Can You Play Pickleball On A Tennis Court?

You may be in this situation: You love playing Pickleball but must travel long miles to satisfy your hobby. Why? Because there is no pickleball court nearby but a tennis one.

A big question arises: Can you play Pickleball on a tennis court? If it’s a yes, you can save your time, money, and effort. Let’s find the answer below.

Can You Play Pickleball On A Tennis Court
Can You Play Pickleball On A Tennis Court?

Can You Play Pickleball On A Tennis Court?

Absolutely yes! You may not know that some tennis courts have permanent or temporary pickleball lines. It’s the result of this fast-growing sport in recent years.

According to the Tennis Industry Association, about 270,000 tennis courts are spread over the United States, while it’s only 10,320 places for Pickleball.

Although there are differences, Pickleball and tennis courts have many similarities. By modifying the former, the chance to play the latter goes higher to serve 4.8 million American players. You should scroll down to learn how to customize it.

How To Easily Convert A Tennis Court To A Pickleball Court 

Although there are some differences, you can simply convert a tennis court to a pickleball court in some steps.

  • Step 1: Lower the tennis net to 34 inches in the middle and 36 inches on the sidelines.
  • Step 2: Tape the court to create a non-volley zone and surrounding borders temporarily.

Now, the tennis court is ready for pickleball gameplay.

Pickleball Courts Vs. Tennis Courts: The Differences

The below table will show some quick specifications of the pickle court vs. the tennis court.

Pickleball court Tennis court
Size 44 x 20 feet 78 x 36 feet
Net height 36″ at the sidelines

34″ in the middle

42″ at the sidelines

36″ in the middle

Non-volley Zone Yes No
Double sidelines No Yes

From the dimensions, the tennis court is much larger than the Pickleball one. It almost doubles in length and is 16 inches longer in width.

The net height of the former is higher, with 42″ at the sidelines and 36″ in the middle, while that of the latter is 36″ and 34″. If playing Pickleball with the tennis net, players can get into trouble because of the hitting-the-net rules.

Non-volley Zone (also called the Kitchen zone in Pickleball) is a crucial difference between these sports. There are many strict rules for pickleball players in this area. On the contrary, Tennis doesn’t require it.

The sidelines also point out these two courts. The tennis courts have two sidelines to differentiate between single and double games. In Pickleball, the court size of these games is the same.

Regarding the dimensions, you can only turn 1 tennis court into 1 pickleball court. However, extra spaces beside the playing surface can create up to 4 pickle courts.

A pickleball net

Pickleball Net Height Vs. Tennis Net Height

As with other nets, a pickleball one is lower in the middle and higher in the sidelines. It’s 34″ and 36″, while a tennis net is 36″ and 42″.

When playing Pickleball on a tennis court, it’s necessary to adjust the net height. Although the difference is not much, it strongly impacts the gameplay.

Having an adjustable net is the best so that a new pickleball net is not necessary. The adjustable tennis net is popular now since pickleball blooms worldwide. 

If the tennis court lacks such a net, Tennis net adjusters could help.

How to play pickleball on a tennis court

How To Play Pickleball On A Tennis Court

Can you play Pickleball on a tennis court? Yes. You can freely use your property to play Pickleball if it’s your court. Otherwise, you need the state’s permission to play this sport on public tennis courts.

After the legalization step, it’s time to adjust the court, including the net and playing areas. When it’s all done, let’s take some gameplay!

Can You Use a Tennis Net for Pickleball?

Using a tennis net for professional pickleball gameplay is unacceptable. The higher height affects the result of the gameplay. Referees can cancel the result and request a replay.

Besides, there are some strict rules for hitting a pickleball net. It may cause a fault if you return the ball when the server doesn’t hit the net. On the contrary, you don’t lose a point when hitting the net in your serve.

However, you can use it without any adjustment for a hobby.

From 1 tennis court to 4 pickleball courts

Is It Hard To Draw The Pickleball Lines On A Tennis Court

It’s not hard to line your pickleball court on a tennis court, but it requires meticulousness. 

If applying a temporary solution, you will need the following equipment: frog tape, tape measure, and chalk/ pencil marker. For permanent lines, you will need some more materials in addition to the above equipment, including line paint, brush, drop cloth, and painting materials.

