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

The defeat was Sinner's first since February and his first on a clay court this season.

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

He had won 17 matches between 7 April and 17 May to claim clay court titles in Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome, dropping just three sets along the way.

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

Raducanu missed March's Miami Open because of a viral illness and opted out of clay court events in Linz and Madrid to recover fully.

From BBC ● May 1, 2026

There are also two tournaments - in Strasbourg and Rabat - the week before the French Open, which rounds off the clay court swing.

From BBC ● Apr. 19, 2026

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