Local Court Surfaces

Chicago tennis facilities offer a range of playing surfaces that can add to the challenges and enjoyment of tennis.

The two primary types of playing surfaces locally are hard courts and green clay. There also is one location – the XS Tennis Village on Chicago’s south side – that has four courts made of American red clay, a surface similar to the clay used at the at the French Open and other European tournaments.

Hard court surfaces are made of either concrete or asphalt and covered with a layer of colorful acrylic. They provide a fast-paced, high-bouncing game with less sliding than is possible on clay courts, and they are the most common surfaces in the Chicago area.

Approximately 80 percent of the public and private courts in Chicagoland are hard courts, according to Cy Dofitas, national business development manager for Har-Tru, which provides racquet sport court surfaces, consultation, and equipment.

“The bounce on a hard court is the truest bounce of all surfaces,” Dofitas said. “In terms of playability, the ball moves a lot faster and it sits up about waist level after it bounces.”

Many tournaments on the professional ATP and WTA tours use hard surfaces because they are durable, require relatively low maintenance and can be used for both indoor and outdoor competition.

Clay courts are made of crushed brick or stone and provide a slower, lower-bouncing game that allows for more sliding. In the Chicago area, tennis facilities use clay made from a natural green stone found in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The stone’s density and shape allow it to be packed tightly for a smooth playing surface. Tennis players can find green clay courts open to the public at the Diversity Tennis Center in Chicago, the South Barrington Club, the Park District of Highland Park, the Oak Park Bath & Tennis Club, and The Racket Club at Crystal Lake Park District. There are also several private clubs in Chicagoland that sport Har-Tru’s green clay surface.

“On clay, the game slows down a bit more and that results in longer rallies,” Dofitas said. “And, you see people move to the ball by sliding, either laterally or forward. In Europe, where they play predominantly on clay, they know how to slide into the ball. Coaches teach sliding first, even before they teach how to hit a ball.”

Clay allows players to slide and recover control, and acts as a cushion that is easier on the body. A recent study showed that clay surfaces create seven times fewer injuries than other court surfaces, according to Har-Tru.

Tennis authority Dave Rineberg, the former hitting coach of Serena and Venus Williams, says players need different strategies for each surface.

“Understanding and trusting the bounce on a hard court is what allows you to take the ball on the rise or sit back and wait for it to drop,” Rineberg says in his book, The 100 Best Tennis Lessons. “Aggressiveness and power are rewarded on the hard fast surface so those players who have powerful serves and an all-court aggressive style tend to do best.”

On clay, Rineberg points to two shots that can separate the winners from the losers: the backhand slice and the backhand drop-shot. The former can neutralize topspin and lift low balls, while the latter can turn a defensive situation into an offensive one.

“A player can get out of trouble or create offense with these two shots,” he says. “Even players not known to hit either shot will attempt both because of the tempting advantages.”

Grass tennis courts, like those found at the Wimbledon Championships, are composed of a thin layer of grass on top of a base of soil or sand. They provide a low-bouncing, fast-paced game and are typically the fastest type of tennis court. Playing on grass is often considered a unique challenge and can offer a different playing experience compared to other surfaces.

The closest grass courts to Chicago are at the Sand Valley Club in Nekoosa, WI, which has 15 outdoor courts, and the All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club in Charles City. The AILTC boasts a single court set on a 770-acre farm that is open to the public to enjoy what the owner calls “the ultimate Wimbledon experience.”

Tennis enthusiasts in Chicago benefit from having access to public hard and clay courts to improve their skills and add an extra dimension to their game.

“People should know that they have access to different types of court surfaces, including clay,” Dofitas says. “The mindset sometimes is ‘If I want to play on clay, I have to pay a lot.’ In Chicago that’s not the case. Clay courts can be found at several public facilities. That’s an option.”