Let’s draw the lines:

Step 1: Create the outlines

You need to make a 44-foot line for the length first, then a 20-foot line for the width. It’s important to create a 90-degree corner between two lines. Repeat it to create a rectangular.

Step 2: Draw the non-volley zone

Divide the court into 2 parts with a long side of 22 feet and mark it with chalk. From this mark, measure 7 feet toward two parts of the court and create the non-volley zone.

Step 3: Draw centerlines

On the wide sides, measure 10 feet, then draw a line towards non-volley zones.

It’s all done! You can make one, two, or four pickleball surfaces from a tennis court.

In What Way I Can Set Up A Pickleball Net On A Tennis Court

Although you can play Pickleball with the tennis net, it would be best to use the right equipment.

Compared to tennis nets, pickleball nets are shorter and lower. If it’s adjustable equipment, you can lower the net. If it’s not, it’s time to buy a new product; afterward, replace it. How quick! 

How Much Is Converting A Tennis Court Into A Pickleball Court?

It’s quite expensive to transform the tennis court for pickleball. Here are some adjustments and costs.

  • Legal documents

Whether it is private or public property, it requires permission from the state government to adjust tennis courts. Or else you will face a sentence.

  • Drawing the lines

A tennis court can be divided into one or two pickleball courts. A temporary adjustment requires temporary tape, chalk, and measuring tape, which is about $25 in total.

If it’s permanent lines, it should be done by professional agencies. The cost of drawing the court jumps from $200 to $600. You can save your budget by doing it yourself.

  • The net

It’s easy to purchase a pickleball net from $50 to $200 for nylon material. It would go wild for high-quality products.

You can also choose an adjustable height net to satisfy both Tennis and Pickleball. This option is much more affordable and money-saving.

The cost to transform a tennis court into a pickleball court varies depending on the state it is located, the materials of equipment, and the services. If the surface is not in good condition, a reconstruction is needed, which charges a lot.

Pickleball courts

FAQs 

Is A Pickleball Court The Same As A Tennis Court? 

No. These courts have different specifications in length, width, boundary, middle, sidelines, etc. The tennis court is larger than the pickleball court, with double sidelines, a higher net, and no non-volley zone.

To play Pickleball on the tennis court, you should customize it.

Tennis Court Surface Compared To A Pickleball Court Surface 

Because of the difference in court size, the tennis court surface is also bigger than the Pickleball one.

While Pickleball offers the same surface for single games and double games, Tennis requires two different surfaces. The double games use the full size of its court, which is 78 x 36 feet. The single ones, on the contrary, use a smaller part which was marked by the inner lines with a dimension of 78 x 27 feet.

Are Tennis Courts Damaged By Pickleball? 

Don’t worry. It will not happen. The tennis surface is hard-wearing, durable, and elastic. 

Additionally, a professional tennis player usually generates a hit at 75 Mph on average. Meanwhile, a pickleball player can send the ball at 25 to 40 Mph. If the tennis court can handle such a strong force from tennis players, pickleball players can barely damage the court.

Which Is More Popular, Tennis Or Pickleball? 

It’s Tennis. Tennis was invented in the 12th century and modernized in the 19th century to become an Olympic sport. In 2021, it was estimated 87 million people were playing this sport worldwide, and this number is increasing annually.

Pickleball appeared in 1965 in Washington. Although it recorded 5 million picklers globally in early 2021, the statistics suddenly jumped more than seven times to 36.5 million in late 2022. 

This fast-growing sport requires more courts, which cost an arm and a leg. Instead of building new infrastructures, it’s more effective and affordable to customize the current tennis courts.

Conclusion

Can you play Pickleball on a tennis court? Yes, but you should perform a few adjustments. You must get permission to reconstruct the court (if needed), lower the net, and draw the lines temporarily or permanently.

This construction costs an arm and a leg; hence, prepare yourself before starting. The tennis court is durable and hard-wearing, so you can have peace of mind when playing Pickleball in this area.

We will guide you with more interesting information and tips on sports. Stay tuned!

>>See more: How Many Pickleball Courts Fit On A Tennis Court? Just One?