When is a Blue Court Actually Green?

As we approach the first anniversary of Laykold becoming the new vibrant blue surface of the US Open, it is a great opportunity to reflect on how last year’s Wilson tennis balls used at the US Open will be integrated into new Laykold tournament courts this year, through an innovative recycling program.

As the leading global manufacturer of Grand Slam quality tennis court surfaces including Laykold, APT is committed to employing environmentally friendly practices across their entire operation. In 2018, Wilson Sporting Goods and APT’s Laykold – the Official Court Surface of the US Open, partnered with RecycleBalls, with the aim of recycling / reusing all tennis balls in USA.

Recycling old tennis balls into environmentally friendly tennis courts

Established in 2014 RecycleBalls is a non-profit organisation dedicated to recycling the estimated 125 million tennis balls that end up in landfill every year in the US. By 2023 RecycleBalls aims to have recycled 20 million tennis balls into items as such as new tennis court surfaces, playgrounds and artificial turf.

APT uses as many as 10,000 recycled tennis balls in the cushioned layer of their Laykold Masters cushioned tennis courts. It is planned that the balls collected from the 2020 US Open will be used in the resurfacing of the centre court at this year’s Western & Southern Open lead up tournament.

Laykold tennis surfaces

Our sustainable Laykold Masters tennis court surfaces have set a new standard for tennis courts around the world. It is due to our exacting standards, quality control and innovative practices that we were selected as the new official tennis court surface of the US Open in 2020 – the first change in surface supplier in 42 years. And as the only ISO 14001 environment certified court manufacturer in the world, APT is fully compliant with the USTA’s sustainability commitments and values, which was another influencing factor in Laykold’s selection.

Laykold has also been the official surface of the Miami Open since 1984 and the New York Open since 2018, as well as in many other ATP challenge tournaments, ITF World Tennis Tours and Davis Cups.

Laykold surfaces are manufactured using up to 60% renewable resources (including recycled tennis balls), with our cushioned systems like the Masters Gel installed at the US Open, providing 17% force reduction to players. The Laykold range offers players a high performing surface, with exceptional ball bounce qualities and superior player comfort and injury protection unlike any other hardcourt.

APT’s worldwide integrated supply chain promotes consistency across all tennis court surfaces, so players know exactly what to expect when they play on a Laykold surface.

For information on installing Laykold tennis surfaces, call our Head Office on 03 8792 8000 or send us an email enquiry for a fast response.