Clay court

A clay court is one of the four different types of tennis court. Clay courts are made of crushed shale, stone or brick. The red clay is slower than the green, or Har-Tru "American" clay. The French Open uses clay courts, making it unique among the Grand Slam tournaments.

Although more traditional and cheaper to construct than other types of tennis courts, maintenance costs of clay courts are higher than those of hard courts. Clay courts need to be rolled to preserve flatness. The clay's water content must be balanced; green courts generally require the courts to be sloped to allow water run-off.[1]

Clay courts are more common in Europe and South America than in North America. In the United States, courts made of green clay, also known as "rubico", are often called "clay," but are not made of the same clay used in most European and South American countries.

Play

Clay courts favour the "full western grip" for more topspin. Clay courters generally play in a semi circle about 5 to 10 feet behind the baseline.

Clay courts are considered "slow", because the balls bounce relatively high and more slowly, making it more difficult for a player to hit an unreturnable shot. Points are usually longer as there are fewer winners. Therefore, clay courts heavily favour baseliners who are consistent and are generally more defensive.

Clay court players use drop shots to throw off their opponents. Movement on Gravel courts is very different from movement on any other surface. Playing on clay often involves the ability to slide into the ball during the stroke, as opposed to running and stopping like on a hard or grass court. This often causes problems for players who are not used to this type of movement.

Players who excel on clay courts but struggle to replicate the same form on fast courts are known as clay-court specialists.

Clay courts are unique in that the ball bounce leaves an impression in the ground, which can help determine whether a shot was in or out.

Types of clay

There are two different types of clay:

Red clay

Almost all red "clay" courts are made not of natural clay but of crushed brick that is packed to make the court. The crushed brick is then covered with a topping of other crushed particles. This type of surface does not absorb water easily and is the most common in Europe and South America. True natural clay courts are rare because they take two to three days to dry.

Green clay

Green clay, Har-Tru or "American" clay, is similar to red clay, the differences being that it is slightly harder and faster. Green clay is packed to make the subsurface. It is then covered with a topping. These clay courts are found primarily in the Eastern and Southern parts of the United States, but are also located in all 50 states. In parts of the gulf coast region of the Southeast, green clay courts are often referred to as "rubico." There are two major (ATP/WTA) tournaments played on green Har-Tru clay courts; the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, SC, and The Bausch and Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, FL.

Players

The most successful female player recently was Justine Henin, a four-time French Open singles champion. Her variety in the shots, speed, footwork and her slices were her biggest weapons. The most successful current male player is Rafael Nadal, winner of the last four French Open men's singles titles -- in fact he has never lost a match at that tournament -- and current holder of the longest winning streak by any male player on a single surface: 81 clay court wins between April 2005 and May 2007.

Chris Evert holds the record for longest winning streak on clay for either gender: from August 1973 to May 12, 1979, she won 125 consecutive clay court matches.