Tennis is a sport that has a lot of variety, whether that be tennis rackets and equipment, style of play, shots, or court surfaces. Players tend to have a preference depending upon what they’re grown up playing on and how comfortable they feel on them. We’re going to be taking you through all of the tennis surfaces including the advantages and disadvantages they possess.
Grass Courts
Grass CourtsGrass courts are synonymous with the British tennis season, and prestigious and traditional tournaments such as The Championships, Wimbledon, cinch Championships at The Queen’s Club and Rothesay International at Eastbourne often come to mind.
Advantages:
The main advantages of grass courts are that it’s a fast-playing surface, therefore the ball bounces low and skids, making it difficult for opponents to return shots. This surface rewards players with good net skills and fast footwork who can be reactive to the speed and bounce of the ball hit by the opposition.
Disadvantages:
Common disadvantages this surface presents is that its high maintenance! The ground staff at Wimbledon for example, tend the court all year round to ensure that the grass doesn’t suffer and is at its peak during the summer months ready for the Championships. They require constant care and regular mowing, so the bounce of the ball is correct and optimal for play.
Grass courts and play on this surface is subject to weather conditions. Rain can make the surface slippery, and extreme heat can dry out the grass and make it uneven, impacting bounce and more importantly, the lushness of the grass during key tournaments!
As you will have seen when watching grass court tournaments, the groundmen and court staff often run onto the pitch to cover the grass when rain falls so it doesn’t get slippery for the players once rain stops and play resumes (which happens a lot in England!).
Clay Courts:
Clay courts were created as an alternative to grass courts that would often die and turn brown in summer months. They’re made of stones, gravel, limestone and crushed brick giving it that bright red hue (1.1 tons of red clay to be exact).
Advantages:
The ball bounces higher and slower on clay surfaces due to the red dirt, giving players more time to react and set up longer rallies but makes it’s more important for tactical play to be made. It brings out spin shots and favours lighter players who like topspin, slice and drop-shots. Due to the soft and forgiving nature, clay reduces the impact on players' joints and is great for any level of player. It’s particularly popular in European countries including Spain, Italy and France, something that springs to mind when you think of the French Open – to which many winners have come from countries where clay is the main tennis court surface, such as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Disadvantages:
They do require a lot of maintenance and need to be rolled to maintain its flatness. The physical demand and endurance needed when playing is high as a result of the extended rallies. You’ll certainly see many players sliding across the court, when they run to hit the ball due to its slippery nature and soft dirt, but this can be challenging to master and can potentially lead to injuries. During tournaments, the court is constantly swept, brushed and watered to maintain standards.
Hard Courts
Hard tennis courts are one of the most common surfaces and are widely available in parks, recreation centres, tennis clubs and schools. They’re made of concrete and asphalt and sealed with acrylic to provide a level of cushioning. The only Grand Slam tournaments that use this surface are the Australian Open and the US Open.
Advantages:
Hard courts provide a consistent and predictable bounce and offer a balance between the speed of grass and the consistency of clay. They’re relatively low maintenance compared to grass or clay courts that need constant nurturing, only requiring maintenance for cracks, surface damage and line drawings. They can be built in both indoor and outdoor settings making them more widely available and versatile for players to use.
Disadvantages:
The low energy absorption of these courts makes the ball bounce higher and faster, requiring players to move more quickly and be more reactive to reach the ball in time.
However, this surface can be physically harsh on players' bodies as it’s less forgiving on joints, increasing the chance of injuries. Some hard courts can be affected by weather conditions like extreme heat or cold, cracking the surface in icy temperatures.
Which surface owns the most ATP and WTA tournaments?
ATP Tour (2023/24)
Hard Court – 38 tournaments
Clay Court – 21 tournaments
Grass Court – 8 tournaments
WTA Tour (2023/24)
Hard Court – 39 tournaments
Clay Court – 12 tournaments
Grass Court – 7 tournaments
ATP + WTA = 125 tournaments in total
Hard Court – 77
Clay Court – 33
Grass Court – 15
The Surface Superstars
Grass Court Greats:
Roger Federer: Widely regarded as one of the greatest grass court players of all time, Federer has won a record-breaking 8 Wimbledon titles.
Pete Sampras: Another legendary grass court player, Sampras won 7 Wimbledon titles and dominated the grass courts during the 1990s.
Bjorn Borg: Known for his incredible success on both grass and clay, Borg won 5 Wimbledon titles in a row from 1976 to 1980.
Martina Navratilova: Regarded as one of the greatest grass court players in women's tennis history, Navratilova won a record 9 Wimbledon singles titles.
Serena Williams: While Serena is successful on all surfaces, she has particularly excelled on grass, winning 7 Wimbledon singles titles.
Steffi Graf: The German tennis legend won 7 Wimbledon singles titles during her illustrious career.
Clay Court Champions:
Clay Court Champions:
Rafael Nadal: Considered the "King of Clay," Nadal has been the most dominant player on clay courts in tennis history. He has won a record 13 French Open titles.
Bjorn Borg: As mentioned earlier, Borg was equally successful on clay, winning 6 French Open titles.
Guillermo Vilas: The Argentine player won 4 French Open titles and was one of the greatest clay court players of the 1970s.
Chris Evert: Known as the "Queen of Clay," Evert won 7 French Open singles titles and dominated on clay throughout her career.
Serena Williams: Though not her favourite surface, Serena has still managed to win 3 French Open titles, showcasing her adaptability.
Justine Henin: The Belgian star was exceptional on clay, winning 4 French Open titles during her career.
Hard Court Hero’s:
Novak Djokovic: Djokovic has been exceptionally successful on hard courts, winning numerous Australian Open titles (11 as of September 2021) and multiple US Open titles.
Andre Agassi: Known for his powerful baseline game, Agassi won 4 Australian Open titles and 2 US Open titles on hard courts.
Serena Williams: Serena's powerful game suits hard courts well, and she has won multiple Australian Open and US Open titles.
Steffi Graf: Graf's versatile game also translated well to hard courts, as evidenced by her 5 Australian Open and 6 US Open singles titles.
Martina Hingis: The Swiss player was known for her strategic game on hard courts, winning multiple Australian Open and US Open titles.
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