Spotlight on the New York City Tennis Community
New York City's tennis community is shaped by an extraordinary combination of history and scale. The city is the birthplace of the USTA (1881), the home of the US Open, and the place where Althea Gibson broke the sport's color barrier. The venues that built American tennis — the West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills and, today, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center — are both in Queens, while the five boroughs together hold one of the densest concentrations of public courts, private clubs, and junior programs anywhere in the world. Many New York City players compete in tournaments and doubles leagues organized through Tennis Circuits®.
The Landmarks: New York City's Iconic Tennis Institutions
Three institutions anchor the story of tennis in New York City — the modern home of the Grand Slam, the historic home that came before it, and the community organization that has opened the game to generations of city kids.
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens) is the home of the US Open and the largest public tennis facility in the world. Its Arthur Ashe Stadium, opened in 1997 and seating nearly 24,000, is the largest tennis-specific stadium on earth, complemented by Louis Armstrong Stadium and dozens of additional courts that host year-round public play, clinics, and junior development when the US Open is not in session.
West Side Tennis Club (Forest Hills, Queens) was founded in 1892 on Manhattan's Upper West Side and relocated to Forest Hills in 1913. It served as the home of the U.S. National Championships and the US Open from 1915 to 1977, and its horseshoe-shaped Forest Hills Stadium — built in 1923 and seating roughly 14,000 — hosted legends from Bill Tilden to Althea Gibson, who in 1950 became the first Black player to compete in the national championship here. Today it remains an active tennis club and a celebrated concert venue.
New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) was founded in 1971 by Arthur Ashe and is the nation's largest provider of free youth tennis and education programs, serving tens of thousands of New York City children each year across all five boroughs. Its flagship, the $26.5 million Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in Crotona Park in the South Bronx, features 20 courts including two stadium courts.
Notable Tennis Programs and Figures Associated with New York City
New York City has produced and supported some of the most influential venues and figures in the history of American tennis.
Program / Figure
Affiliation
Level / Era
Highlight
Home / Borough
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
USTA Public Facility
Current US Open Home (since 1978)
Hosts the US Open; Arthur Ashe Stadium is the largest tennis stadium in the world
Flushing Meadows, Queens
West Side Tennis Club
Private Club (est. 1892)
Historic US Open Home (1915–1977)
Hosted the U.S. National Championships / US Open for over six decades at Forest Hills Stadium
Forest Hills, Queens
John McEnroe
Douglaston, Queens
World #1, 1980s
Seven Grand Slam singles titles; International Tennis Hall of Famer (1999)
Queens
Althea Gibson
Cosmopolitan Tennis Club, Harlem
1950s
First Black player to win a Grand Slam title; five major singles titles
Manhattan (Harlem)
Vitas Gerulaitis
Brooklyn / Howard Beach
World #3, 1970s–80s
1977 Australian Open champion; 1975 Wimbledon doubles title
Brooklyn & Queens
New York Junior Tennis & Learning
Founded by Arthur Ashe (1971)
Youth / Community
Nation's largest free youth tennis & education nonprofit
All five boroughs
High School Tennis Programs in New York City
New York City high school tennis runs across three distinct ecosystems: the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) — the nation's oldest scholastic athletic organization, founded in 1903 — plus the Catholic CHSAA and independent schools (NYSAIS). PSAL tennis is contested in 1A and 2A divisions for both boys and girls, with city championships held at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park.
