Platform Tennis

American winter tennis on a heated raised platform surrounded by chicken-wire screens — you can play the ball off the fence.

👥2 per team🌤outdoor

What is Platform Tennis?

Platform tennis is an outdoor winter racket sport born in Scarsdale, New York in 1928. Doubles teams play on a small heated raised platform surrounded by taut chicken-wire screens that are legally in play after a bounce — like a live third wall. It uses a solid paddle and a sponge-rubber ball. The APTA National Championships is the sport's flagship event.

Quick facts

Category

Racket & Paddle Sports

Type

Individual

Players

2 per team

Where played

outdoor

Country of origin

🇺🇸 United States

Estimated origin

1928, Scarsdale, New York (Fessenden Blanchard & James Cogswell)

Olympic

No

Popularity

regional

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.verified