Tennis

Artificial Surfaces for Tennis

With the standard of artificial surfaces for tennis now at an all time high, SSL have been involved with a large number of new-build tennis court projects, as well as existing court refurbishments.

There are a variety of surface options available for a tennis court including:

  • Porous Macadam
  • Colour Coated Porous Macadam
  • Synthetic Turf
  • Acrylic
  • Polymeric
  • Clay

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) have a system of five different pace ratings which may influence what surface is preferable. The pace rating is calculated by measuring the loss in the ball’s horizontal and vertical speed due to the impact with the court surface.

Other important aspects of the design of a surface/tennis facility include slip resistance (not just on the surface itself but also on the paint used for the court markings) and also permeability. There are also different acceptable overall court sizes dependent on if a facility is to be designed to LTA ‘minimum’ or LTA ‘recommended’ dimensions, and separate dimension criteria for private tennis courts.

To be able to make the right selection of surface type, our involvement ensures that our clients are able to make informed choices. At SSL we provide independent, non manufacturer led guidance to ensure project aims are established and achieved.

Whilst a tennis court may appear to only be a simple macadam construction with a synthetic or painted surface, the exacting demands and tolerances of the sport mean that involving an industry expert at the earliest possible stage of a project is certainly advisable.

To discuss your tennis court requirements, please feel free to contact the experienced SSL team.