Padel tennis court: how is it different from a tennis court?

Padel tennis and tennis are different courts

“Padel tennis” is a common name for padel, and a padel tennis court is simply a padel court. The name causes confusion, because the court has little in common with a tennis court apart from a net in the middle and a racket game played over it. If you run a tennis club, or have an old tennis court at home, the differences matter when you think about converting.

Side by side

Padel figures are from the International Padel Federation (FIP) rules and the LTA’s construction guidance. The tennis figures are from the ITF, which recommends 21 ft behind each baseline and 12 ft beside each sideline, giving 120 ft by 60 ft in total.

The walls change everything

On a tennis court the ball is dead once it passes you. On a padel court, the ball can bounce and then come off the back or side glass and still be played. That is why the court is enclosed: back walls 4 m (13 ft 1 in) high, 3 m of glass with 1 m of mesh above, and side walls of glass and mesh.

It also changes how the court is built. A tennis court is a flat slab with a fence. A padel court is a steel and glass structure weighing 3 to 4 tons, according to US Padel Court Builders, bolted to a base engineered for that load and, outdoors, for wind on the glass. See what a padel court is for each part.

How many padel courts fit on a tennis court?

You often read that two or three padel courts fit on one tennis court. The real answer depends on the size of the site, not the tennis lines.

Take the full ITF area of 120 ft by 60 ft. The LTA’s minimum outside size for one padel court, including its concrete edge beam, is 20.8 m by 10.8 m, about 68 ft 3 in by 35 ft 5 in.

• Courts running the same way as the tennis court: one padel court fits. Two side by side would need about 73 ft of width, and two end to end about 137 ft of length.
• Courts turned across the tennis court: each padel court is about 68 ft long, 8 ft more than the 60 ft width. If you widen the slab by about 8 ft, three courts fit side by side, using about 111 ft of the 120 ft, with the 1.5 m gaps the LTA allows between courts.

Many club sites have tennis courts in a row with shared space between them, so a builder can often fit more padel courts than the single-court math suggests. Ask for a scaled layout of your actual site. Our padel court dimensions page has every measurement you need.

Converting a tennis court to padel

Converting is popular with clubs because the land, access and often the slab are already there. What it usually involves:

1. Check the slab. An engineer checks whether the existing base is sound, level and strong enough for the court anchors. Cracked or thin slabs may need repair or a new edge beam.
2. Plan the layout. The builder draws the courts on your site, including any widening, doors, paths and lights.
3. Get permits. A conversion still needs approvals. US builders report that outdoor courts generally need a building permit for the foundation and a structural permit for the court, sometimes with stamped drawings and wind load calculations.
4. Remove the old fence and posts, repair or extend the base, then install the courts.
5. Rethink the lights. Tennis lights sit in the wrong places for padel courts laid out across the site, so lighting usually has to be redesigned.

What a conversion costs

Reusing a sound slab is the biggest saving. US Padel Court Builders puts a court at about $50,000 including installation when the foundation is usable, against up to about $100,000 with a new foundation. Widening the slab, repairs, new lights and permits come on top. Our cost calculator lets you choose an existing slab or a new foundation and see the difference.

Should a club convert a tennis court?

It depends on demand. A tennis court that is rarely booked could become one to three padel courts, each played by four people at a time. But padel is a different game, and some members will want their tennis court kept. Many clubs convert one court first and watch bookings before going further.

If you are weighing it up, read how to build a padel court, compare padel and pickleball courts, and when you are ready, tell us about the site and we will find a builder who works in your area.