{{short description|Type of tennis court surface}}
[[Image:hardcourt tennis court curtiss park saline michigan.JPG|thumb|Tennis hard court, Curtiss Park, Saline, Michigan]]
A '''hard court''' or '''hardcourt''' is a type of surface or floor on which a sport is played, most usually in reference to tennis courts. It is typically made of rigid materials such as asphalt or concrete, and covered with acrylic resins to seal the surface and mark the playing lines, while providing some cushioning.<ref name=ByAPT>{{cite web |url=http://sportsbyapt.com/types-tennis-courts/ |title=Types of Tennis Courts |website=SportsByAPT |publisher=Advanced Polymer Technology |date=October 22, 2012 |access-date=March 2, 2018 |archive-date=May 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508132941/https://sportsbyapt.com/types-tennis-courts/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=ertheo>{{cite web |url=https://www.ertheo.com/blog/en/type-tennis-courts/ |title=What type of tennis courts are there and how do they influence the tennis player's game? |website=ertheo.com |publisher=Ertheo |date=July 17, 2017 |access-date=March 2, 2018|quote="...about cushioning..."}}</ref> Historically, hardwood surfaces were also in use in indoor settings, similar to an indoor basketball court, but these surfaces are rare now.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/tennis/2015/09/18/wta-finals-singapore-courts |title=WTA Finals in Singapore are played on unique wooden hard court surface |last=Newcomb |first=Tim |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=September 18, 2015 |access-date=March 2, 2018|quote=Possible wood comeback?}}</ref>
==Tennis== Tennis hard courts are made of synthetic/acrylic layers on top of a concrete or asphalt foundation and can vary in color. These courts tend to play medium-fast to fast because there is little energy absorption by the court, as with grass courts but unlike clay courts.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news |last=Murray |first=Judy |title=Hard courts take centre stage at the Australian Open and the US Open. |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/skills/5274588.stm |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |access-date=March 2, 2018}}</ref> The ball tends to bounce high and players are able to apply many types of spin during play. Speed of rebound after tennis balls bounce on hard courts is determined by how much sand is in the synthetic/acrylic layer placed on top of the asphalt foundation. More sand will result in a slower bounce due to more friction.<ref name=CoachUp>{{cite web |url=https://www.coachup.com/nation/articles/different-types-of-tennis-courts |title=Different Types of Tennis Courts |website=CoachUp.com |publisher=CoachUp, Inc. |date=August 1, 2016 |access-date=March 2, 2018|quote="about sand in court to slow it down"}}</ref><ref name=SI>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/tennis/2015/08/21/how-us-open-makes-courts-colors-science |title=The science behind creating the U.S. Open courts and signature colors |last=Newcomb |first=Tim |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=August 21, 2015 |access-date=March 2, 2018|quote="...layered...cushioned..."}}</ref>
The US Open and the Australian Open currently use hard courts, and it is the predominant surface type used on the professional tour.<ref name=Chron>{{cite web |url=http://livehealthy.chron.com/comparison-tennis-court-surfaces-4144.html |title=Comparison of Tennis Court Surfaces |last=Reason |first=Leigh |website=Houston Chronicle |publisher=Hearst Newspapers, LLC |date=April 30, 2005 |access-date=March 2, 2018|quote="...Majors on Hardcourt..."}}</ref><ref name=OTI>{{cite web |url=http://www.onlinetennisinstruction.com/tenniscourtsurface.html |title=Tennis Court Surface: Pros And Cons Of The Different Surfaces |website=OnlineTennisInstruction.com |publisher=Florian Meier & Partner GbR |access-date=March 2, 2018 |quote="...In the United States Tennis is played primarily on hard courts...." |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315161621/http://www.onlinetennisinstruction.com/tenniscourtsurface.html |archive-date=March 15, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Maintenance=== There are numerous hard court maintenance methods which are commonly used to keep these facilities in top condition. Some of these include brushing, pressure washing with a cleaning solution and applying chemical treatments to prevent the growth of moss and algae. Anti-slip paint is also applied to hard courts to give better playing qualities which enhance player safety and performance.