A fresh approach to a beloved sport, The Tennis Court is a photographic journey of the 200 most breathtaking tennis courts around the world.
“Nick Pachelli takes us on court in every corner of the world with a sharp eye for what makes our game and the people who champion it so special.”
—Billie Jean King, sports icon and equality advocate
Every one of the world’s half a million tennis courts is, at its most basic, an identical blank canvas: a 78-foot by 36-foot rectangle, divided by a 3-foot-high net in its center, and marked with eleven straight lines. But add in the elements of surface, space, wind, acoustics, crowds, shadows, humidity, and even air density, and every tennis court is unique—a work of art. And some are masterpieces.
Nick Pachelli curates and profiles 200 of the world’s most beautiful, iconic, significant, alluring, and idiosyncratic tennis courts from across the globe, each breathtakingly photographed. He explores the heavyweights, including Wimbledon’s All England Lawn Tennis Club, which employs a hawk to keep stray birds from soiling the meticulous lawns. Arthur Ashe, the Grandstand, and Court 17 in Flushing, Queens, where hundreds of thousands of tennis fans gather every summer for the US Open. And there’s Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland-Garros, whose clay seems to take on a different shade—burnt orange, burnt red, burgundy, umber—every time you see it.
We visit far-flung treasures, such as Waiheke Tennis Club in New Zealand, where you’ll need to take a plane, then a ferry, then a car or bus, and then walk before arriving there. Indoor marvels, including the Tennis Club de Belgique, which evokes the hushed, reverent feeling of a theater, with skylights illuminating the court and leaving the spectators in the shadows. Hidden jewels, such as the tiny Tennis Club San Stin in Venice, a secret, single outdoor clay court tucked away behind a villa and a 15-foot wall shrouded with vines.
There are urban courts, including the Knickerbocker Field Club, deep in the heart of Flatbush, Brooklyn. Academies, like Rafael Nadal’s tennis temple in Mallorca, Spain. And the extreme: a single court completely isolated in the wilds of Scotland; a court in northern Spain revealed when the tide goes out, the sand hardens, and the metallic plates that serve as lines reemerge; and a court in Kenya made out of termite mounds.
Throughout, Pachelli not only conducts a masterful, once-in-a-lifetime tour of the world’s best courts, but in his writing does something equally immersive: He captures the real passion—some might say obsession—that tennis inspires. Because it’s on the court, no matter how grandiose or mundane, whether in an exotic locale or around the corner, where tennis players truly see themselves. Where we come face-to-face with our temperament, our drive, our frustration, our bliss, our longing.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Courts include:
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
Kia Stadium, Melbourne, Australia
Memorial Drive Tennis Club, Adelaide, Australia
Dubai Tennis Center, Dubai, UAE
Royal Tennis Club de Marrakech, Marrakech, Morrocco
Qizhong Stadium, Shanghai, China
Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan
Beans Dome, Kobe, Japan
Kooyong Tennis Club, Melbourne, Australia
Royal South Yarra Tennis Club, Melbourne, Australia
Coopers Park Tennis Courts, Sydney, Australia
Wodonga Tennis Center, Wodonga, Australia
Governor's house of Tasmania, Australia
Waiheke Tennis Club, Waiheke, New Zealand
Parnell Lawn Tennis, Auckland, New Zealand
Queenstown Tennis Club, Queenstown, New Zealand
Royal Kings Park, Perth, Australia
