The best paint for a tennis or sports court is a UV-stable, hard-wearing acrylic court coating like Rhino Court, applied over a sound, primed concrete surface. It gives the grip, colour and weather resistance a playing surface needs, and it suits tennis, netball, basketball, pickleball and multi-use courts. This guide covers which coating to use, how to prime and paint a court, drying times, and how many coats it takes.
What kind of paint is used on tennis courts?
Tennis courts use an acrylic sport-court coating, not ordinary floor or wall paint, because it must grip underfoot, hold its colour in the sun and take constant play. Rhino Court is an acrylic court paint made for exactly this: a textured, non-slip, non-glare, UV-stable finish that stands up to sliding shoes, ball marks and South African sun. The same coating works for netball, basketball, pickleball and multi-use courts, with the game lines marked on top in a contrasting colour.
What is the best coating for a tennis court?
The best coating is a purpose-made acrylic court system: a court paint that combines grip, UV stability and durability over a prepared, primed concrete base. A good court coating balances two things — enough texture for safe footing, and a tough film that resists wear and fading. Rhino Court is formulated for that balance and for local conditions. On a court whose surface is cracked or worn, repair and resurface it first (see resurfacing below) so the new coating goes onto a sound base.
Which sports can Rhino Court be used for?
Rhino Court suits any hard concrete sport or activity surface. The common uses are:
- Tennis courts — full-colour playing surface with marked lines.
- Netball and basketball courts — hard-wearing colour coat with game lines.
- Pickleball and multi-use courts — one surface marked for several games.
- Ramps, stairs and walkways — a non-slip coating where footing matters.
- Poolside and patios — a UV-stable, non-slip surround.
How do you paint a tennis court?
Paint a court by preparing the concrete, priming it, applying two coats of court paint, then marking the lines. The steps are: clean the surface and let it dry; repair cracks and resurface a worn court where needed; prime the court — a new court takes 1 coat of Alkaline Plaster Primer, a previously painted court takes Bond & Key or Clear Bonding Liquid, each left 24 hours; then apply Rhino Court from the furthest corner in straight, wet-on-wet strips overlapping about 200 millimetres (mm); and finally mark the game lines in a contrasting colour. Work in dry, mild weather and keep the surface clear until the coating has cured.
How long does tennis court paint take to dry?
Acrylic court paint is touch-dry in a few hours, but a court should be left about 1 week to cure completely before play. Apply it with a surface temperature between about 15 and 40 degrees Celsius (°C), at least 3 °C above the dew point, and relative humidity no higher than 85%. Cool or damp weather lengthens every stage. Plan a court job for a dry spell so each coat cures cleanly and the lines can be marked on a firm surface, and keep play off until the full cure is reached.
How many coats does a court need?
A court needs two coats of Rhino Court for an even, durable playing surface, plus the line-marking coat on top. Two coats give consistent colour and a tough film over the primed base; a worn or porous court is repaired and resurfaced first. Keep the coats even and work wet-on-wet so the texture and colour read the same across the whole court. Mark the lines only once the colour coats have dried.
What colours do sport courts come in?
Sport courts are usually finished in the classic court colours — court green, terracotta or blue for the playing area, with white for the lines. Rhino Court comes in a Standard and Signature range including blues, reds, greens, greys and white, so a two-tone scheme with one colour inside the lines and another outside is easy to build. A darker surround and a lighter in-play colour is the common look, or match the scheme to a club or school identity.
How do you mark the court lines?
Mark court lines with taut string and a 50 mm brush, keeping the lines thin. Hold two lines of thick string taut at the correct spacing, paint white between them, and lift the strings off cleanly after each line. Do not lay the lines on thick — a heavy line cracks. Marking on top of the cured colour coats, in a contrasting white, keeps the court clear to read and true to the playing dimensions.
How do you maintain a sports court?
Keep a court in good order by washing it regularly, clearing leaves and debris, and recoating before the surface wears through. Dirt, algae and standing water make a court slippery and shorten the coating's life, so sweep and wash it down through the season. Check the busy zones — baselines, service areas and the net line — for wear and fading, and plan a refresh coat before the colour thins to the concrete. A maintained court holds its grip and colour far longer and pushes the next full resurfacing further out.
Resurfacing a worn court first
An old or cracked court needs repair and resurfacing before it is repainted, so the new coating goes onto a sound, level base. Cracks are repaired with Duromastic mixed with plaster sand or stone dust, and the surface is resurfaced with a squeegeed Duromastic-and-plaster-sand mix, before priming and coating with Rhino Court. Painting a fresh colour over a failing surface only hides the problem for a season. The full step-by-step is in the guide to tennis court resurfacing.
Where to buy
Shop Rhino Court, Duromastic and the court primers with national delivery, or visit our paint shops in Table View, Cape Town and Edenvale, Johannesburg. For trade pricing on court projects, call +27 84 985 6141. See also the road marking paint guide.
