Tennis court lighting is meticulously designed to meet both competitive and recreational requirements, ensuring optimal visibility for players, officials, and spectators while adhering to international standards. Below is a comprehensive overview of key considerations:

1. Illuminance Levels
Competitive Matches: Horizontal illuminance for professional tournaments (e.g., ITF or ATP events) shall maintain a minimum of 750 lux on the court surface, with vertical illuminance of 500 lux to ensure ball trajectory visibility.
Training & Recreational Use: Lower levels of 300–500 lux are acceptable, depending on facility classification.

Illuminance Standard Values

2. Uniformity Requirements
– Uniformity ratios (U₁₀ = E_min/E_avg) should not exceed 0.7 for horizontal illuminance and  0.5 for vertical illuminance to eliminate shadows and ensure consistent light distribution.

3. Glare Control
– Luminaires must be positioned to minimize direct and reflected glare. A Unified Glare Rating (UGR) of <20 is mandated for player and spectator comfort.
– Anti-glare baffles and precise beam angles (typically 25°–45°) are employed to prevent light spillage.

4. Color Quality
– Correlated Color Temperature (CCT): 4000–5700Kfor natural daylight-like illumination.
– Color Rendering Index (CRI): ≥80 to ensure accurate color perception, critical for television broadcasts.

5. Energy Efficiency & Compliance
– LED lighting systems are preferred for their high efficacy (≥120 lm/W) and compliance with standards such as EN 12193:2018 and ITF Court Lighting Guidelines.
– Smart controls (e.g., dimming for non-match hours) reduce energy consumption by up to 40%.

6. Infrastructure Design

– Pole height:8–12 meters for outdoor courts, positioned outside the court boundaries to avoid interference.
– Reflectance ratios of court surfaces (e.g., acrylic, grass) should exceed 0.5to enhance light utilization.