Serving Up Winners

In the sports and fitness world, the racquet sports category, which includes tennis and pickleball, has been growing steadily over the last few years. In fact, for the third year in a row, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America, having increased 51.8 percent in participation from 2022 to 2023, according to year-end data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.
 

In terms of overall participation for 2023, the SFIA says 23.8 million Americans played tennis and 13.6 million played pickleball, and those numbers, especially the pickleball figure, are expected to increase when the current year is surveyed. Across the country, facilities continue to be built to accommodate the interest in racquet and paddle sports.
 

Auburn, Alabama

The Auburn-Opelika area has two standout facilities for tennis and pickleball. The Yarbrough Tennis Center has six indoor courts, 12 outdoor hard courts and 16 outdoor clay courts, including a stadium court. The venue, with a pro shop, locker rooms, lounge and office space, is one of the top tennis centers in the Southeastern Conference, regularly hosting tournaments, including USTA events bringing about 800 players to the area.
 

The Opelika Pickleball Facility at the Sportsplex has a total of 24 courts which are covered for year-round play, and feature lighting, locker rooms, concessions and meeting spaces. The facility hosts tournaments that often draw more than 400 participants. And there’s more to come: The area is set to open 12 more pickleball courts at the Lake Wilmore Facility, and the Opelika Pickleball Club is planning an expansion project to begin in 2025.
 

“Tennis and pickleball have both played key roles in shaping Auburn-Opelika as a destination for sports enthusiasts,” says Anthony Terling, the sports and event development manager for Auburn-Opelika Tourism. “Hosting tournaments for both sports has brought in visitors from all over. We are proud to see the growth of these sports, and thanks to the involvement of local clubs and residents, we plan to see them continue to grow.”
 

Conway, Arkansas

The Conway Tennis Center, opened in 2018, has eight lighted outdoor courts and includes an indoor seating area, as well as restrooms and a pro shop. Each year, the Conway Tennis Centers hosts its Regional Classic, bringing in more than 150 tennis players. Opening in summer of 2025 will be the Conway Community Center, a multi-purpose facility that will include 10 pickleball courts.
 

“Pickleball is, of course, growing nationwide, and that is also the case here in Conway,” says Rachel Shaw, executive director of Visit Conway. “When our residents wanted a place to play, our city stepped in to make it happen. With our new Community Center, our goal is to make sure visitors have the best experience possible in Conway, complete with state-of-the-art facilities, delicious food and fun cultural experiences.”
 

Located along I-40 in Central Arkansas, Conway is a college town at heart, with three institutions of higher learning. Conway was also designated the fastest growing city in Arkansas for the past two years.
 

Laredo, Texas

“I can confidently say that tennis is thriving in Laredo!” says Nohely Zapata, vice president of the Laredo Tennis Association (LTA). That assessment is backed up by the activity-laden facilities available for the sport, including 18 courts at Texas A&M International; nine courts at the George Pappas facility, which is managed and maintained by Laredo Parks and Rec; and the eight courts at the Laredo Country Club.
 

“The LTA mission is to grow the game of tennis inclusively to promote and inspire healthier players of all ages and abilities,” adds Zapata. “It’s great to see the City of Laredo is actively finding ways to accommodate the rising demand for the sport through its partnership with Laredo College and the opening of the TAMIU courts.”
 

For pickleball, the city opened its first four courts in Canizales Park in West Laredo in December 2023, and Laredo Parks and Rec is planning more pickleball courts in city parks.
 

Visit Laredo can help out event owners by securing hotel rates and arranging for event volunteers. The CVB also can provide welcome bags, help market and promote events and offer sponsorships for qualifying groups.
 

Lubbock, Texas

For tennis, Lubbock has more than 70 courts available, at public facilities, schools and local country clubs, and the city often hosts USTA tournaments and University Interscholastic League (UIL) competitions. The Burgess-Rushing Tennis & Pickleball Center offers 12 lighted courts (four with seating for 200+ spectators each), restrooms and concessions. The center also has 16 lighted pickleball courts.
 

The Don & Ethel McLeod Tennis Center at Texas Tech University also has 12 lighted tennis courts, with seating for nearly 600 fans, along with restrooms and concessions. The Falls Tennis & Athletic Club has eight lighted courts (four indoors) for both tennis and pickleball. In addition, Lubbock area high schools offer nearly 40 additional lighted tennis courts, many with restrooms and concession facilities.
 

Pickleball continues to grow in the area. In addition to the courts at Burgess-Rushing, LakeRidge Country Club has 18 pickleball courts, including six indoors. Lubbock Indoor Pickleball has seven courts, and Davis Park has four permanent, lighted pickleball courts.
 

“We’re proud to offer an array of superlative facilities and comfortable hotels in every budget and exciting amenities,” says Scott Harrison, sports director for Visit Lubbock. “Lubbock is a much-loved college town, and so we know sports and we know fans.”
 

Memphis, Tennessee

When it comes to tennis in Memphis, it’s hard to beat the award-winning Leftwich Tennis Center, which features 12 indoor and 24 outdoor courts. In fact, this past summer, the Leftwich Tennis Center was named the USTA’s Featured Facility of the Year for 2024, the highest honor the USTA awards for facilities.
 

“The Leftwich Tennis Center is a great example of the ways in which a well-managed, world-class facility can enhance lives through the sport of tennis,” says Theodore Loehrke, a managing director for the USTA. “Facilities like this one are integral in the USTA’s mission of growing tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere.”
 

