Best Sport Surfaces

What is the best tennis court surface?

What is the best tennis court surface? That depends on what you are looking for in a surface, of course. The vast majority of players and facility managers prefer acrylic tennis court surfaces, and here are just a few of the main benefits:
  • Very low maintenance
  • Durable and compatible with all climates
  • Textured & Customizable for desired speed of play
  • Aesthetically pleasing
  • Cost effective & Affordable

Acrylic tennis court surfaces actually benefit from the wind and rain. Properly built tennis courts should have a 1% slope for drainage, so rain helps to keep the surface clean and somewhat free of dirt and debris. Whether you live in a very hot and dry area or a cold and moist location, acrylics can withstand all of the above.  The standard resurfacing cycle, with a high-quality acrylic tennis court surface, is every 5 to 8 years.

Best Tennis Court Surface
Acrylic Tennis Court Surface

Another advantage of acrylic tennis court surfaces are their ability to be customized to all desired paces, or speeds of play.  The ITF (International Tennis Federation) has a pace classification program where tennis surface manufacturers send in factory-textured samples and have them tested for speed of play.  The ITF and approved independent testing labs perform specific procedures and classify each sample as a specific pace.  The current pace categories are: slow, medium-slow, medium, medium-fast, and fast.  There are only a few brands that currently hold all five paces and they are acrylic (not clay, tiles, or grass surfaces).  The texture that determines pace also makes for a safe, non-slip playing surface.