Loton Park Tennis Center, Perth, Australia
Fremantle Lawn Tennis Club, Perth, Australia
Cheval Blanc, Noonu Atoll, Maldives
Soneva Fushi, Eydhafushi, Maldives
Vakkaru, Baa Atoll, Maldives
Kandima, Maldives
Ozen Life Maadho, Maldives
Niyama Maldives Priv islands, Maldives
Ritz Maldives, Maldives
Anantara Kihavah, Maldives
Victoria Park, Hong Kong, HK
LRC Hong Kong Tennis, Hong Kong, HK
Manila Polo Club "Shell Courts,” Manila, Philippines
Valle Verde Country Club, Manila, Philippines
Olive Farm of Datca Tennis Club, Datca, Turkey
Gorky Tennis Center, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Lagos, Nigeria
Gezira Sporting Club, Cairo, Egypt
Sasakwa Lodge, Grumeti Game Reserve, Tanzania
Tennis Club La Marsa, Tunis, Tunisia
Kids Closer to Sport Uganda
Oyebog Tennis Academy, Cameroon
Balewadi Complex, Pune, India
Poona Club, Pune, India
FC College and Law College, Pune, India
The Delhi Gymkhana Club, New Delhi, India
Wildflower Hall, an Oberoi hotel, Shimla, India
Camps Bay Tennis Club, Cape Town, South Africa
Fresnaye Sports Club, Cape Town, South Africa
Glen Tennis Club, Cape Town, South Africa
Yokohama International Tennis Community, Yokohama, Japan
Tokyo Lawn Tennis Club, Tokyo, Japan
Grass Court Saga Tennis Club, Saga, Japan
Karuizawa-kai Tennis Court, Nagano, Japan
Jangchung Tennis Court, South Korea
Agit analogue (Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do), South Korea
Jeju Island Lotte Hotel, South Korea
Court Philippe Chatrier, Paris, France
Court Simonne Mathieu, Paris, France
Court Central, Monte Carlo Club, Monte Carlo, France
RCT Barcelona 1899, Barcelona, Spain
Caja Mágica, Madrid, Spain
Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
Mallorca Country Club, Mallorca, Spain
Roy Emerson Stadium, Gstaad, Switzerland
Stefi Graf Stadion, Berlin, Germany
Iphitos Tennis Club, Munich, Germany
ROCHUS CLUB TENNIS, Düsseldorf, Germany
TC Weissenhof, Stuutgart, Germany
Tennis-Club 1899 E.V. Blau-Weiss, Berlin, Germany
Baden-Baden, Baden Baden, Germany
Tennis Club Palmengarten, Frankfurt, Germany
World Club Tennis, Germany
Garden Tennis Royan, Royan, France
Tennis de la Cavalerie, Paris, France
Le Tir Paris, Paris, France
Lagardère Paris Racing, Paris, France
Tennis Cannes Garden, Cannes, France
Nice Lawn Tennis Club, Nice, France
TC Du Rosaire, Sanary Sur Mer, France
Tennis La Rosière, Montvalezan, France
Hotel Cap Estel, Eze, France
Tignes France Tennis Courts, Tignes, France
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes, France
Mouratoglou Academy, Biot, France
Belmond Resort, Portofino, Italy
Tennis al Settimo Piano Positano, Positano, Italy
Il San Pietro Hotel, Positano, Italy
Tennis Club Malcesine, Assenza, Italy
Hotel Cipriani Court, Venice, Italy
Tenis Club Venezia, Venice, Italy
San Stin Pasti Tennis Club, Venice, Italy
Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como, Italy
Villa D'Este, Lake Como, Italy
Hotel Passalaqua, Lake Como, Italy
The Tennis Club Milano Alberto Bonacossa, Milan, Italy
Parioli Club, Rome, Italy
Tennis Club Capri, Capri, Italy
Circolo Sport Tennis Vialar, Rome, Italy
Santa Agnese Tennis Club, Rome, Italy
Tennis Michelangelo, Florence, Italy
Domes, Bürgenstock, Switzerland
Montreux Tennis Club, Montreux, Switzerland
Sportschalet Murren, Murren, Switzerland
Grindewald TC, Grindewald, Switzerland
Gstaad Palace, Gstaad, Switzerland
Vienna Park Club, Vienna, Austria
Vienna Athletic Club, Vienna, Austria
SV Schwarz Blau, Vienna, Austria
Arsenal Tennis Club, Vienna, Austria
Stanglwirt Club, Prama, Austria
Tennis Club of Belgium, Brussels, Belgium
Leopold Club, Uccle, Belgium
Reial Societat de Tenis Pompeia, Barcelona, Spain
RCT de San Sebastian, San Sebastian, Spain
