You might not have the skills to take part in the 2021 Wimbledon Championships this summer following their cancellation last year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but don’t let that stop you serving up some aces on London's best tennis courts.
Over the last year, interest in fitness and at-home workouts has been on the up, but it's no wonder now that lockdown restrictions are lifting and outdoor exercise with friends permitted, people are increasingly eager to head to the gym and stretch their legs outside.
Fortunately Londoners interested in tennis don't need to be a member of a fancy (and pricey) private tennis club to don their tennis whites and pick up a racket. There are several, affordable public courts all over the capital that are open to everyone and some are even free!
Here are some of the best tennis courts in London:
1) London Fields, Hackney
The two lovely courts on the Richmond Road edge of Hackney’s London Fields are the perfect place to swing a racket before getting lunch at Broadway Market or cooling off in the nearby Lido.
An online timetable makes booking online easy - just sign up for an account and take your email confirmation along with you when you play.
You can book up to seven days in advances, with a new day of bookings added at 10pm daily - worth setting a reminder for.
Details: Open: 8am -9pm (summer hours); Prices: Peak £6.45 for an hour; off-peak £4.20/hr Free (before 10am weekdays and 9am weekends)
Location: London Fields, Richmond Road, Hackney, E8. Book here
2) Kilburn Grange Park Tennis Courts
As well as floodlit football and basketball courts, Kilburn Grange Park is home to two playgrounds, an outdoor gym and three tarmac tennis courts.
You’ll need to register for an account, and after that players can book up to five weeks in advance online. While bookings aren’t refundable, if your game is rained off you can claim a credit by emailing parks@camden.gov.uk.
The courts are just off Kilburn High Road, two minutes from Brondesbury Overground and five from Kilburn Tube. Use the Messina Gate for the closest access.
Details: Open: 8am-an hour before the park closes at dusk; Prices: standard charge is £8.95; senior citizens and children under 16 pay £4.75
Location: Kilburn Grange Park, Messina Avenue, NW6. Book here
3) Golders Hill Park Tennis Courts
Play on the four hard-surfaced courts all year round, or the two grass courts on weekends and Bank Holidays between April and September, at the Hampstead Heath location.
You can book a court online up to a day in advance if you register for a free Adult or Concession pay and play package.
If you’re a local and want to get more regular games in, you can buy an annual membership for £29.75. With this package you’ll be able to book courts up to three days in advance, and the annual membership doesn’t include the hourly court fee.
Details: Open: 7:30am-7pm (or dusk); Prices: One hour adult £9.75; one hour concession £5.55
Location: Golders Hill Park, West Heath Avenue (off Finchley Road) NW11; Book here or phone 020 7332 3773
4) Clapham Common
Following a £250,000 grant from Lambeth Council and the Lawn Tennis Association, Clapham Common now has some of the fanciest courts in South London.
Anyone can book one of the eight hard courts (five of which are floodlit) for just £8 an hour. These do get busy, especially after 5pm on weekdays, so book in advance.
But the good thing about these courts is that they’re open until later than many, so you can fit in an after work match. If you’d like to improve your game, there’s also coaching available.
The courts, which are run by Better, are situated five minutes from Clapham Common South Underground (or the Windmill Pub).
Details: Open: 8am-10pm; Prices: £8 an hour
Location: Clapham Common West Side, Wandsworth, SW4. Book here or phone 020 7223 9837
5) Parliament Hill Fields Tennis Courts
Another excellent spot on Hampstead Heath to swing a racket. There are 10 hard-surfaced courts at Parliament Hill, so chances are you’ll be able to find a court available at some point. The courts are open all year round for both members of the public and local residents.
There’s a resident LTA coach too in case you want to up your game - details are on the Clubspark website, where you can also book courts after registering for free. If you’re in the area anyway, try popping along to the Tennis hut where you can book in person (it’s only open on the weekends during winter).
The courts are a 10-minute walk from Gospel Oak Overground - we couldn’t think of a better place to spend a summer’s evening.
Details: Open: 7.30am-7.30pm; Prices: £9.25 an hour for adults; £5.55 an hour for concessions
Location: Parliament Hill Fields, Highgate Road, NW5. Book here
6) Islington Tennis Centre
This is one of the busiest tennis centres in the country, so make sure you get organised in advance if wanting to play there. There are six indoor cushioned acrylic and two floodlit hard-surfaced outdoor courts, which make it perfect for the Great British summer and its (unreliable) weather.
They also have different tennis sessions to join if you want to play regularly, called Pay & Play, as well as coaching available from £5.75.
If you’re feeling really active, there’s also a 60 station gym, fitness class studio and a sauna and steam room on the same site (all run by Better) so you can make a day of it.
Details: Open: From 27 July, open 7am-10pm Mon-Fri; 8am-6pm Sat-Sun; Prices: Outdoor courts are £10.50 or £9 if you’re a Better member.
Location: Market Road, N7 9PL. Book here
7) Sydenham Wells Park
Two lovely positioned courts in the corner of Sydenham Wells Park in south east London. They tend to book up fast (maybe because they’re currently totally free) so you need to get in there quickly.
If you’re an early riser and live locally, you’re in luck because the courts are available from 6am. Bookings become available at 2pm every day for the week ahead, you just need to register the first time you want to book.
Details: Open: 6am-7pm; Price: Free
Location: Sydenham Wells Park, SE26 6QZ. Book here
8) Crystal Palace Park
Part of the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, there are four hard-surfaced outdoor courts in Crystal Palace Park.
The courts are floodlit which means more flexibility when it comes to playing times. And if you wanted to use the other facilities there's a lot going on at the sports centre, which is also run by Better.
