Tennis Court Dimensions & Size

Quick answer: A regulation tennis court is 78 feet long. It is 27 feet wide for singles and 36 feet wide for doubles. The net is 3 feet high at the center and 3 feet 6 inches at the posts. The service line is 21 feet from the net, leaving 18 feet from the service line to the baseline. For international play, plan on a total area of 120 by 60 feet, including run-back.

Updated November 2026 · By TR.com Staff

The measurements below come from the 2026 ITF Rules of Tennis, Rule 1 and Appendix X. The USTA publishes the same court rules in Friend at Court 2026. All court measurements are taken to the outside of the lines. If you are comparing this layout with pickleball, see our pickleball court dimensions guide. For the names of the lines and scoring terms, see our tennis terms glossary.

Tennis court dimensions at a glance

Official tennis court and net measurements (ITF Rules of Tennis 2026)
Part of the court	Measurement	Source
Length (singles and doubles)	78 ft (23.77 m), baseline to baseline	Rule 1
Singles width	27 ft (8.23 m)	Rule 1
Doubles width	36 ft (10.97 m)	Rule 1
Doubles alley (each side)	4.5 ft / 4 ft 6 in (1.37 m)	Appendix X
Service line, from the net	21 ft (6.40 m), between the singles sidelines	Rule 1
Each service box	21 ft × 13.5 ft (6.40 m × 4.11 m)	Rule 1 and Appendix X
Baseline to service line	18 ft (5.49 m): 39 ft from net to baseline, minus 21 ft	Derived from Rule 1 and Appendix X
Net height at the center	3 ft / 36 in (0.914 m), held down by a strap	Rule 1
Net height at the posts	3 ft 6 in / 42 in (1.07 m)	Rule 1
Net post centers	3 ft (0.914 m) outside each doubles sideline; 42 ft (12.80 m) apart	Rule 1 and Appendix X
Center mark on each baseline	4 in (10 cm) long, drawn inside the court; 2 in (5 cm) wide	Rule 1
Lined singles area	2,106 sq ft (78 × 27)	Calculated from Rule 1
Lined doubles area	2,808 sq ft (78 × 36)	Calculated from Rule 1

Tennis court diagram with measurements

Use this labeled layout with the table above. The playing area is a rectangle. The singles court is the same length as the doubles court, but 9 feet narrower overall because of a 4.5-foot alley on each side.

Official tennis court layout (ITF Rule 1 and Appendix X). Line widths are not drawn to scale. All measurements are to the outside of the lines.

Singles vs. doubles dimensions

Singles and doubles share the same 78-foot length and the same baselines. The difference is width. For singles, the court is 27 feet wide. For doubles, the outer sidelines make the court 36 feet wide. The strip between the singles sideline and the doubles sideline on each side is the doubles alley, which is 4 feet 6 inches (1.37 m) wide.

When a combined doubles and singles court with a doubles net is used for singles, ITF Rule 1 requires singles sticks. The sticks support the net at 3 feet 6 inches, and their centers sit 3 feet outside the singles court on each side.

Service boxes and the 18-foot backcourt

Rule 1 places a service line 21 feet (6.40 m) from each side of the net, drawn between the singles sidelines and parallel with the net. A center service line then splits that area into two equal service courts. Because the singles court is 27 feet wide, each service box is 13 feet 6 inches (4.11 m) wide and 21 feet deep: 21 by 13.5 feet.

From the net to the baseline is half the court, 39 feet (11.89 m) in Appendix X. Subtract the 21 feet from the net to the service line, and you get 18 feet (5.49 m) from the service line to the baseline. That 18-foot depth is the backcourt. The center service line does not continue through the backcourt; each baseline is marked instead with a 4-inch center mark inside the court.

Tennis net height and post placement

The net divides the court at mid-court. It is 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) high at the posts and must be held down tightly to 3 feet (0.914 m) at the center by a white strap. The strap may be up to 2 inches wide, and a white band covers the top of the net.

For doubles, the centers of the net posts are 3 feet (0.914 m) outside the doubles court on each side. Appendix X marks those post positions at the ends of a 42-foot (12.80 m) line along the net. Posts may be no more than 6 inches square or 6 inches in diameter, and they may not rise more than 1 inch above the top of the net cord.

Line widths and how to measure

ITF Rule 1 is specific about line widths and about where you measure:

The center service line and the center mark are 2 inches (5 cm) wide.
The other lines are between 1 inch (2.5 cm) and 2 inches (5 cm) wide, except that the baselines may be up to 4 inches (10 cm) wide.
All measurements are made to the outside of the lines, and all lines must be the same color, clearly contrasting with the surface.

How much total space do you need? (run-back)

The 78-by-36-foot doubles court is only the lined area. Players need room behind the baseline and outside the sidelines. ITF Appendix X gives recommended minimums, which it describes as a guide, not as part of the playing-line rules in Rule 1:

ITF Appendix X recommended clearances and total area
Use	Behind each baseline	Outside each sideline	Total area
International competitions	21 ft (6.40 m)	12 ft (3.66 m)	120 × 60 ft (7,200 sq ft)
Recreational and club play	18 ft (5.48 m)	10 ft (3.05 m)	114 × 56 ft (6,384 sq ft)

Those totals are simple addition: 78 + 21 + 21 = 120 feet in length and 36 + 12 + 12 = 60 feet in width for international play; 78 + 18 + 18 = 114 feet and 36 + 10 + 10 = 56 feet for club play. Appendix X also recommends a minimum height from the court surface to the ceiling, measured at the net, of 29.6 feet (9.0 m) for indoor courts.

