clay court

American

noun

an outdoor tennis court having a clay surface.

clay court British

noun

a tennis court with a playing surface topped by a layer of crushed shale, brick, or stone

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of clay court

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

clay court

On the grass, your second serve can give you some protection because the surface adds a bit more pace and keeps the ball shooting through compared to a hard or clay court.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

Draper retired from his one and only clay court match of the season in Barcelona earlier this month because of the tendon issue in his right knee.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

He felt discomfort in his arm during the clay court season in the spring.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2025

The 2021 US Open champion has spoken about using the European clay court season, which culminates with the upcoming French Open, to finetune her game with the help of coach Mark Petchey.

From BBC ● May 9, 2025

She showed him how to play tennis on a clay court.

From "Orbiting Jupiter" by Gary D. Schmidt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023