Tennis is a sport that has various types of surfaces. Firstly, different tennis courts have their own characteristics, and secondly, it also affects the style of playing and even the natural playing ability of the player. For Instance, Rafael Nadal has won most Grand Slams on Clay Courts (French Open) while Roger Federer has won Most Grand Slams on Grass Court (Wimbledon). These surfaces are majorly differentiated on the basis of speed by the ITF. The variation goes from level one to level five. Moreover, these courts are used to play both singles and doubles. Currently, there are three types of tennis courts which we are going to discuss in this article.
Types of Tennis Courts
Grass court
The most traditional tennis court is the grass court and has gained great popularity during Old British era, played tennis on gardens and grass lawns. This is also known as lawn tennis. It is the signature court of Wimbledon which is one of the oldest and the most prestigious of the Grand slam. The ball in this type of court bounces low which keeps the rallies relatively short and the players can get to the ball quickly in this type of court. These courts are now rare as they require high maintenance. Tennis matches played on grass court are fast and even favor the players with some high concentration and speed.
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Clay Court
The second type of court used in tennis is the clay court. It is mainly made of crushed shale stones or bricks with some other mineral clusters. There are further two types: Red Clay Court and Green Clay Court. The popularity of red clay courts is mainly in Europe and Latin America. The most famous French Open Grand slam is played on this type of court. The green clay court is less common and are made up of crushed meta basalt topped with green clay. In comparison to red clay courts, these are a bit faster and harder. The clay court slows down the ball and produces bounces that are slow but high.
Hard Court
The courts which are made up of synthetic or acrylic layers which are laid on the top of a concrete or asphalt foundation is known as a hard court. The materials used in some constructions are resins and rubbers as well. The speed varies by the amount of sand present in the top layer. These types of courts are slower than grass courts but faster than clay courts. Tournaments like the US Open and the Australian Open Grand Slam are played on hard courts. This type of court is the most popular one and provides the players with an all-round playing experience.
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