Metric equivalents

The ITF states the official figures in both feet and meters. SI units take precedence in some equipment appendices, but Rule 1 and Appendix X list both systems together. The table below repeats the main court figures in meters for quick reference.

ITF metric equivalents for the main court measurements
Measurement	Feet / inches	Meters
Court length	78 ft	23.77 m
Singles width	27 ft	8.23 m
Doubles width	36 ft	10.97 m
Alley width	4 ft 6 in	1.37 m
Service line from net	21 ft	6.40 m
Service box width	13 ft 6 in	4.11 m
Half-court length (net to baseline)	39 ft	11.89 m
Net height at center	3 ft	0.914 m
Net height at posts	3 ft 6 in	1.07 m
Post clearance outside doubles sideline	3 ft	0.914 m
International run-back / side run	21 ft / 12 ft	6.40 m / 3.66 m
Club run-back / side run	18 ft / 10 ft	5.48 m / 3.05 m

Court surfaces

The Rules of Tennis do not require a particular surface for a court to be regulation size. The common competition surfaces are hard courts (typically an acrylic coating over asphalt or concrete), clay, and grass. Some indoor facilities also use carpet or other ITF-classified surfaces. Surface pace is classified separately in ITF Appendix I. If you are choosing shoes for a surface, see our guide to tennis shoes by court surface.

Tennis court vs. pickleball court

A pickleball court is much smaller, and the same size for singles and doubles: 20 feet wide by 44 feet long, measured to the outside of the lines (2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, Rule 3.A.1). It has a 7-foot non-volley zone, or kitchen, on each side of the net. A doubles tennis court (36 by 78 feet) has more than three times the lined area of a pickleball court (2,808 vs. 880 square feet), and the tennis net is higher.

For a full pickleball measurement table, including the 30-by-60-foot minimum playing surface, see Pickleball Court Dimensions & Size.

How many pickleball courts fit on a tennis court?

It depends on whether you use only the lined tennis court or the full area including run-back, and whether you want to keep the tennis court playable.

A standard 120 by 60 foot tennis footprint, the ITF recommended minimum for international competitions, can fit four pickleball courts at USA Pickleball’s 30 by 60 foot minimum playing surface, typically two courts on each side of the tennis net. The American Sports Builders Association and PTR describe this four-court layout as a common way to add pickleball to a tennis court space.
If you want shared use with blended pickleball lines on a court that remains a 78-foot tennis court, USTA guidance is up to two pickleball courts, one on each side of the net.
USA Pickleball’s recommended playing surface for new construction and tournament play is 34 by 64 feet, which is larger than the four-court minimum layout on a 120-by-60-foot tennis pad. A recreational tennis footprint of 114 by 56 feet is also short of four full 30-by-60-foot pickleball surfaces.

Shopping for tennis equipment

Once you know the court, the next step is gear that matches the surface and your game:

Tennis court dimensions FAQ

What are tennis court dimensions in feet?

A regulation tennis court is 78 feet long. It is 27 feet wide for singles and 36 feet wide for doubles. Each doubles alley is 4.5 feet wide. The service line is 21 feet from the net, so there are 18 feet from the service line to the baseline. Each service box is 21 by 13.5 feet. The ITF and USTA publish these figures in Rule 1 of the Rules of Tennis.

How big is a tennis court?

The lined singles court covers 2,106 square feet (78 by 27 feet). The lined doubles court covers 2,808 square feet (78 by 36 feet). Players also need run-back space: the ITF recommends at least 120 by 60 feet (7,200 square feet) for international competitions, or 114 by 56 feet (6,384 square feet) for recreational and club play.

How high is a tennis net?

The net is 3 feet (0.914 m) high at the center, where a strap holds it down, and 3 1/2 feet (1.07 m), or 3 feet 6 inches, at the posts. For doubles, the centers of the net posts sit 3 feet outside each doubles sideline. These heights are set in ITF Rule 1.

How does a tennis court compare with a pickleball court?

A pickleball court is 20 by 44 feet for both singles and doubles, with a 7-foot non-volley zone (kitchen) on each side of the net and a net that is 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches at the center. A doubles tennis court is 36 by 78 feet with no kitchen, and the tennis net is higher (36 inches at the center and 42 inches at the posts). See our pickleball court dimensions guide for the full pickleball measurements.

How many pickleball courts fit on a tennis court?

On a standard 120 by 60 foot tennis court footprint, which is the ITF recommended minimum for international play, you can fit four pickleball courts at USA Pickleball’s 30 by 60 foot minimum playing surface, typically two on each side of the tennis net. If you want to keep the tennis court fully playable with blended lines, USTA guidance for shared use is up to two pickleball courts on a 78-foot tennis court, one on each side of the net. The recommended 34 by 64 foot pickleball surface for new construction is larger than that four-court minimum layout.

Sources: ITF Rules of Tennis 2026, Rule 1 and Appendix X; USTA Friend at Court 2026; 2026 USA Pickleball Official Rulebook, Rule 3.A; USTA Statement of Guidance on shared tennis and pickleball courts; American Sports Builders Association / PTR guidance on adding pickleball to tennis courts.