Tennis court dimensions sound like trivia until you’re picking a court for a booking, planning a home build, or just trying to understand why the doubles alleys do that thing. Here are the official numbers (ITF international standard), plus what they mean on the ground.
Doubles court: same length, but 10.97 meters (36 feet) wide.
The extra width in doubles is the two “alley” strips — each 1.37 meters (4.5 feet) wide, down both sides. Draw the singles lines, then add the alleys for doubles. Every regulation tennis court is the doubles dimension; singles just uses the inner lines (weirdly, most public courts are painted for both, so you’ll see the doubles tramlines).
Dana Mathewson wearing a white tanktop serving the ball on the tennis courts – CC CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Marking it out line by line
Anatomy, from the net outward:
The net divides the court into two halves of 11.885 meters (39 feet) each.
The service line runs 6.4 meters (21 feet) from the net into each half.
The center service line runs from the net to the service line, splitting each half (doubles width-wise) into two small service boxes.
The baseline at each end; the center mark on the baseline divides left/right serving positions and marks the serving side-switch.
Singles sideline and doubles sideline (tramline) as above.
The service box is where the “serve into the diagonal box” logic lives — it’s bounded by the net, the service line, the center service line, and the sideline.
Net height (the two-number gotcha)
At the center: 0.914 meters (3 feet / 36 inches).
At the posts: 1.07 meters (3.5 feet / 42 inches).
Yes — the net is higher at the posts than in the middle. The net sags naturally and is held down at center by a strap. Lots of players never notice; clearance over the middle is less than over the sides.
Run-off and the total space a court needs
The playing area isn’t the whole story — players need space behind the baseline and around the sidelines to chase wide balls:
Recommended run-off behind the baseline: minimum 6.4 meters for club play; international standard 8.23 meters. Your typical public court: less.
Side run-off: minimum 3.05 meters; 3.66 for international play.
Total recommended footprint for a full court: about 36.6 meters (120 ft) long × 18.3 meters (60 ft) wide.
That’s why a “tennis court” in an apartment complex is often painted at reduced dimensions — regulating full run-off needs a lot of real estate.
Surface types and surface-specific sizes
All official surfaces use the same line distances — 78×27 singles, 78×36 doubles, whatever the material:
Hard court (asphalt/concrete with acrylic coating) — most common globally, medium-fast.
Clay (crushed brick/shale) — slower, high bounce, dominates European pro play.
Grass — fastest, low bounce, traditional Wimbledon territory.
Carpet/carpet-like indoor — used in halls, distinct bounce profile.
The court dimensions stay identical; the bounce and speed change with surface. If you’re learning to play, same sizes apply everywhere.
The shots that the dimensions explain
Two everyday frustrations decode once you know the numbers:
The serve box is tiny. 6.4m from the net and divided in half — diagonal serve targets are smaller than they feel from the baseline. That’s why serving ability (not baseline power) separates levels faster than any other skill. Our tennis scoring guide explains the scoring that comes after you win the point, and tennis rules for beginners covers the serve call rules.
The baseline doesn’t look straight. The 8.23m run-off at international level gives players the “bus-length” feel of a professional court. At home with 4m run-off, you’re effectively playing a different (cramped) game.
Tennis court vs. the compact sports
For a size sanity-check alongside the other WonderKik sports:
Tennis singles: 78 × 27 ft (~2,106 sq ft of play).
Pickleball: 20 × 44 ft (~880 sq ft) — four pickleball courts can fit on one tennis court.
Padel: 66 × 33 ft (~1,076 sq ft) but walled, so none of the run-off needed.
Tennis is the biggest and most run-dependent of the racket sports at the court level, which is a big part of why pickleball and padel grew: you can put a lot more “tennis” in a smaller space. The pickleball court dimensions and padel court dimensions guides give you those exact numbers.
Building or booking realities
Booking a court: ask for the playing surface and whether it’s singles-marked only; many mixed courts make singles lines faint.
Home build reality: you need ~120×60 ft total space for a regulation court with sensible run-off. At that size most “home courts” are shared/semi-shared facilities.
Quick verify tip: measure net-to-service-line (21 ft) and sideline-to-tramline (4.5 ft) — backup proof a court is regulation.
Singles: 23.77 m × 8.23 m (78 × 27 ft). Doubles: 23.77 m × 10.97 m (78 × 36 ft). Add run-off space around those numbers for actual play.
What’s the distance from net to service line?
6.4 meters (21 feet), on both sides.
Is there a difference between grass and hard court size?
No — competition dimensions are identical across all surfaces. The court is the same size; the bounce and pace differ.
How many pickleball courts fit on a tennis court?
You can typically fit four regulation pickleball courts (20×44 ft each) within a standard tennis court footprint of 78×36 ft, plus markings and run-off.
Does the court size change for kids?
Unofficially, yes — many clubs run “short court” or “quick start” tennis with smaller courts for children (typically 18m × 6.4–8.23m depending on age/stage). Official ITF junior sizes differ from adult regulation. For adult play, regulation dimensions always apply.
Why is the net lower in the middle than at the posts?
Because it sags. The center strap holds it at 36 inches while posts stand 42 inches. It’s regulation — at Wimbledon and your local park alike.
Racquet sports player and writer covering pickleball, padel, tennis, badminton, and squash. Former collegiate tennis player turned recreational pickleball enthusiast. Jackson writes beginner-friendly guides to help new players get on court faster.
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