How Tall Is a Tennis Net? Official Height and Dimensions

Grab a tape measure and check a net at your local club and you’ll probably find it’s off by a centimeter or two. Umpires check this before every professional match for a reason: a few centimeters at the center changes how many balls clear the net on a flat, hard-hit crosscourt shot. The ITF sets the number at 91.4 cm at the center and 107 cm at the posts, and club nets drift out of tolerance more often than most players realize.

Official Tennis Net Dimensions

Measurement	Height
Net height at centre	91.4 cm (3 ft / 0.914 m)
Net height at posts	107 cm (3 ft 6 in / 1.07 m)
Net posts position	0.914 m outside the singles sideline
Net width (singles court)	10.06 m (33 ft)
Net width (doubles court)	12.8 m (42 ft)

Why the Net Is Lower in the Middle

The dip at the center isn’t a manufacturing quirk. A ball hit down the middle of the court travels a shorter distance to the net than one hit crosscourt at a sharp angle, so the lower height there compensates by giving that shot a bit more room to clear. Go for a tight crosscourt angle instead, and the ball has to pass over a section of net that’s 15.6 cm higher. That gap between center and post height quietly shapes where players aim their serves and how they choose passing shots.

The Centre Strap

A white strap runs from the net’s midpoint down to the court surface, and it’s what holds the center at exactly 91.4 cm. Without it, the cable running through the top of the net would sag well below the required height under its own weight. ITF rules require the strap to be white and no wider than 5 cm.

Singles Sticks

Clubs that only own doubles posts still need a way to raise the net for singles matches. The fix is a pair of “singles sticks,” placed 0.914 m outside each singles sideline, which prop the net up to the full 107 cm at that point. Most tournament venues now install separate singles posts instead, but singles sticks remain the ITF-approved workaround wherever only doubles posts exist.

Net Construction Requirements

Component	Specification
Mesh opening	Small enough that a ball cannot pass through
Top band	White tape, 5–6.35 cm (2–2.5 in) wide
Centre strap	White, maximum 5 cm (2 in) wide
Net cable / cord	Maximum 0.8 cm (1/3 in) diameter

Does Net Height Affect Strategy?

It does. With the center sitting 15.6 cm lower than the posts, shots through the middle carry a built-in safety margin that angled shots don’t get. That’s part of why coaches teach players to:

• Favor the middle of the box on a first serve when the placement is in doubt
• Aim passing shots at the lowest point of the net rather than the corners
• Treat volleys hit near the posts as some of the toughest to execute cleanly, since the ball has to clear more net there

None of this is abstract for anyone who’s played at a net level that’s even slightly off. A sagging center strap or a stretched net cable changes these calculations in ways players feel before they can explain why.