Details: Open: From 27 July, 7am-9pm Mon-Fri; 9am-5pm Sat-Sun; Price: Pay and Play or become a member of Better
Location: Ledrington Road, Crystal Palace, SE19 2BB. Book here
9) Dulwich Park
Whichever side of Dulwich Park you enter, you’ll find tennis courts not too far away. There are two hard-surfaced courts on the north side of the park near the Francis Peek Centre (there’s also lots of parking here and changing facilities/toilet) and two more on the south side of the park.
You’ve got to register to book a court but after that court are available from 8am to 7.30pm. Courts can be booked seven days in advance for one-hour slots and we recommend you book early because they’re in high demand.
The courts are also free which means more money to spend on one of the park’s many ice cream vans after your game.
Details: Open: 8am-7.30pm; Price: free for an hour’s booking
Location: Dulwich Park, SE21 7BB. Book here.
10) Blackheath Wanderers Sports Ground
There are both grass courts and hard-surfaced courts to hire at Blackheath Wanderers’ ground, along with football, netball and cricket pitches to hire. If you like the spot, then you can become a member of the small, but friendly tennis group which is affiliated with the LTA.
One of the hard courts is floodlit but there’s a reduced fee if you’re only after a summer membership. Members also meet for doubles games throughout the year so there’s plenty of opportunity to get your practice in.
Details: Open: 9am-9pm weekdays; 9am-8pm weekends; Price: £10 per hour
Location: (Rear of) 63 Eltham Rd, Lee, London SE12 8UF. Book here
11) Waterlow Park
Located on the Highgate end of Waterlow Park, there are six tarmac courts. It’s best to use gates on Swains Lane or Highgate Hill for quicker access.
If you book a court and the weather prevents you from playing, then you can request a credit for the booking. There’s a lovely park cafe for post-game refreshments too.
Details: Open: 8am-an hour before the park closes at dusk. Price: £8.95 for an hour
Location: Waterlow Rd, Highgate, N19 5NJ. Book here
12) Lincoln’s Inn Fields
Probably one of the most central places you can knock a ball about in London, these three tarmac tennis courts are located within the historic Lincoln’s inn Fields.
Use the gate opposite the Royal College of Surgeons. And just make sure you keep your eye on the ball: don’t let the scurrying barristers distract you as they rush from one case to another.
Because of the amazing location, these courts are slightly more expensive than others run by Camden Active across the capital.
Details: Open: 8am-an hour before the park closes at dusk. Price: £12 for an hour
Location: Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Holborn, WC2A 2ES. Book here
13) Bishops Park, Fulham
A bit of a tennis hub in south west London, there are 12 floodlit courts and four mini tennis courts situated adjacent to Bishops Park and the River Thames.
Bishops Park Tennis Centre has plenty to offer, including play all year round, LTA-qualified coaching and adult matches for when you’re feeling ready to take on competition.
You can also sign up to be a member for £55 a year which include perks such as 14-day advance booking and entry into the Wimbledon ticket ballot.
Details: Open: 8.30am-9pm Mon-Fri; 8.30am-6pm Sat-Sun. Price: £11 during the day; £5 for floodlit courts
Location: Bishops Park Road, Fulham, London, SW6 6DX 020 7736 3854. Book here.
14) Chandos Tennis Court
Founded in 1922, this Golders Green-based tennis court was the brainchild of a group of tennis enthusiasts and has four outdoor courts, which are all floodlit, and four indoor courts. Tennis camps are available for children and teens, as well as one-to-one coaching for adults no matter what your ability.
Details: Open: 7am-10-pm. Prices: Indoor courts are £12 per hour (membership only), outdoor courts are free for members but require online booking. Guest fees are £8 (over 18s) and £4 (under 18s)
Location: Chandos LTC, 120 East End Road, London N2 0RZ. Book here.
15) Kelsey Park
The tennis courts here are run through The Tennis for Free in the Parks scheme by The Parklangley Club. The scheme costs £22 for a whole family to be a part of and includes the use of the courts, summer tournaments and access to the British Tennis Wimbledon Ballot. At Kelsey Park there are two courts to play on, but they don’t have floodlights so make sure your book a day slot.
Details: Open 7.30am (9am on weekends and Bank Holidays) and closing times vary. Prices: Vary.
Location: Manor Way, BR3 3LS. Book here.
16) Hackney Downs
The perfect spot for tennis lovers in the east of London, Hackney Downs has four courts to play on. After a game you can walk to local cafes Brunswick East Bakehouse or the Jame café to celebrate your victory or plan your next match.
Details: Open from 7am-9pm. Price: Standard is £4.20 each.
Location: Book here.
17) Wimbledon park
With 16 tennis courts currently available to play on (the majority of which are floodlit and astroturfed and the rest tarmacked), you shouldn’t struggle to book a match with your friends all year around. You can even buy a tennis membership which has concessionary charges for Merton residents and enables users over the age of 18 to book a court up to seven days in advance.
Details: Open 8am-9pm; Price: Vary depending on membership and peak/off-peak times but start around £6.20.
Location: Wimbledon Park, Home Park Road, Surrey, SW19 7HR. Book here.
18) Victoria Park
Head east this weekend and play on one of Victoria Park’s four porous macadam courts. With public toilet and cycle racks nearby, tennis players’ needs are certainly catered for all year round. After playing, head to the local café for an ice cream and take a well deserved rest on the grass in the park.
Details: Open 8am-6.30pm; Price: Adults £4 or 6 per hour (peak/off-peak, under 18s and senior citizens receive a £2 discount).
Location: Victoria Park, London E9 5HT. Book here.
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