How the Tennis Court Surface Affects Players Performance and Injuries

There are four major Grand Slam tennis events played each year, all played on different surfaces. Wimbledon is played on grass, the French Open on clay, the US Open on DecoTurf and the Australian Open on Rebound Ace. The court surfaces used in other ATP and WTA tour events played throughout the year reflect the surfaces used in Grand Slam events. Until the early 1970s, many tennis tournaments were played on grass, including three out of the four Grand Slams. By 2006 there were only six ATP and four WTA tournaments played on grass, compared to 30 ATP and 37 WTA tournaments played on hard court, and 25 ATP and 15 WTA tournaments played on clay. The relatively small number of grass court tournaments now played on the tour raises the question as to whether this is fair on players who play their best tennis on grass courts. It also raises the question as to whether the higher percentage of matches played on hard courts and clay courts has contributed to player injuries