<ref name=10s>{{cite web |url=http://www.10-s.com/Your-New-Court/Choosing-a-Tennis-Surface |title=Choosing a Tennis Surface |website=10-s.com |publisher=10-S Tennis Supply |access-date=March 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508132942/http://www.10-s.com/Your-New-Court/Choosing-a-Tennis-Surface |archive-date=May 8, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Prominent brands== Some prominent brands of hard court surfaces used at professional tournaments include: *DecoTurf<ref name=decoturf>{{cite web |url=http://www.decoturf.com/tennis/surface-options/ |title=Tennis Surface Options |website=DecoTurf.com |publisher=DecoTurf |access-date=March 2, 2018}}</ref> *GreenSet<ref name=GreenSet>{{cite web |url=https://www.greenset.net/ |title=GreenSet Tennis |website=greenset.net |publisher=GreenSet |access-date=March 2, 2018}}</ref> *Laykold<ref name=Laykold>{{cite web |url=http://sportsbyapt.com/laykold-tennis-courts/ |title=Laykold Tennis Courts |date=February 6, 2014 |publisher=Advanced Ploymer Technology |access-date=March 2, 2018 |archive-date=May 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508132933/https://sportsbyapt.com/laykold-tennis-courts/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> *Plexicushion<ref name=plexipave>{{cite web |url=https://plexipave.com/tennis |title=Plexipave and Plexicushion Tennis Court Surfaces |website=plexipace.com |publisher=Plexipave Tennis Surface Systems |access-date=March 2, 2018}}</ref> *Rebound Ace<ref name=Rebound>{{cite web |url=http://reboundace.com.au/synpave/ |title=SynPave |website=reboundace.com|publisher=ReboundAce Sports |access-date=March 2, 2018}}</ref><ref name=TheAge>{{cite web |url=https://www.theage.com.au/news/tennis/open-drops-rebound-ace-for-new-surface/2007/05/30/1180205342716.html |title=Open drops Rebound Ace for new surface |last=Pearce |first=Linda |date=May 31, 2007 |website=The Age |access-date=March 2, 2018}}</ref> *SportMaster Sport Surfaces<ref name=SportMaster>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportmaster.net/tennis-court-surfaces/ |title=SportMaster tennis court surfaces |website=sportmaster.net |publisher=SportMaster Sport Surfaces |date=April 30, 2005 |access-date=March 2, 2018}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Tennis}} *Clay court *Carpet court *Grass court *Wood court *Hardcourt Bike Polo
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.head.com/us-US/news/tennis/headline-magazine/story/the-future-issue/deconstructing-the-hard-court/ Deconstructing the hard court] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508135945/https://www.head.com/us-US/news/tennis/headline-magazine/story/the-future-issue/deconstructing-the-hard-court/ |date=2019-05-08 }}; Head.com, Simon Cambers, August 29, 2017. * [https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1291289-greatest-hard-court-players-in-the-history-of-tennis Greatest Hard Court Players in the History of Tennis], JA Allen, August 10, 2012. * [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tennis-usopen-nadal-court/tennis-hard-courts-are-hardest-on-the-body-nadal-idUSKCN1BF2HO Tennis: Hard courts are hardest on the body – Nadal]; Reuters, Rory Carroll, September 4, 2017. * [https://www.insidescience.org/news/sliding-tennis-hard-courts-inspires-awe-poses-risks Sliding On Tennis' Hard Courts Inspires Awe, Poses Risks]; Inside Science, Chris Gorski, August 27, 2013. * [https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/fedex-zone-2017-hard-court-records FedEx Performance Zone: 2017 Hard-Court Records]; ATP World Tour, ATP Staff, August 23, 2017. * [http://www.wtatennis.com/news/wta-insider-hard-court-power-rankings-angelique-kerber-simona-halep-karolina-pliskova-venus-williams Concrete Jungle: WTA Insider Hard Court Power Rankings]; WTA Tennis, Courtney Nguyen, July 27, 2017.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hard court}} Category:Tennis court surfaces *