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Illustration: Igor Bastidas\n <\/p>\n
A tennis boom is well underway in New York, and between tight competition for court space and long waits, it may feel overwhelming to the beginner hoping to rotate in. Editor Jeremy Rellosa spoke with city tennis players and coaches about where to find the best starter courts, not too expensive lessons to improve that ground stroke, and tips for getting a doubles partner.<\/p>\n
Go to Mason\u2019s Tennis<\/a> (56 E. 53rd St.), where owner Mark Mason and his knowledgeable staff keep the latest product releases \u2014 including starter racquets and tennis shoes \u2014 in stock. Or visit NYC Racquet Sports <\/a>(157A W. 35th St.), whose crew is known for welcoming new players. \u201cThey\u2019re tennis nerds who would be happy to lead someone playing tennis for the first time down the right path,\u201d says Michael Foronda, a part-time tennis coach and co-founder of the gear brand Bageled NYC.<\/p>\n Illustration: Igor Bastidas\n <\/p>\n \u201cEvery beginner should take a group class before taking any private lessons,\u201d says Caitlin Thompson, co-founder of Racquet magazine. \u201cYou\u2019ll be in a low-pressure setting, and you\u2019ll meet a cohort of people you can play with outside of class.\u201d David Shaftel, co-founder of the Second Serve and its print magazine, Open Tennis, recommends the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center<\/a> in Flushing Meadows\u2013Corona Park. \u201cIt\u2019s the best and most official developmental tennis spot for beginners,\u201d he says. \u201cThey put you in clinics with people at your level.\u201d Rates for court reservations start at $42 an hour.<\/p>\n Shaftel also recommends the ten clay courts in Riverside Park, which host adult beginner classes. Giri Nathan, a co-founder and staff writer at Defector, says the courts are top quality: \u201cThey can get busy, but they\u2019re really beautiful and well maintained.\u201d<\/p>\n On offer are youth camps and programs for ages 3 to 17, including indoor winter clinics, and it comes recommended by Shaftel: \u201cThey often have four kids at the same level on a court \u2014 low stakes but they hit the ball every week, which is what beginning tennis is about.\u201d<\/p>\n At locations in Downtown Brooklyn (where there\u2019s also a regulation-size 78-foot court), Long Island City, and the Financial District, Court 16 provides lessons with softer red and orange balls, which make play slower and easier for children and first-timers. It\u2019s less intimidating than \u201cjumping right onto a regular court,\u201d says Foronda.<\/p>\n Illustration: Igor Bastidas\n <\/p>\n It costs $100 for the season (April to November), and you can pick up the card at each borough\u2019s designated permit office or at Paragon Sports<\/a> (867 Broadway). Avid player Emmy O\u2019Leary, who returned to tennis in the past year, found the process \u201csuper-seamless.\u201d You can purchase a single-play permit ($15) online, which gives you an hour of access at any public court in the five boroughs.<\/p>\n New run-club-esque organizations like LVBL (lvbl.club<\/a>) and Love & Lob (loveandlob.co<\/a>) offer frequent meetups and hitting sessions for players of all levels, including beginners. \u201cLove & Lob creates a great vibe around their clinics,\u201d says Foronda.<\/p>\n Waiting your turn for a court is part of the city tennis experience, but there are a few places \u2014 like Randalls Island \u2014 that can be less busy. \u201cHalf of their outdoor courts are accessible to the public, and it\u2019s easy to get court time because it\u2019s a little challenging to get there,\u201d says Sam Burns, a former college tennis player and co-founder of Bageled NYC.<\/p>\n It has 11 hard courts with lighting, making them ideal for evening play when the courts are typically less crowded.<\/p>\n Tap into the messaging channels of local tennis organizations to get a feel for what\u2019s happening in your neighborhood. Both Burns and Foronda recommend joining the Fort Greene Tennis Association<\/a>\u2019s Telegram channel<\/a>, where one can find last-minute openings on courts. \u201cPeople often post messages like, \u2018My partner just canceled. Is anyone available at noon?\u2019\u201d says Burns. Shaftel recommends the Manhattan Tennis Association<\/a>\u2019s Telegram channel. \u201cThere are hundreds of people talking about how to get courts, meetups, and events,\u201d Shaftel says.<\/p>\n Thank you for subscribing and supporting our journalism.![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/bff7e1cfdcfec8b364336116a6be82f56e-nym-042826-01.w710.jpg\")
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\n If you prefer to read in print, you can also find this article in the May 4, 2026, issue of
\n New York\u00a0Magazine.<\/p>\n