Can you play pickleball on a tennis court?

Yes, it is possible to play pickleball on a tennis court. Since the size of a pickleball court is smaller than a tennis court, multiple pickleball courts can be set up within a single tennis court. By using temporary pickleball lines and a portable net, a tennis court can be converted into multiple pickleball courts, allowing players to enjoy both sports on the same surface.

What are the dimensions of a pickleball court?

A pickleball court measures 20 feet wide by 44 feet long for doubles play, and 20 feet wide by 22 feet long for singles play. The non-volley zone, also known as the kitchen, extends 7 feet from the net on both sides. The net height is 36 inches at the sidelines and 34 inches at the center.

What are the dimensions of a tennis court?

A standard tennis court measures 27 feet wide by 78 feet long for both doubles and singles play. The net height is 36 inches throughout the court. The service boxes are located 21 feet from the net, and the center service line divides the court into two equal halves.

Can pickleball be played on a tennis court without modifications?

No, pickleball cannot be played on a standard tennis court without modifications. The larger size of a tennis court would not provide the ideal playing conditions for pickleball. However, by using temporary pickleball lines and a portable net, a tennis court can be converted into multiple pickleball courts, allowing for both sports to be played on the same surface.

The key differences between a pickleball court and a tennis court

Q: What is the difference between a pickleball court and a tennis court?

The main difference between a pickleball court and a tennis court is the size. A pickleball court is smaller than a tennis court, measuring 20 feet wide by 44 feet long for doubles play, and 20 feet wide by 22 feet long for singles play. In contrast, a standard tennis court is 27 feet wide by 78 feet long for doubles play, and 27 feet wide by 78 feet long for singles play. Additionally, the net height is different, with a pickleball net being 36 inches high at the sidelines and 34 inches high at the center, while a tennis net is 36 inches high throughout.

Pickleball courts are much smaller than tennis courts. Tennis courts are 60 feet wide and 120 feet long, pickleball courts are 20 feet wide and 44 feet long. Four pickleball courts can fit on a tennis court.

A pickleball court’s net is in the middle and hangs to a height of 34 inches (36 inches on the posts). In contrast, a tennis court is wider and longer at 78 feet by 36 feet with nets stretching from the baseline to 3-feet high.

The playing surface for pickleball is commonly outdoor hard courts or indoor sports surfaces, whereas tennis requires either bent grass, clay, hard court, or artificial turf.

While the two sports are somewhat similar, there are many differences.

One of the top questions people have when comparing pickleball to tennis is the court comparison: pickleball court vs. tennis court size.

Who wants to know

We think there are only three reasons people would want to know the difference between a pickleball court and a tennis court.

A pickleball court needs to be built from scratch or put on a tennis court (or put on a driveway)
Folks want a quick answer to see if pickleball is easier than tennis
Someone getting started in pickleball wants to know what they’re getting into

A pickleball court needs to be built from scratch or put on a tennis court

Building a brand new pickleball court is super expensive: ~ $50,000 for a court?

The expense of building a brand new pickleball court combined with the abundance of unused tennis courts prompts many people to consider putting pickleball courts onto tennis courts.

Naturally, they would want to know the sizes of both courts.

It is possible to build four (4) pickleball courts onto one (1) tennis court as long as the following exist:

the tennis court is the standard size of 120′ X 60′
and each of the pickleball courts is 60′ X 30′

adding pickleball courts to tennis court gif — Here’s all the information you need to transform a tennis court into a pickleball court

Folks want a quick answer to see if pickleball is easier than tennis

Yes, pickleball is easier to learn than tennis. The court is smaller, it requires less strength or intensity to hit the ball. The paddles in pickleball are lighter and, as a stretch, even the pickleballs are lighter.

Since pickleball has a smaller court than tennis there is less moving around. Period.

Someone getting started in pickleball wants to know what they’re getting into

Since pickleball is relatively new and sweeping the nation, people naturally have many questions and reservations about getting started in pickleball. Heck, who wouldn’t?

But all makes most sense when you compare pickleball to tennis: paddles/rackets are similar, the nets are closely related and the balls are not totally disimilar.

But the court?

The thing about the pickleball court is how much smaller it is than a tennis court and this is where so many people have questions – how much smaller is it?

Here’s a video showing the size of a pickleball court vs. a tennis court.