Few sports have as wide a variety of playing surfaces as tennis, in which courts can be made of grass, clay, volcanic rock or asphalt---just to name a few. The type of surface affects the pace of the game, and it dictates the court maintenance schedule. As the American Sports Builders Association says, there is no single "right surface" for tennis, but there's usually a right surface for each situation.
Types
According to the American Sports Builders Association, manufacturers and builders classify tennis court surfaces as either "porous," "non-porous cushioned" or "non-porous non-cushioned." But tennis players tend to think in terms of two broad categories: soft and hard. Soft courts include porous materials such as "fast-dry," natural and artificial grass, and clay. Hard courts are nonporous paved surfaces.
Composition
Natural grass courts consist of tightly cropped grass, usually Bermuda grass or bent grass in the United States. An artificial grass court is designed to mimic the natural grass version both in appearance and play. A clay court surface is made of powdery crushed brick or crushed stone. Fast-dry courts are made of crushed and compacted volcanic basalt. Hard courts are asphalt or concrete, topped with an acrylic layer that protects the pavement. Hard courts can have a layer of cushioning that gives them some of the characteristics of a soft court.
Features
Except for grass and synthetic grass, soft courts generally produce "slow" play. Because the ball bounces higher off these surfaces, players have more time to reach and return each volley. Rallies are longer, extending the game. Grass courts and hard courts, on the other hand, tend to produce "fast" play, meaning the ball bounces at a low angle. Games go by more quickly because there is less back-and-forth on each point. However, hard-court designers can tinker with the composition of the acrylic surface---adding sand to the mix, for example---to "slow down" a hard court.
Soft courts are usually more comfortable to play on, as players' backs, feet and joints take less jarring. Cushioned courts also provide more protection than straight hard courts.
Considerations
Cost and maintenance are key considerations in selecting a tennis court surface. Soft courts are frequently less expensive to install, but they require daily maintenance, such as watering grass or fast-dry or going over clay with a roller to keep it flat. Soft courts damage easily, although they also repair easily---replacing a divot in grass, for example, or smoothing the clay surface. Soft courts can't be used in colder weather, which means closing them for the winter in northern climates.
Hard courts are more expensive to install---especially when cushioned---but a properly built hard court needs no regular maintenance beyond occasional washing. Hard courts can be played year-round, and cushioned courts make especially good all-weather surfaces. Damage to a hard court, such as cracks or pits in the slab, is harder to fix, however.
The Slams
Tennis' four biggest tournaments---the Grand Slams---feature a mix of surfaces. Wimbledon is played on grass---a mixture of 70 percent perennial ryegrass and 30 percent creeping red fescue, according to Sportsgrass.com. The French Open has red clay courts. The U.S. Open and the Australian Open both use cushioned hard courts.
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