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Tennis

The History and Demise of Carpet Tennis Courts

2024-11-29

Tennis has a rich history with various surfaces over the years. Up until 2018, in addition to the well-known hard, clay, and grass courts, there was a fourth surface - carpet. Fans were accustomed to seeing ATP and WTA stars compete on the more common surfaces, but carpet courts were a bit of a rarity.

The ATP and WTA Finals on Carpet

The now-defunct carpet surface was a staple on the tour in the past. For much of the late 1900s, the ATP and WTA Finals took place on carpet, adding an exciting element to the season. It was described as a 'textile or polymeric material supplied in rolls or sheets of finished product' and was one of the fastest courts on the calendar.

The End of Carpet on the ATP Tour

The use of carpet courts on the ATP Tour came to an end in 2008. Robin Soderling's win in Lyon marked the final time the men played on this surface. ATP spokesperson Kris Dent stated that the main reason for the change was to standardize indoor competitions to hard courts, reducing the risk of injury.

The Last Women's Carpet Court Tournament

The women's game saw carpet court tournaments for another decade. In 2018, the 2018 Coupe Banque Nationale was set to be the final ever tournament played on a carpet court. It featured big names like Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, and Ons Jabeur. Pauline Parmentier emerged as the winner, adding her name to the list of carpet court champions.Parmentier's career was marked by two distinct halves. She won her first WTA title in Uzbekistan in 2007 and another in Austria the following year. Then came a decade-long wait until she won her third title in Istanbul in 2018, which was also the final ever carpet court tournament. Her career highlight came at the 2019 Federation Cup where she was a member of the French team that won the nation's third title.

Wood Courts: The Predecessor

Wood courts were the predecessor to carpet courts and were in use until the early 1970s. Tournaments like the Scandinavian Indoor Championships, the British Covered Court Championships, and the London Professional Championships were held on wood courts. Australian legend Rod Laver had a lot of success on wood courts, winning 18 titles.Most successful wood court tennis players include Jean Borotra with 23 titles, Ken Rosewall with 20, Rod Laver with 18, Bill Tiden with 15, George Caridia with 9, Laurence Doherty with 8, Ernest Wool Lewis with 7, Anthony Wilding with 7, Andre Gobert with 5, and Jaroslav Drobny with 4.It seems highly unlikely that we will see a return to either wood or carpet courts, but the champions of the past have left their mark in the history books. For now, we focus on the upcoming 2025 tennis season with grass, clay, and hard court action.