Those who play tennis themselves and/or watch a lot of tennis on television know that the sport is played on various types of courts. This is because there are different surfaces on which the sport is played. Just look at the four Grand Slam tournaments, and you'll see that tennis is played on three types of courts. For example, Wimbledon is played on grass, Roland Garros is played on clay, and the US Open and Australian Open players play on hard courts. What types of tennis courts are there, what are the main differences, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of the different surfaces? Sjeng Sports explains all about it.
Different types of tennis courts
It's no coincidence that tennis courts are played on different types of courts. The surface you play on influences the ball and therefore the game you can play. For example, the speed of the ball varies from one surface to another, the ball bounces differently on clay than on grass, and the effect the ball has on different surfaces also varies. For these reasons, tennis players often have a preference for the court they play on. Perhaps the most famous example is Rafael Nadal, known to many tennis fans as the clay court king . Below, we explain the different types of tennis courts.
Gravel
In the Netherlands, clay is the most common court type. This surface consists partly of gravel, and it's said that clay is the best place to learn tennis technically. The ball bounces relatively high on clay, allowing you to improve your technique more quickly. Another advantage of clay is that you can easily slide on it without risking (serious) injuries. Moreover, a clay court is relatively inexpensive to build. However, this surface also has a disadvantage: gravel doesn't allow water to permeate easily, meaning that it can become unplayable for extended periods during periods of rain.
Hardcourt
While clay courts are partly made of rubble, a hard court has a base of asphalt or concrete. This is covered with a layer of coating, which can be either soft or hard. The choice of a hard or soft coating significantly impacts the game. If you play on a hard court with a hard coating, the court is often very "fast." However, if you choose a soft coating, the court is immediately much slower.
Just like with clay, the construction and maintenance of a hard court is relatively inexpensive, and a major advantage is that it can be played on year-round. However, there's one caveat: the court can become quite slippery during rainfall. Another disadvantage is that sliding is difficult to almost impossible, and no ball impression is left, making it difficult to judge whether a ball is in or out.
(Artificial) grass
Grass and artificial turf are very similar. In both cases, the ball doesn't bounce very high, and as a tennis player, you have to be mindful of the ball's relatively low bounce, especially if you're used to playing on clay. If we're talking about real grass, you won't be surprised that the court wears out relatively quickly. For this reason, it's not surprising that the turf needs to be replaced annually. Moreover, when playing on real grass, you have to consider the weather conditions. Is it raining? Then it's likely that the court will quickly become too slippery.
With artificial turf, it's a slightly different story, and because it's artificial, it wears out less quickly. This naturally means the surface doesn't need to be replaced every year. Aside from periods of frost, when the court becomes too slippery to play on, artificial turf can be played on at any time. Artificial turf has gained popularity in recent decades, and it's no wonder you see more and more artificial turf courts at home and abroad. Shots with a lot of topspin, slice, or other unusual shots have less effect on this surface than on, for example, clay. This is because the artificial turf essentially neutralizes the effect on the ball.
Other types of tennis courts
Besides clay, hard courts, and (artificial) grass, there are several other types of tennis courts suitable for playing tennis. However, these are somewhat less well-known than the aforementioned types of tennis courts and are therefore less common. Examples of courts include French courts and smash courts, which fall somewhere between clay and artificial grass.
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