Tennis vs pickleball
By the Finding Tennis team · Updated 30 October 2026
Tennis is played on a court about twice as long as a pickleball court, with a strung racquet and a pressurised ball. Pickleball uses a solid paddle, a plastic ball with holes, an underhand serve, a no-volley "kitchen" near the net and games to 11.
| Tennis | Pickleball | |
|---|---|---|
| Court | 23.77 x 10.97 m doubles (78 x 36 ft) | 13.41 x 6.10 m (44 x 20 ft) |
| Equipment | Strung racquet, pressurised ball | Solid paddle, plastic ball with holes |
| Serve | Usually overhead | Underhand, diagonal, must clear the kitchen |
| Special rules | None near the net | No volleying in the 7 ft non-volley zone, two-bounce rule |
| Scoring | 15, 30, 40, sets | Games to 11, win by 2 |
Plenty of tennis players play both. Our sister site Finding Pickle lists pickleball clubs and courts across Australia.
Sources
ITF, 2026 Rules of Tennis; USA Pickleball, 2026 Official Rulebook.
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