A padel court is one of the most distinctive arenas in sport — enclosed in glass and metal, smaller than a tennis court, and designed to make wall play not just possible but central to every rally. Here are the exact dimensions and why each one matters.
Overall Court Size
Length: 20 metres
Width: 10 metres
Total area: 200 square metres
For comparison, a doubles tennis court is 23.77m × 10.97m — padel's court is roughly 25% shorter and slightly narrower. The smaller footprint means points are faster, rallies are more reactive, and net play happens constantly rather than occasionally.
The Net
Net height at centre: 88cm (0.88m)
Net height at sides/posts: 92cm (0.92m)
This is the same net height as tennis at the sides, and marginally lower at centre than tennis (which is 91.4cm at the middle). The slight dip at centre is deliberate — it creates a natural preference for cross-court serves and returns, which shapes the tactical geometry of the game.
The Walls
This is what makes a padel court immediately recognisable:
- Back walls: 4m high, made from tempered glass (at least 10mm thick). The glass allows spectators to see through from behind, and its hardness gives a consistent, predictable bounce.
- Side walls (rear section): 3m high at the back, stepping down to meet the open wire fencing at the mid-court transition. Also glass in many courts, wire mesh in others.
- Side wire fencing (mid-court): Open wire mesh from approximately the service line forward, rising 3m. Players can reach through this fencing to play the ball — one of padel's unique legal shots.
The Service Box
Service box length: 6.95m from the net
Service box width: Each box is 5m wide (half the court width)
The centre service line runs from the net to the 6.95m mark, dividing the court into left and right service boxes. As in tennis, the serve must land diagonally in the opposite service box.
The Service Line
Located 6.95m from the net (identical distance to tennis). The server stands behind this line to serve.
Court Surfaces
Padel courts are most commonly built with:
- Artificial grass: The most common surface globally and in India. Provides consistent, medium-paced bounce. Easier on joints than hard courts.
- Concrete or resin: Faster surface, found in some older courts. Higher bounce, faster pace.
- Poured rubber: Used in some indoor courts. Consistent and durable.
Why the Size Matters for Your Game
The 20m × 10m dimensions create a court that's large enough to have meaningful groundstroke exchanges but small enough that the net is never far away. This is why padel is fundamentally a net-dominant game — the court geometry rewards players who move forward, cut off angles at the net, and use wall play to create space rather than relying on baseline power alone.