How is a clay tennis court made?

First of all, there are different types of clay courts.
Depending on their nature and composition, they offer slightly different playing sensations.
The choice between these surfaces depends mainly on the climate, the level of maintenance required and the style of play desired.

Whether natural or synthetic, each type of court retains the very essence of this legendary surface: encouraging long rallies, sliding and tactics.

Clay is a living surface: it constantly interacts with humidity, temperature and the local atmosphere.
To preserve its unique qualities, the construction of a court follows several essential stages and is adjusted according to the environment.

Each facility is unique: it must adapt to the climatic conditions of the region where it is installed.
Whether under a Mediterranean sun or in a more humid climate, the composition of the layers may vary slightly to ensure constant bounce, good stability and optimum playing comfort.

For example, the traditional structure used at Roland-Garros will be different from that at the Mouratoglou Academy, but in both cases the aim is the same: to provide a demanding and uniform playing sensation.

At the Mouratoglou Academy, the natural clay courts are specifically adapted to the french riviera climate:

• Resistance to summer heat,
• Optimal management of winter rainfall,
• Protection against the wind.

These adjustments guarantee players a constant bounce, natural glide and ideal playing conditions all year round.

The Mouratoglou Academy has 33 tennis courts, several of which are specifically dedicated to clay, divided into three complementary categories:

• 7 outdoor natural clay courts
• 8 semi-covered natural clay courts
• 6 synthetic clay surfaces.

Each court is built with a mixture of compacted pebbles covered with a thin layer of granite soil, guaranteeing year-round play, whatever the weather conditions.

This high quality construction attracts many professional players every year, who come to prepare for their clay-court season in optimum conditions.

Not all clay installations are created equal. A well-designed floor :

• Provides perfect uniformity of bounce
• Allows controlled sliding without loss of balance
• Maintains optimum stability even after several hours’ play.

Conversely, poor construction or irregular maintenance can make the surface impracticable, with random bounces and rapid wear.

The difference between a traditional clay court and a synthetic clay court lies in the structure: the synthetic one rests on a carpet covered with compacted earth, making it faster and less sensitive to bad weather.

Clay is a school of patience, tactics and endurance.

At the Mouratoglou Academy, everything is designed to help players progress:

• Top-of-the-range natural courts, perfectly maintained
• Year-round practice, even in sub-zero temperatures
• Tennis courses, Tennis & school programme and personalised training supervised by expert coaches trained in the Mouratoglou methodology
• Comprehensive facilities: sports medicine centre, fitness room, top-of-the-range accommodation.

It is this demand for quality that attracts so many players from the ATP and WTA circuits every year, who come to prepare for their season in professional conditions.