How many padel courts fit on a tennis court?
On a tennis court, 61 × 120 ft (18.5 × 36.5 m), 1 padel court fits with the minimum rules, also with a competition layout.
Open in the plannerWhy 1 court
The site: one tennis court with its run-off, about 60 × 120 ft, 61 × 120 ft (18.5 × 36.5 m), 7,266 sq ft (675 m²) in all. A padel court is 20 × 10 m (about 66 × 33 ft), but it cannot go just anywhere:
- Orientation: outdoors, the long axis of each court runs north–south, as the FIP recommends, so that low sun is not in the players' eyes.
- Access zone: 26.2 ft × 6.6 ft (8 × 2 m) kept clear at the side opening, centered on the net.
- Between courts: 1.6 ft (0.5 m) side by side where there is no opening, and 3.3 ft (1 m) between ends and to the walls, to assemble and maintain the structure.
- Walkway to the exit: 3.9 ft (1.2 m) clear from every court to the entrance.
These are the portal's minimum rules. The USPA does not publish spacing between courts: it points builders to FIP-standard manufacturers and to a paid installation manual (USPA). If you want out-of-court play, the 2026 FIP rules ask for a clear area at least 9.8 ft (3 m) wide beside each opening, more than either preset reserves: see padel court dimensions.
“Three padel courts fit on a tennis court”: they do not
It is the figure that does the rounds, and it comes from dividing square feet. With the access zone, the clearances and the walkway to the gate, only one court fits inside a tennis court's footprint with its run-off. Conversions that get two widen the site: at 77 ft (23.5 m) wide instead of 61 ft (18.5 m), 2 courts fit north–south.
Converting a tennis court to padel
The existing slab is rarely the whole answer: a padel court needs a suitable foundation for the glass and the frame, and drainage. A USPA-endorsed manufacturer says the total depends on the site, the foundation (often an engineered concrete slab), drainage, electrical work, lighting, shipping and installation (Sportsfield Specialties, How Much Does a Padel Court Cost?, August 3, 2026). Ask each builder whether your slab can be reused. Permits are in padel court permits.
| Layout | Courts | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum rules | 1 | Access zone on one side, 1.6 ft between courts side by side |
| Competition | 1 | 6.6 ft (2 m) clear all round and an exit on both sides |
Flat, open surface with one entrance in the middle of a long side. Fencing, bleachers, access and levels change the result: enter them in the planner and see it at once. Costs in padel court cost; a canopy over the courts is one more structure to clear with the city, see padel court permits.
Other surfaces: Widened tennis court · Two tennis courts · Futsal court · Soccer field
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