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Tennis debuted in the United States in 1881 when Americans watched the sport for the first time. And since then, tennis has grown exponentially in popularity.
Today, tennis is one of the most popular sports, not just in the United States but also across the globe.
With that in mind, you can be sure to find tennis in the Summer Olympic Games, with the Commonwealth Games offering it only as an optional sport. So, is lawn tennis is an indoor game?
In the US, you can play the sport in the US Open that has existed since 1881. In other countries, tennis players get the chance also to enjoy the sport.
The Australian Open is a tournament for Australian tennis players. Other tennis tournaments include the Wimbledon Open in the UK and Roland Garros in France, to mention a few tennis tournaments.
But you might be wondering whether lawn tennis is an indoor sport or an outdoor one.
Lawn tennis is an outdoor sport, but sometimes, it takes place indoors. Since the lawn is the playing surface for lawn tennis, you can expect to play the sport outdoors in an open space.
But you can also choose to play the sport on indoor courts. Indoor tennis courts have no cracks, wind, or sun to affect the gameplay.
And this makes indoor tennis sports nothing but only about the competitors!
What Are the Courts for Playing Lawn Tennis?
Lawn tennis is fun to play and exciting to watch if you’re an enthusiast. But you might need to know all the surface types on which you could play lawn tennis.
These surfaces include the following:
Grass Courts
The courts of Wimbledon boast lush-green grass as their surface material. That’s because lawn tennis is a sacred sport in England, and grass courts are the standard playing surfaces.
The great news is that you could have the Wimbledon experience even if you are in the United States. The US has some grass courts for playing the game of tennis.
The United States Tennis Association – the national lawn tennis governing body – has approved Newport Rhode Island with 13 grass courts for playing lawn tennis. You could play at a fee that depends on the game you’re looking to play.
Single games played, you can be sure to part ways with $90 per hour. And for double tennis matches, you will pay a fee of $80. What’s more, these courts are open to the public!
That means you can play lawn tennis on a grass court. But in the UK, you will need to be a member of the croquet club to enjoy playing tennis on grass courts.
Grass courts bring thrilling experiences like no other tennis court.
Clay Courts
Unlike grass courts that speed up the game but with low bounces, the clay courts slow down the game. Also, the tennis ball will bounce higher than on grass courts.
So, if you love to spin the tennis ball and show tactics never seen on a tennis court before, these types of playing surfaces might be best for your playing style.
Clay courts have a mixture of three different materials finely crushed to achieve an ideal surface. The materials in question include shale, stone, and brick, though you could come across a court with one material type.
But clay courts might be your worst nightmare if you rely heavily on serves to dominate your opponent. But if spinning is your style, you will be glad to be on one.
If you’re looking to participate in the French Open, be ready to meet a clay court.
Hard Courts
The US Open and Australian Open tournaments use hard courts for playing lawn tennis. One advantage of these courts is that they give an “all-around” tennis playing experience.
That’s because the tennis ball bounces faster and higher than on clay courts.
But still, grass courts outperform hard courts. Rigid materials form an essential part of these playing surfaces. The rigid material is usually uniform to achieve an all-round bounce.
As a result, players might perform at their best when on hard courts.
For the US Open, the acrylic material is the material of choice for the hard courts. But for the Australian Open, it is a synthetic material.
Hard courts remain one of the favorite surfaces for playing lawn tennis. You could also see hard courts for lawn tennis played indoors. Hard courts are ideal for lawn tennis played indoors or outdoors.
Artificial Grass
Artificial grass courts look and feel like grass courts. And the tennis ball bounces and responds in many ways like it would on a grass court.
Synthetic grass courts also provide consistent spin and are great playing surfaces for all playing standards. But as you might expect, this playing surface is ideal for outdoor lawn tennis plays.
What Is the Measurement of Lawn Tennis Courts?
Before answering this question, it is essential to note that you can play a tennis match either as a single-player or team up with another player in doubles. For singles, the tennis court is smaller.
But players playing the doubles need more room to interact. That’s why they play on an extended court.
The tennis court measures 78 feet long and 27 feet wide for singles. And it measures 36 feet wide, with the length remaining the same.
Therefore, you will only need to cover a 27-foot-wide area when playing in the singles and a 36-foot-wide court when in the doubles category.
Could You Play Tennis with A Member of The Opposite Sex as One Team?
When playing doubles, you will team up with another tennis player and bring honor and victory to the team. More often than not, tennis players of the same sex team up to play doubles in tournaments.
But sometimes, you might find that a tennis team comprises two tennis players of different sexes, which is what mixed doubles are all about when playing tennis.
Is There Any World Cup Competition for Tennis?
The Davis Cup is a tennis competition event with 18 teams coming from all over the world. It is a world cup tennis competition that has existed since 1900 and is an event by the International Tennis Federation.
Another body, the Kosmos Holding, also organizes these annual world cup competitions for tennis players. Therefore, lawn tennis is a sport with annual world cup competitions.
Conclusion
Lawn tennis is an outdoor and an indoor sport altogether. Although most tennis courts are outdoors, you can be sure to find some indoors, and this makes lawn tennis both an indoor and an outdoor sport.
It all depends on the location of the tennis court.
Regardless of whether it’s an indoor or outdoor sport, lawn tennis uses a set of modern rules to guide players in tournaments. Also, the sport could lead you to different types of playing courts as we’ve already seen.
If you wondered whether lawn tennis is an indoor or outdoor sport, we hope this article answered your question.
