There are several types of racket sports. But two of them are quite popular among the masses.

Which sports? – Badminton and tennis.

These sports headline a lot of popularity, thanks to their engaging and exciting style of play. Interestingly, both sports are pretty similar, though they do have some different characteristics.

In this article, we’ll look at the similarities and differences between badminton and tennis.

Equipment

The most important thing in badminton and tennis is the equipment used by players. Since both are racket sports, a racket is common equipment.

But the badminton racket is way too different from the tennis racket. The badminton racket is more lightweight than the tennis one, with shape and size also slightly different.

However, the rackets are used to hit an object in both sports, with badminton having a shuttlecock while tennis has a ball. Players hit the shuttlecock and the tennis ball over a net placed in the middle of the court.

Court

Badminton and tennis are both played on rectangular courts with almost similar markings. But the dimensions of the playing area differ a lot.

While the badminton court measures 13.40 meters in length and 5.18 meters in width for a singles match, the tennis court is 23.77 meters in length and 8.23 meters in width.

For the doubles match, the length remains the same, but the width increases to 6.1 meters and 10.97 meters, respectively.

Apart from the dimensions, badminton and tennis have different types of surfaces. Most major badminton tournaments take place on synthetic courts, while tennis’ Grand Slams have clay, grass, and hard courts.

Gameplay

The gameplay of badminton and tennis is more or less the same. The main aim is to hit the shuttlecock or tennis ball in the opponent’s half and earn points after the opponent fails to return the rally.

Scoring System

The scoring systems in badminton and tennis are much different. A badminton game or set runs for a minimum of 21 points and a maximum of 30 points. In tennis, a player wins a game after winning four rallies, though one needs to maintain a two-point difference, which is also similar in badminton.

All badminton tournaments decide winners on the best of the three sets in a match. The major tennis matches, though, have the best of five sets for men’s and the best of three sets for women’s players.

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