| Program |
League |
Program Notes |
Bronx Science Wolverines
PSAL 2A · The Bronx
|
PSAL (NYC Public) |
Recent repeat PSAL 2A boys' city champion and a perennial girls' contender; one of the strongest public-school tennis programs in the city. |
Benjamin N. Cardozo Judges
PSAL 2A · Bayside, Queens
|
PSAL (NYC Public) |
Longstanding Queens tennis power and regular PSAL 2A semifinalist with a deep competitive tradition. |
Brooklyn Technical Engineers
PSAL 2A · Brooklyn
|
PSAL (NYC Public) |
Perennial PSAL 2A contender and recent city semifinalist representing one of the city's largest high schools. |
Stuyvesant Peglegs
PSAL 2A · Manhattan
|
PSAL (NYC Public) |
Manhattan magnet school with a consistent PSAL 2A tennis presence and regular city semifinal appearances. |
Hunter College High School Hawks
PSAL · Manhattan
|
PSAL (NYC Public) |
Recent PSAL "A" Division girls' city champion, claiming the program's first city tennis title. |
Leon M. Goldstein Dolphins
PSAL 1A · Brooklyn
|
PSAL (NYC Public) |
Recent PSAL 1A city champion and a leading small-school program in the Brooklyn tennis scene. |
McKee/Staten Island Tech Seagulls
PSAL · Staten Island
|
PSAL (NYC Public) |
One of Staten Island's leading PSAL tennis programs, regularly reaching the city playoffs. |
CHSAA & Independent Schools
CHSAA / NYSAIS · Citywide
|
Catholic & Independent |
Catholic schools compete under the CHSAA and independent schools under NYSAIS, adding another deep layer of competitive high school tennis across the five boroughs. |
Collegiate Tennis Programs in New York City
New York City fields NCAA tennis programs across multiple divisions and boroughs, headlined by an Ivy League power in Manhattan and Division I programs that reached the 2026 NCAA Tournament from Queens and Staten Island.
Program
Division & Conference
Borough
Notes
Team Links
Columbia Lions
NCAA Division I — Ivy League
Manhattan (Morningside Heights)
New York City's elite college program — 18 Ivy League titles and a 2025 NCAA singles champion; a perennial NCAA tournament team
St. John's Red Storm
NCAA Division I — Big East
Queens
2026 Big East champion and NCAA Division I tournament qualifier; a major New York City athletic program
Fordham Rams
NCAA Division I — Atlantic 10
The Bronx (Rose Hill)
Atlantic 10 men's and women's tennis; the women's program is a recent A-10 championship finalist
Wagner Seahawks
NCAA Division I — Northeast
Staten Island
2026 Northeast Conference champion and NCAA Division I tournament qualifier
NYU Violets
NCAA Division III — UAA
Manhattan (Greenwich Village)
Competes in the UAA, one of the toughest conferences in NCAA Division III tennis
CUNYAC Programs
NCAA Division III — CUNYAC
Across the five boroughs
Hunter, Baruch, Brooklyn College and other CUNY schools field tennis in the CUNY Athletic Conference
Together, these programs give New York City student-athletes pathways across NCAA Division I and Division III tennis without leaving the five boroughs.
Tennis Across the Five Boroughs
New York City tennis is spread across all five boroughs, each with its own mix of public courts, private clubs, college programs, and history.
- Manhattan — The Central Park Tennis Center, Riverside Park, and courts on the Upper East and West Sides; Columbia University and NYU college tennis; and Harlem, where Althea Gibson first learned the game at the Cosmopolitan Tennis Club. The John McEnroe Tennis Academy / SPORTIME flagship sits just off Manhattan on Randall's Island.
- Queens — The epicenter of New York tennis: the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows and the historic West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, plus St. John's University and the city's deepest concentration of public courts.
- Brooklyn — The Prospect Park Tennis Center and a large network of public courts and clubs across the borough, with strong PSAL high school tennis at schools like Leon M. Goldstein and Brooklyn Tech.
- The Bronx — Home to NYJTL's Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in Crotona Park and Fordham University, anchoring a deep youth-tennis and college presence.
- Staten Island — Wagner College Division I tennis alongside a network of public courts and clubs, plus competitive PSAL programs such as McKee/Staten Island Tech.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tennis in New York City, NY
Where can I play tennis in New York City?
