The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix was staged for the first time on clay in 2009. It marked the start of a new era for the long-standing tournament in Stuttgart. A world class indoor tournament played clay was a first in tennis history. And the premiere in the Porsche Arena, which sparked enormous interest all over the globe, was a big success. Women’s tennis had an added attraction.

The biggest challenge for the organising team led by the tournament director Markus Günthardt was the search for the ideal clay court. As the changeover times between the many events in the Porsche Arena are extremely limited, the new surface above all had to be one that was quick to lay. After a long search the organisers found what they were looking for in Switzerland. The time factor barely plays a role in the court developed by the Germany-based Sportas GmbH and manufactured and marketed by the Conica Technik division of BASF Construction Chemicals Europe AG, whose headquarters are in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

“It can be built in 24 hours and, even more important, it hardens within 24 hours,” said Tournament Director, Markus Günthardt. As a result, converting the seating and the rest of the facilities courtside can be done rapidly and within the time the tight schedule allows. The positive experiences made with the new surface have proved that the tournament director and his Operating Tournament Director Anke Huber were right to take their time when choosing the court. Especially as it was vital that, four weeks before the French Open in Paris, the players were presented with a playing surface that would give them the best possible preparation for the Grand Slam in Roland Garros. Markus Grünthardt: “After conducting any number of tests, we only decided in favour of this particular concept when we were certain that everybody was going to be happy with the court.”

The long search had paid off. The players were thrilled with both the first clay court Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and the playing conditions in the Porsche Arena. “The surface is very fast and almost identical to the one in Roland Garros,” said Elena Dementieva, the Olympic Champion from Russia. Sabine Lisicki, the new German star, was also full of praise, “Porsche has, as they always do, done a good job.” Not resting on their laurels, the organisers have continued to develop the court together with the makers from tournament to tournament.

In contrast to a conventional clay court, which has an approximately 50 - 60 cm high base made of a wide variety of materials, the new court in the Porsche Arena is only 2.5 cm thick. The basic material is made of crushed tiles mixed with a binding material. It is laid completely level using a special laser controlled machine. Standard plastic foil was laid on the floor of the arena to serve as an underlay and therefore stop the floor and base from binding. Finely crushed brick is then spread on top of the base where most of it enters the pores and bonds with the base material. The “clay” comes from France and its grain size of only 0.1 millimetres makes it exactly the same type of “clay” as the one used at the French Open in Roland Garros. Before being spread, it is mixed with an environmentally friendly special oil which draws moisture from the air. Water does not have to be added – the court retains the optimal moisture levels at all times. Another advantage is that the “clay” has been bonded so that it remains dust-free when the players slide into the ball.

“In terms of the way the court plays, the surface in the Porsche Arena is 98 percent identical to the one at Roland Garros,” promises its inventor Hans-Joachim Schneider. “The surface is very compact. No indentations are left when the players slide and the bounce is always the same no matter where the ball lands so that bad bounces are virtually non-existent.”

Almost 40 tons of crushed tiles and four tons of finely crushed brick will go into the making of the approximately 800 square metre Centre Court in the Porsche Arena. And it will be done year after year as the three courts built for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix – Centre Court, Court 1 and the practise court – have to be removed and disposed of after the tournament. It is something for which Markus Günthardt has again found an unusual solution. The materials can be reused for road construction. It is environmentally friendly and also reduces costs.