The court shall be divided across the middle by a net suspended by a cord or metal cable which shall pass over or be attached to two net posts at a height of 3 1⁄2 feet (1.07m).
USTA Friend at Court, Section 1, The Court
I am one of those players that carries a tape measure in my bag. Actually, the tape measure is attached to the exterior of my bag for quick access just in case there is any question as to whether the center of the net is at the proper height. A player with relatively flat shots and generally low net clearance is sensitive about such things.
I was somewhat astonished to learn that there is a standard height of 42 inches for the net post. I think that I would have guessed lower. The tape measure that I carry on my bag is *exactly* 36 inches. It would never have occurred to me to measure the net post for compliance with the rules. I am pretty sure that I have seen some courts with some deviations of the post height in both directions.
I searched through the Friend at Court to determine if there is any requirement or restriction on the color of the net post and found none. It is interesting that the post is almost universally a dark green and occasionally wood grain in color.
Now that everyone is sensitized, we will probably all start noticing posts that deviate from compliance with the rules all over the place. My work here is complete.
- United States Tennis Association (2019) Friend at Court. White Plains, NY
