Hard Court

A hard court is a court surface built on a rigid base of concrete or asphalt and finished with layers of acrylic paint, often with sand or rubber mixed in to control speed and grip. It delivers a bounce that is truer and more predictable than clay or grass, at a medium-to-fast pace that can be tuned by the coating — more sand slows the court, less speeds it up. Two of tennis's Grand Slams, the Australian and US Opens, are played on hard courts.

Hard courts are also standard for outdoor basketball and many multi-sport spaces because they are relatively low-maintenance, all-weather and long-lasting. The trade-off is that the unyielding base transmits more impact to players than clay or grass, which is one reason cushioned acrylic systems with a rubberised underlayer are widely used.