Top five slowest courts in tennis calendar

Two South American courts are on the list.

Tennis is often associated with speed; however, it is not always the same. Hard and grass surfaces are the fastest because of their nature. Grass courts are considered slower than hard courts due to their lower bounce. The courts in North Rhine-Westphalia are faster than many of the hard courts on the tour.

However, Turin, where the ATP finals are played, is statistically the fastest surface for men’s tennis. Unlike the two above-mentioned surfaces, clay courts offer only limited speed. While grass surfaces are havens for all-court skills, clay often rewards tennis stars for strength.

On that note, let’s take a look at the top five slowest courts in the tennis calendar.

5. Estoril

The clay court at the Estoril Open is relatively slower than the likes of Stade Roland Garros and the Madrid Open. A major factor that affects the pace is altitude (85), which is lower in the case of Estoril. Only 66.4 per cent of first-serve points are won on the surface, and one tiebreaker is played in an average of eight sets. Madrid, Gstaad, and Geneva are the fastest clay courts.

Also Read: Top five fastest courts in tennis calendar

4. Barcelona Open

Unlike the Madrid Open, Barcelona is a quite slow surface. A total of 70.5 percent of the serves are held at the ATP 500 event, and it has an altitude of 89.

The Barcelona Open is played at the Real Club de Tenis, and it usually takes place in the second or third week of April. Additionally, 68.5 percent of first-serve points are won in the ATP 500 event, with 0.24 aces scored every game.

3. Umag

Umag has been a foreground for multiple stars who later conquered the tennis world. In 2022, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner faced off in the final, where the Italian player emerged victorious.

On the clay at Umag, 67 per cent of first-serve points are won with 0.8 tiebreaks every set and 0.24 aces scored in every game. Umag, also known as the Croatia Open, is played at the ITC Stella Maris after Roland Garros.

2. Rio de Janeiro

One of the two 500 events on the list, the clay surface in Rio de Janeiro is also quite slow. With 65.7 per cent of points won on the first serve, 71.3 per cent of serves are held at the Hipódromo da Gávea statistically. Only one European tennis player has won the Rio Open title in the last three editions: Cameron Norrie.

Also Read: Top five longest Grand Slam finals in tennis history

1. Buenos Aires

In another South American tournament on the list, only 0.24 aces are scored in a game in the Argentine capital. All statistics are primarily based on factors affecting athlete performance and surface geography.

A total of 71.4 percent of serves are held in Buenos Aires, which is significantly lower than the ATP Finals (87.8 percent).

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram