Tennis in the Southwest & South Suburbs of Chicago

USTA Adult League Play — Southwest & South Suburbs

The Southwest & South Suburbs play under the USTA Chicago District within the USTA Midwest Section. Adult league seasons run year-round, with local teams from Orland Park, Tinley Park, Palos Heights, and Lockport competing in 18&Over, 40&Over, 55&Over, 65&Over, Mixed Doubles, Combo Doubles, and Tri-Level formats. Many south suburban teams also register for the Chicagoland Indoor Tennis Association (CITA) doubles leagues, which run out of indoor facilities across the Chicago metro area. District champions advance to the USTA Midwest Section and National Championships. For full results, visit USTA Chicago.

District champions advance to USTA Midwest Section Championships and, for winners, the USTA League National Championships. For USTA league registration and results visit usta.com/leagues.

Southwest & South Suburbs Junior Tennis Development

Junior tennis development in the southwest and south suburbs is driven primarily by public park district programs, indoor tennis clubs, and private country clubs, backed by an active high school pipeline. Local park districts in Orland Park, Tinley Park, Palos Heights, Lemont, and Lockport all run beginner-through-intermediate junior clinics and seasonal tennis camps, often feeding into their respective IHSA high school programs.

At the competitive level, the Park Forest Tennis & Health Club serves as the region's primary year-round indoor training hub, with private-club development tracks available at Prestwick Country Club (Frankfort), Silver Lake Country Club (Orland Park), and Olympia Fields Country Club. Third-party instruction platforms like TennisProNow and PlayYourCourt also serve the region with private and group lessons delivered at local public courts.

For current USTA junior rankings and tournament results for southwest suburbs players, visit the USTA Chicago District page.

Southwest & South Suburbs High School Tennis Programs

High school tennis is a major part of the Southwest & South Suburbs tennis ecosystem, governed by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). Boys tennis plays in the spring and girls tennis in the fall, with the state tournament divided into Class 1A (smaller schools) and Class 2A (larger schools). The region is split primarily across the Southwest Suburban Conference (SWSC) — home to powerhouses like Sandburg (Orland Park) and Lockport — and the South Suburban Conference (SSC), which covers Tinley Park, Oak Forest, Lemont, Argo, and more. The Lincoln-Way programs (Central, East, and West in the SWSC) have historically been among the most competitive public tennis teams in Will County.

• Carl Sandburg High School Eagles (Orland Park) — IHSA 2A, SWSC — One of the largest high schools in Illinois; consistent SWSC contender with state qualifiers in both boys and girls tennis.
• Lockport Township High School Porters (Lockport) — IHSA 2A, SWSC — Large-enrollment public school and consistent SWSC tennis competitor with strong doubles squads.
• Lincoln-Way East High School Griffins (Frankfort) — IHSA 2A, SWSC — Consistently one of the top boys tennis programs in the southwest suburbs.
• Lincoln-Way Central High School Knights (New Lenox) — IHSA 2A, SWSC — Strong tennis tradition with regular state tournament qualifiers.
• Lincoln-Way West High School Warriors (New Lenox) — IHSA 2A, SWSC — Active SWSC member with growing boys and girls tennis programs.
• Victor J. Andrew High School Thunderbolts (Tinley Park) — IHSA 2A, SWSC — Part of Consolidated High School District 230; consistent SWSC competitor.
• Amos Alonzo Stagg High School Chargers (Palos Hills) — IHSA 2A, SWSC — D230 SWSC program with strong overall athletics and steady tennis participation.
• Homewood-Flossmoor High School Vikings (Flossmoor) — IHSA 2A, SWSC — Large-enrollment SWSC school with competitive boys and girls tennis.
• Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School Boilermakers (Bradley) — IHSA 2A, SWSC — Southernmost SWSC member anchoring Kankakee County tennis.
• Bolingbrook High School Raiders (Bolingbrook) — IHSA 2A — Large Will County program; moved to the Southwest Prairie Conference starting 2024–25.
• Tinley Park High School Titans (Tinley Park) — IHSA 2A, SSC — South Suburban Conference program with consistent regional play.
• Oak Forest High School Bengals (Oak Forest) — IHSA 2A, SSC — South Suburban Conference competitor with a tradition of solid tennis play.
• Oak Lawn Community High School Spartans (Oak Lawn) — IHSA 2A, SSC — Consistent SSC tennis program serving the near south suburbs.
• Lemont High School (Lemont) — IHSA 2A, SSC — South Suburban Conference member with strong boys and girls tennis participation.
• Evergreen Park Community High School Mustangs (Evergreen Park) — IHSA 2A, SSC — SSC program with regular regional qualifiers.
• Argo Community High School Argonauts (Summit) — IHSA 2A, SSC — South Suburban Conference school with consistent tennis team fielding.
• Eisenhower High School Cardinals (Blue Island) — IHSA 2A, SSC — Founding SSC member with longstanding tennis program.
• Reavis High School Rams (Burbank) — IHSA 2A, SSC — Southwest suburbs SSC school with growing tennis participation.
• Shepard High School Astros (Palos Heights) — IHSA 2A, SSC — Palos Heights-area SSC tennis program.
• Richards High School Bulldogs (Oak Lawn) — IHSA 2A, SSC — Longstanding SSC program with steady tennis participation.
• Bremen High School Braves (Midlothian) — IHSA 2A, SSC — SSC member with active boys and girls tennis programs.
• Hillcrest High School Hawks (Country Club Hills) — IHSA 2A, SSC — SSC program serving the southern Cook County tennis community.
• Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School (Chicago) — IHSA 2A — All-girls Catholic high school in the Mount Greenwood area.
• Marist High School RedHawks (Chicago) — IHSA 2A — Private Catholic school in the Mount Greenwood area, a regular state tournament participant.
• Providence Catholic High School Celtics (New Lenox) — IHSA 2A — Private Catholic school with competitive boys and girls tennis programs.

Governing Body:   IHSA Boys Tennis — 1A & 2A classes  |  IHSA Girls Tennis  |  IHSA Scores

Southwest & South Suburbs College Tennis

The south suburbs' college tennis landscape has contracted sharply in recent years. Lewis University (Romeoville) discontinued its NCAA Division II men's and women's tennis programs after the 2024–25 season, with tennis continuing only as a club sport. The University of St. Francis (Joliet) remains the region's strongest four-year option, competing in NAIA's Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC). At the junior-college level, Prairie State College (Chicago Heights) — eight-time NJCAA Region 4 champion and home-based at the Park Forest Tennis & Health Club — has announced it will also discontinue men's intercollegiate tennis after 2025–26, while Moraine Valley Community College (Palos Hills) continues to field NJCAA men's tennis in Region 4. For NCAA Division I, the nearest programs are Northwestern (Evanston), UIC, DePaul, Loyola Chicago, and Illinois (Urbana-Champaign).

Program status is periodically updated; consult each school's athletics site for the latest roster and conference information.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tennis in the Southwest & South Suburbs