New York City has one of the largest and most active tennis communities in the world, spread across all five boroughs. NYC Parks operates hundreds of public courts, including the Central Park Tennis Center in Manhattan and the Prospect Park Tennis Center in Brooklyn. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens — home of the US Open — offers year-round public play, and the historic West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens remains an active club. Private clubs, indoor centers, and academies such as the John McEnroe Tennis Academy on Randall's Island round out the city's options. Adult and junior play is coordinated through the USTA Eastern Metro Region.
Why is New York City historically important to American tennis?
New York City is the headquarters of American tennis. The USTA was founded in New York City in 1881, and the city has hosted the national championships for over a century. The West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens was the home of the U.S. National Championships and the US Open from 1915 to 1977, where legends from Bill Tilden to Althea Gibson competed. In 1978 the US Open moved to its current home at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, whose Arthur Ashe Stadium is the largest tennis-specific stadium in the world. Althea Gibson, the first Black player to win a Grand Slam title, learned the game in Harlem at the Cosmopolitan Tennis Club.
Does New York City have USTA leagues or junior tennis programs?
Yes. New York City is served by the USTA Eastern Metro Region, which covers all five boroughs as part of USTA Eastern. Adult leagues, junior development, and tournaments run year-round. The city is also home to the John McEnroe Tennis Academy on Randall's Island and New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) — the nation's largest free youth tennis and education nonprofit, founded by Arthur Ashe in 1971. Clubs also organize doubles leagues, tournaments, and private lessons through Tennis Circuits®.
What colleges in New York City have NCAA tennis programs?
New York City has NCAA tennis programs across multiple divisions and boroughs. Columbia University (Ivy League) in Manhattan is the city's elite program, with 18 Ivy League titles and a 2025 NCAA singles champion. St. John's University (Big East) in Queens and Wagner College (Northeast Conference) on Staten Island both reached the 2026 NCAA Division I tournament. Fordham University (Atlantic 10) competes in the Bronx, NYU (Division III, UAA) competes in Greenwich Village, and CUNY programs compete across the boroughs in NCAA Division III.
What makes New York City tennis unique compared to other cities?
New York City is the home of the US Open — among the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world — and the headquarters of American tennis since the USTA's founding here in 1881. No other American city combines a current Grand Slam venue (the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center), a historic Grand Slam venue (the West Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills), the nation's oldest scholastic athletic league (the PSAL, founded 1903), the nation's largest free youth tennis nonprofit (NYJTL), hundreds of public courts across five boroughs, and a deep roster of college programs. The city's tennis culture is unmatched in scale and history.
Are there tennis lessons or camps available in New York City?
Yes. New York City's clubs, public facilities, and academies offer private and group lessons, seasonal camps, and clinics for players of all ages and skill levels, with extensive indoor courts that keep play active through the winter. Tennis Circuits® Summer Camps and Clinics are also available through tenniscircuits.com, providing structured junior and adult programming for the New York City community throughout the year.
What is New York City's tennis history?
New York City's tennis history is among the richest in the world. The USTA was founded in the city in 1881. The West Side Tennis Club, established in 1892 on Manhattan's Upper West Side and relocated to Forest Hills, Queens in 1913, hosted the U.S. National Championships and US Open from 1915 to 1977; its horseshoe-shaped Forest Hills Stadium opened in 1923. Althea Gibson learned the game at Harlem's Cosmopolitan Tennis Club and in 1950 became the first Black player to compete in the national championship at Forest Hills. Queens-born John McEnroe became world No. 1 and won seven Grand Slam singles titles, and Brooklyn-and-Queens product Vitas Gerulaitis won the 1977 Australian Open. Since 1978 the US Open has been played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.
Are the clubs listed affiliated with Tennis Circuits®?
This directory lists publicly available information about tennis clubs in New York City, NY. Some clubs on this list use the Tennis Circuits® software platform, which provides clubs with the ability to run Tournaments, Doubles Leagues, Match Play, Summer Camps, Clinics, Lessons, JTT, Leagues, and Tennis Circuits® Club Edition. Tennis Circuits® is an official USTA Connect Partner — View Press Release (PDF).
Official USTA Connect Partner —
View press release
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