Backyard tennis courts are commonly constructed using clay, concrete or an acrylic material. Net supports must be more than 3 feet tall so that the center point of the net measures 3 feet. Layout lines can be painted on or made using chalk.

Read a Q&A about designing outdoor sports courts with Flex Court tiles.

Tennis Court Dimensions:

Size	Notes
Playing area: 36 ft. by 78 ft.	The net posts will extend beyond the 36 foot width
Total dimensions: 120 ft. by 60 ft.	Extra space is required for players to run after balls

• Tip: If you're short on space you can decrease the overall size of the court to 110' x 55'. This should suffice for most casual players.

Tennis Court Anatomy:

• Baseline - a 36 foot line marking the rear boundary of each half of the court
• Service line - a 27 foot line between the net & the baseline marking the end of the service boxes
• Center service line - line extending 21 feet from the net & dividing the two service boxes
• Doubles sidelines - 120 foot lines marking the side boundaries for doubles play
• Singles sidelines - lines running parallel and 4.5 feet inside the doubles sidelines
• Alley - strip between doubles & singles sidelines
• Backcourt - the area enclosed by the service line, baseline and singles sidelines

• Tip: Many people opt for using their tennis court for double duty. A half court basketball court can easily be incorporated at one end.

Tennis Court Cost:

The cost of your backyard tennis court will be affected most by the surface material you select. Typically you will spend the most to install a clay court and the least to install a concrete court.

How to Play Tennis:

Official Tennis Rules (PDF) - Learn how to play from the International Tennis Federation

Contributing Author: Scott Cohen, contributing writer for Landscaping Network and owner of The Green Scene