Sports/Recreation
ByDavid
Last updated on April 5th, 2023 at 07:43 pm
This article will show you the size differences between a pickleball court and a tennis court.
With the sport of pickleball gaining in popularity, it can be confusing to tell the difference in court size when compared to a tennis court.
Although both courts are similar in many ways, there are several differences with reference to dimensions and size.
Pickleball court vs tennis court size comparison
Both a pickleball court and a tennis court have a similar shape. They are rectangular in size.
Tennis courts are larger than pickleball courts and cover a larger area. Pickleball courts are 44 feet long and 20 feet wide for both singles and doubles play. Tennis courts are 78 feet long and 27 feet wide for singles play. For doubles play, the court is 36 feet wide.
Pickleball courts are more similar in size to a badminton court which is 44 feet long and ranges between 17 and 20 feet wide.
Pickleball court vs tennis court size comparison table
| Pickleball court | Tennis court | |
| Length | 44 Feet | 78 Feet |
| Width | 20 Feet | 27-36 Feet |
| Net | 36″ at the posts, 34″ in center | 42″ at the posts, 36″ in center |
Pickleball court size overview
During gameplay, a pickleball court is the same size regardless of singles or doubles play.
They are 44 feet long and 20 feet wide.
Similar to a tennis court, there is a net that extends across the court that measures 3 feet or 36 inches tall at the ends and 34 inches in the center.
There are also 2 non-volley zones, one on each side of the net. These zones often called “the kitchen” are 7 feet long each and the distance from the end of the non-volley zone to the baseline of the court is 15 feet.
Typical pickleball court:
Tennis court size overview
Tennis courts can have slightly different dimensions depending if singles or doubles are playing.
The length of the court is 78 feet long for both singles and doubles.
The difference in width is 9 feet total. Doubles play on a court of 36 feet wide where singles play on a court that is 27 feet wide.
Tennis courts also have a net that extends across the court measuring 42 inches tall at the posts and 36 inches tall at the center.
There is also a service line on both sides of the net that measures 21 feet from the net.
Can you use a tennis court for a pickleball court?
Yes, you can easily use a tennis court to play pickleball on.
Since the pickleball court is much smaller than a tennis court, you just need to make some minor modifications to do the conversion.
The net on the tennis court would need to be dropped to 36 inches tall at the sides and 34 inches in the center.
You can also paint lines on the court to match the dimensions.
A pickleball court will fit into a tennis court easily. See the following image.
Other differences between pickleball and tennis
As mentioned, a big difference between the 2 sports is the size of the court.
Other differences include:
- Pickleballs and tennis balls are not the same.
Pickleballs are made out of lightweight plastic that has 26 holes and weighs 0.8 ounces. They are around 2.8 inches in diameter and are somewhat similar to a Wiffle ball.
Tennis balls are made out of rubber and covered in felt. They are 2.6 or 2.7 inches in diameter and weigh around 2 ounces.
- Paddles and rackets are not the same.
A pickleball paddle is made out of either wood, composite, or graphite. They weigh between 6-14 ounces. Many paddles are 8 inches wide and 15 inches long and have a solid and flat surface on both sides.
Most tennis rackets are now made out of graphite and weigh around 10 ounces. An average size tennis racket is 27 inches long and 10 inches wide. Tennis rackets have strings that are made out of natural gut, nylon, or polyester.
- You can’t double fault in pickleball like you can in tennis.
- You can’t serve overhand like you can in tennis.
- Pickleball courts have a non volley zone unlike tennis.
