Guide to Tennis in NYC

Manhattan is heart of all things NYC, but even at a zillion dollars a sq. ft, there is access to tennis  courts and programming. Playing tennis in Manhattan is like anything else there, it’s gone in a New York minute so  plan ahead and expect to be off at the end of your hour, (2) for doubles. Some of the best court bets in Manhattan are:

• Central Park Tennis Center: Located in the heart of Central Park, the Central Park Tennis Center features 26 clay courts and offers private lessons, group lessons, and junior programs.
• Riverside Park Tennis Courts: Located on the Hudson River in Upper Manhattan, the Riverside Park Tennis Courts offer 10 hard courts and stunning views of the river.
• Sutton East Tennis Club: Located on the Upper East Side, the Sutton East Tennis Club features 8 indoor Har-Tru courts and 2 outdoor courts. The club offers private lessons, group lessons, and tennis camps.

Brooklyn tennis comes in all flavors and nowhere will you see a more diverse but inclusive cluster of players. Some of the best places to play in Brooklyn include:

• Prospect Park Tennis Center: Located in the heart of Prospect Park, the Prospect Park Tennis Center features 10 clay courts and offers private lessons, group lessons, and junior programs.

• McCarren Park Tennis Courts: Located in Williamsburg, the McCarren Park Tennis Courts offer 8 hard courts and are free and open to the public April to October but bubbled for indoor season October to April.

• Jackie Robinson Park (Bed-Stuy): Resurfaced Courts with ribbon cutting this Spring. These 4 Hard Courts in the busy community of Bedford Stuyvesant are home to HQ Tennis. HQ Tennis is the official tennis provider lead by Coach Frances Ferdinand a neighborhood activist. Look out for ‘ Open Court ‘ a series of FREE! tennis clinics on Friday evenings.

• Lincoln Terrace Park Tennis Courts: Located in East New York, the Lincoln Terrace Tennis Courts offer 11 hard courts.  Tennis coach Eric Jordan and Lincoln Terrace Tennis Association are staples at this park and provide quality instructions.

• Highland Park : Chosen as one of the US Open 50 year anniversary courts, this park is all that and a bag of chips. There are 10 full length hard courts and another 8 36ft  courts for all levels of play. Highland Park Tennis Association is a non-profit organization that provides free – low cost lessons for kids outdoors. 

• Downtown Tennis Club (Bay Ridge) :located in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn at John J. Carty Park, operating all year round. Lead by a well respected tennis professional Marina Oetiker who speaks fluent Russian and English ” Davai “

• Fort Greene Tennis courts : A destination described like its name “Fort..” A community of tennis fanatics with just 6 hard courts means it’s no easy task getting on. There is a Fort Greene Tennis Association that does park clean ups, kids tennis lessons, adult tournaments. Consider this Greek life, because you will either need to show up crack of down or vetted by one of the locals.

Queens is home to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which hosts the US Open tennis tournament every year. In addition to the US Open courts, there are many other public and private courts located throughout the borough.Frankly I think its the hub for tennis in NYC some of the places include:

• Alleypond Park Tennis (CommonPoint): Located in Queens Village, the Park Tennis Center features 14 hard courts and offers private lessons, group lessons, and junior programs. *permit required of courts
• Juniper Valley Courts: Located on the East River in Astoria, the Astoria Park Tennis Courts offer 14 hard courts and stunning views of the Manhattan skyline.
• USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis: As close to the PROS almost everyone will get when you play on the grounds of the US Open Court. These are the actual courts that professional players compete on and are available to the public to rent and visit.
• APTC Queens College
• Tiger Tennis Academy