Leftwich is a public-private partnership involving the city, the University of Memphis and Tennis Memphis, which is a nonprofit development organization that operates and manages Leftwich and six other Memphis public tennis facilities. Other city facilities include Eldon Roark Tennis Center, with eight outdoor and four indoor courts; Frayser Tennis Center and Raleigh Tennis Center, each with eight outdoor courts; Wolbrecht Tennis with six outdoor and two indoor courts; and Wooddale Tennis Center with eight outdoor courts.
 

The Memphis Sports & Events Center features indoor space for 16 basketball/32 volleyball courts, which also could be configured for pickleball, with plenty of seating for fans.
 

Peachtree City, Georgia

Tennis and pickleball continue to grow in Peachtree City. The Peachtree City Tennis Center has 12 outdoor hard, six outdoor clay and six indoor courts. The facility, which also is lighted, features a pro shop and courtside seating and regularly hosts USTA tournaments for all ages, along with camps and other tennis events.
 

Planned to open in summer 2025 is a 53,000-square-foot, 20-court indoor pickleball facility, which will have overhead viewing areas and permanent concessions.
 

“The Peachtree City CVB puts a high value on sports in our community,” says Sarah Tarnowski, sales manager at Visit Peachtree City. “We have top-notch facilities and management of the facilities. We’re always happy to assist tournament directors with all aspects of planning, from tournament space to hotel rooms, team dinners and more.
 

“Tennis has been a top sport in PTC for years, and with the private investment of a pickleball facility coming in 2025, we are thrilled to bring thousands more pickleball fans into our city to engage in their sport and enjoy our amenities,” she adds.
 

Raleigh, North Carolina

“Tennis and pickleball have become an integral part of Greater Raleigh’s dynamic sports landscape,” says Jocelyn O’Sullivan, sports sales manager with the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance. “The growing excitement for these sports, paired with our world-class facilities, highlight our commitment to embracing a broad range of events, from professional to amateur play.”
 

Key among the area’s facilities is the award-winning Cary Tennis Park, the largest public tennis facility in North Carolina and nationally recognized as an elite venue for both tennis and pickleball. In addition to CTP’s 32 tennis courts, a stadium court with permanent seating and seven covered tennis courts, the park also has four lighted pickleball courts; CTP is slated to undergo a $60 million renovation over the next few years that will add at least 25 dedicated pickleball courts.

CTP hosts a range of tournaments, from professional events that attract pros ranked in the world top 75, to college events, USTA tournaments and much more. Last spring, CTP hosted the PPA Tour North Carolina Pickleball Cup.
 

Just opened in October is Pin Point Indoor Pickleball and Golf, the largest indoor pickleball and golf facility in the U.S., with 16 courts. And coming in 2026 is Swing Racquet + Paddle, with 28 tennis, 25 pickleball and 15 padel courts, four beach tennis/volleyball courts and a table tennis lounge.
 

Somerset County, New Jersey

In Somerset County, “Our tennis courts and pickleball courts are shaping the community,” says Mike Watson, tennis manager for the Somerset County Park Commission (SCPC). “They are a place everyone comes to again and again. We develop people, not just tennis players.”
 

Among venues, the Green Knoll Tennis Center in Bridgewater has 10 tennis courts, which also are lined for youth and short-court play. The courts will be resurfaced in 2025, and four tennis courts will include lines for eight pickleball courts. Named USTA Eastern Section Organization of the Year in 2019, Green Knoll also plays host to the largest Special Olympics team in the state.
 

Colonial Park Tennis Center in Franklin Township has eight new tennis courts, four of which are also lined to create eight pickleball courts. At North Branch Greenway Park in Bridgewater, SCPC and Somerset County converted an old roller hockey rink into six standalone pickleball courts with lights, and the facility recently hosted the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup Pickleball Tournament.
 

Virginia

Throughout Virginia, says Danish Saadat of Sports Virginia, there is a diversity of destinations that offer players, coaches, tournament organizers and event owners plenty of options for tennis and pickleball. The big news, though, may be what’s happening in Loudon County, where the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation is building a Tennis Campus that will have 21 outdoor tennis courts (including a stadium court), 10 indoor tennis courts, eight outdoor pickleball courts and 12 indoor pickleball courts.
 

The venue will include a pro shop, player lounge, locker rooms, fitness area, event spaces, classrooms, conference rooms, an 8,000-square-foot Tournament Operations Center and much more.
 

“The new USTA Mid-Atlantic Tennis Campus will create champions in tennis and in life, providing increased access and opportunity for our sport and for the region,” says tennis legend Billie Jean King.
 

Elsewhere in the state, there are plenty of venues for tennis and pickleball. In the Roanoke area, for instance, the River’s Edge Sports Complex has six outdoor tennis courts at the foot of scenic Mill Mountain. The Roanoke Country Club has five indoor and six outdoor clay courts, as well as six pickleball courts, while the Salem Civic Center Complex includes eight hard tennis courts.
 

In the Virginia Beach area, the award-winning Virginia Beach Tennis & Country Club has 24 courts, including indoor courts, while the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center at Old Dominion University has 20 hard courts (eight indoors). Linnhaven Middle School has a 12-clay-court lighted complex, and many local high schools offer eight or more tennis courts. Pickleball Virginia Beach has 44 dedicated courts, many lighted, in three areas over 14 acres, with plenty of shade. SDM