Club del Sol, Malaga, Spain
Puente Romano, Marbella, Spain
Nadal Tennis Academy, Mallorca, Spain
Tennis Club Betis, Seville, Spain
Tenis Playa de Luanco, Luanco, Spain
LC La Foz, Porto, Portugal
Quinta da Marinha Racket Club, Cascais, Portugal
Kalemegdan, Belgrade, Serbia
Ljubicic Tennis Academy, center court, Veli Lošinj, Croatia
Athens Lawn Tennis Club, Athens, Greece
Tatoi Club, Greece
Czech Lawn Tennis Club Štvanice, Prague, Czech Republic
LTC Praha, Prague, Czech Republic
Tennis Club Vysehrad, Prague, Czech Republic
Wimbledon Center Court, Wimbledon, England
Wimbledon, Court 2, Wimbledon, England
The Queen’s Club, London, England
Royal Tennis Hall KLTK, Stockholm, Sweden
Bastad Norde Center Court, Bastad, Sweden
St George's Lawn TC, Surrey, England
Hurlingham Club, London, England
Malmen-Tennispaviljongen, Stockholm, Sweden
Dansk Tennis Club, Copenhagen, Denmark
Havnar Tennisfelag, Thorshavn, Faroe Islands
Tennis Park Lommerrijk, Rotterdam, Netherlands
IJburg Tennis Club, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Bunabhainneadar Tennis Court, Isle of Harris, Scotland
Cromlix, Dunblane, Scotland
Hoar Cross Hall, UK
The Nare, UK
Burgh Island, UK
Rushbrooke LTC, Cork, Ireland
Argideen LTC, Cork, Ireland
Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York City, USA
Grandstand, New York City, USA
Indian Wells Stadium, Indian Wells, USA
IGA Stadium, Montreal, Canada
Court Central Guillermo Vilas—BA Lawn Tennis, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Charleston Volvo Open, Charleston, USA
Cabo Tennis Center, Los Cabos, Mexico
International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport, USA
West Side Tennis Club/Forest Hills, New York City, USA
Knickerbocker Field Club, New York City, USA
Riverside Clay Tennis Assoc, New York City, USA
Fort Greene Tennis Courts, New York City, USA
JTTC, College Park, USA
All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club, St. Charles City, USA
Enchantment AZ, Sedona, USA
Mission Hills Country Club, Palm Springs, USA
The Courts, Borego Springs, USA
Libbey Park, Ojai, USA
The Madonna Inn, San Luis Obispo, USA
Berkeley Tennis Club, Berkeley, USA
Alice Marble Courts, San Francisco, uSA
Echo Park Tennis Courts, LA, USA
LA Tennis Club, LA, USA
Rancho Cienega Public Courts, LA, USA
Loma Alta Park, Altadenia, USA
Vermont Canyon Tennis Courts, LA, USA
Seaside Tennis Club Mauna Kea, Big Island, USA
Kailua Racquet Club, Oahu, USA
Longwood Cricket Club, Mass, USA
Chicago Prairie Tennis Club, Chicago, USA
Vanderbilt Tennis Club, New York City, USA
Miami Crandon Park, Miami, USA
USTA National Campus, Lake Nona, USA
Diamond Head Tennis Center, Hawaii, USA
Kapiolani Park Courts, Hawaii, USA
Sunset Park Courts North Shore, Hawaii, USA
Santa Fe Indoor historic court, Santa Fe, USA
Mount Royal Tennis Club, Montreal, Canada
Toronto Lawn Tennis, Toronto, Canada
Jericho Tennis Club, Vancouver, Canada
Rustico Resort, PEI, Canada
South Cowichan Lawn Tennis Club, outside Vancouver, Canada
Junior Club, Mexico City, Mexico
Cuba National Tennis Center, Havana, Cuba
Hamilton Princess and Beach Club, Bermuda
The Buccaneer Resort, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
Beachfront Villa, Anguilla
Four Seasons Nevis West Indies, Nevis, St Kits and Nevis
Club Campestre de Cali, Cali, Colombia
Club de Tenis La Paz, La Paz, Bolivia
Tennis Club Argentino: Olivos TCA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Mar de Plata, Argentina
Leme Tennis Club, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio Tennis Academy, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Club Terrazas, Lima, Peru
Miraflores Public Courts, Lima, Peru
