The Tennis Traveler: Don’t miss these hot tennis destinations in New York and London

On Wednesday, Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro are taking over Madison Square Garden for The Garden Cup. Two days later, at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, is the grand finale of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown. Alex de Minaur, Jan-Lennard Struff, Gael Monfils, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Alexander Bublik, Holger Rune, Andrey Rublev and Ugo Humbert will convene and compete for UTS' Zeus Trophy.

As New York City and London prepare for some hot-shot tennis, we’re taking a deeper dive into the hot-shot tennis destinations in the two major cities.

NEW YORK: Hudson River Courts

Commonly shared on Instagram Reels is this aesthetic, three-court tennis park located near Pier 40 in New York City. Open 19 hours a day, every day of the week, these courts not only look good, but make you want to play better—you wouldn’t want to shank a ball over the fence into the river, right?

Play is limited to one hour per group, and as everything in NYC goes, the wait time can be anywhere from nothing to an all-day campout on the benches. Our advice: Pack a lunch, play some music, and maybe bring a pillow or two to make the bench feel cozier. In any case, the wait is worth the experience.

LONDON: The Hurlingham Club

Spread across 42 acres adjacent to the River Thames is one of the world’s most exclusive member's club, with an estimated 15-year waitlist.

Frequented by the Prince and Princess of Wales, the tennis courts are only a fraction of the facilities, including botanical gardens, croquet and the Georgian Clubhouse—regarded as the birthplace of polo.

For 30 years, the Hurlingham Club has hosted the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic, one of tennis’ most intimate social events, ahead of Wimbledon. Tennis favorites across generations of the sport have competed here, from former pros Pete Sampras and Boris Becker to modern stars like Carlos Alcaraz.

NEW YORK: Grand Central Terminal

Although a new find for most tennis fans, this one-court wonder has been open to the public since 2011.

Vanderbilt Tennis Club has multiple locations throughout Manhattan, but Grand Central Terminal holds its holy grail of courts. Court, that is. One regulation-size court overlooks Park Avenue, and few of the Terminal’s estimated 750,000 visitors every day will ever see it.

Hourly rates vary per season and time of day, with a “night owl” specialty rate—this is, after all, in the city that never sleeps.

Read: Marta Kostyuk’s photoshoot inside NYC’s Grand Central Terminal came together in just 7 minutes

LONDON: Roehampton Club

Another pristine tennis club in southwest London is this 28-court facility spanning various surface types.

Run by The All England Lawn Tennis Club, Roehampton's courts host hundreds of players annually for Wimbledon’s qualifying tournament in June.

“Many people will tell you,” Sally Bolton, CEO of the All England Club, told the Associated Press, “this is still the best-kept secret in tennis in London.”

The courts were recently refurbished in 2019, and the club offers both junior and adult programs, social competitions, events and annual tournaments. Not only did the club also introduce two padel courts in 2021, but it's a proud partner of Racquets Cubed, a charity for inner-city children, and hosts weekly squash and tennis programs in support.

NEW YORK JERSEY: Novak Djokovic’s US Open Destination

Before you scroll past this blurb because the location is technically on the Jersey side of the Hudson River, consider that Novak Djokovic has won the US Open four times by training in New Jersey.

A private fieldhouse in Alpine, N.J., where Djokovic practices and occasionally resides every August ahead of the season's last Slam, holds one court for every surface of the game, with grass being the most recent installation.

Rumor has it that the Serbian star even has a private house on the property for his family.

Not only does Djokovic train there, but many pros like Stan Wawrinka have been invited to practice with him there, as well as train throughout the calendar year.

LONDON: Holland Park Lawn Tennis Club

A most underrated tennis destination in London, Holland Park Lawn Tennis Club is one stop away from Notting Hill, and adjacent to the London School of English.

The grass courts here prioritize doubles play during rush hour, and offer a full program of tournaments, social events—including ‘club nights’—and coaching sessions and camps. Also near the tennis club is the Leighton House Museum and Kyoto Gardens, both of which are in the official Holland Park off Abbotsbury Road.

There is currently a two-to-three-year waitlist for membership.