When you’re standing on a freshly surfaced tennis court, what you don’t see is just as important as what you do.

Beneath the acrylic coating lies the pavement system: the foundation that determines how the court performs, how long it lasts, and how much maintenance it’ll need.

In the world of tennis court design, there are two main types of pavement systems: rigid and flexible.

Each has its advantages, and choosing between them depends on your site conditions, usage, and performance expectations.

Understanding the Two Systems

Rigid Pavements

Rigid pavements are typically made from concrete slabs. As the name suggests, they’re stiff and distribute loads over a wide area. They don’t deform easily under traffic or temperature changes, which means they’re ideal for maintaining a consistently level and firm playing surface.

Concrete courts are often chosen for high-end facilities or where precision and long-term stability are key, like competition venues, schools with heavy use, or public precincts where resurfacing access is limited.

Flexible Pavements

Flexible pavements, on the other hand, are built from compacted layers of crushed rock topped with asphalt. They rely on the combined strength of each layer to flex slightly under load, rather than resisting it like concrete does.

Asphalt courts are typically softer underfoot and faster to construct, making them a popular choice for clubs, schools, and community facilities that want good performance at a lower initial cost.

Key Differences

How Pavement Type Impacts Performance

A rigid concrete base provides excellent long-term flatness and resists deformation, which is ideal for high-speed play and consistent ball bounce. However, the hardness of the surface can increase impact stress on players’ joints, so it’s often paired with acrylic cushioning systems to improve comfort.

Flexible asphalt bases offer a slightly softer feel and are easier to repair or resurface. Over time, though, they can become uneven as the subgrade moves, and they’re more susceptible to thermal softening or cracking under repeated play or heavy loads.

The choice between rigid and flexible pavements ultimately comes down to performance priorities, site conditions, and lifecycle costs.

Design Considerations

At SPORTENG, we look at the bigger picture before recommending a pavement type.
Factors we assess include:

• Subgrade conditions: Is the soil reactive, expansive, or prone to movement?
• Drainage: Can water move away freely to prevent subgrade softening or slab heave?
• Climate: Will heat expansion, frost, or rainfall affect long-term performance?
• Usage: How often will the court be used, and by whom?
• Budget and maintenance capacity: Is the client looking for a one-off investment or an easy-to-maintain surface?

This engineering-led approach ensures that the chosen pavement type fits both the site and the sporting goals.

Bringing It All Together

There’s no “one-size-fits-all” answer in tennis court design. Both rigid and flexible pavements can deliver outstanding results when designed and constructed correctly. What matters most is matching the pavement system to the site conditions and user needs, balancing playability, durability, and lifecycle value. That’s exactly what we do at SPORTENG: design courts from the ground up for performance, sustainability, and longevity.

Want to Go Deeper?

If you’re planning a new tennis facility or resurfacing existing courts, our Tennis Surface Playbook breaks down everything you need to know, from subgrade preparation to surfacing systems and maintenance.

👉 Download the Tennis Surface Playbook here and start building courts that perform from the ground up.