995) by Carol NewsomInternational Tennis Hall of Fame
Dominance on the terre battue
Clay courts are mainly found in Europe and South America and up until the 1980s, virtually all the courts in Spain and Italy were clay courts. The Roland-Garros Championships in Paris is the only Grand Slam event played on clay.
US Open Postcard (2005) by USTAInternational Tennis Hall of Fame
From Civil Engineering to Tennis Star: The Hard Court
Hard courts first came into use for tournament tennis in 1940s. These fast courts boast diverse textures, colors, porosities, and names. The Australian Open and US Open are both played on hard courts.
Tennis was played on a variety of surfaces throughout history. Do you have a favorite surface to play on? If not, which one would you like to try?
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