Andy Murray playing at Stoke Park in 2012 Pic: Carine06
Although most of us will never get the chance to play at Wimbledon like Andy Murray, you can still break out the tennis racket and work up a sweat on the court.
Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Hackney and Croydon offer plenty of public courts and programmes for tennis enthusiasts of all skills and levels. Below is a selection of the public courts available for use this summer.
Tower Hamlets
Victoria Park public tennis courts
Victoria Park, E9 5DU
Nestled within Victoria Park, four hard courts are available for public use. The facility includes a variety of programmes for youth and adults, and also offers adult social tennis and women-only games.
Bookings for a court can be done either online, or by phone 020 7193 8933 and cost £6 an hour for adults and £3 for under 18s.
Bethnal Green Gardens tennis courts Pic: ETC Sports
Bethnal Green Gardens tennis courts
Junction of Cambridge Heath Rd & Malcolm Place, E2 9PA
There are four hard courts in Bethnal Green Gardens. The courts here have floodlights, which allow the game to continue even as the sun sets for the evening. Bethnal Green offers an array of tennis camps and courses for children, youth, and adults seeking to improve their game.
Courts can be booked online and cost £6 an hour for adults and £3 for under 18s.
The courts at both of these Tower Hamlets locations were refurbished in 2012 to Lawn Tennis Association standards by ETC Sports.
Hackney
Hackney Downs tennis courts
Hackney Downs Park Road, E5
There are 4 hard tennis courts in Hackney Downs, all of which can be booked online. An annual membership to the Hackney City Tennis Club is also required, with fees ranging from £25 for adults, £5 for juniors, and free for under 8s.
The cost of a game is £4 per hour.
Hackney City Tennis Club, which oversees the tennis courts within some of Hackney’s public parks, offers summer camps for children, tennis clinics, and social clubs.
Britannia Leisure Centre, near to Shoreditch Park
40 Hyde Road, N1 5JU
If you want to play a game of tennis without the commitment of a yearly membership, Britannia Leisure Centre has an outdoor hard court available for bookings. It costs £6 an hour for adult non-members and £3.40 for concessions. You can book online or by telephone 020 7729 4485.
Croydon
Lucerne Road, Thornton Heath, London, London, CR7 7JH
The Trumble Gardens tennis courts offer five hard courts, with no bookings required. If a park attendant is present, it costs £5.90, otherwise it is free.
Shirley Church Recreation Grounds
Spring Park Road, Croydon, South London, CR0 5EL
This park offers two outdoor tennis courts located within the park grounds. As with Trumble Gardens, no booking is required and it costs £5.90 for adults if a park attendant is present. There are changing rooms and showers in the park.
Lewisham
Hilly Fields Crescent, SE4 1LE
Hilly Fields Park offers three hard tennis courts for public use and has excellent views over Lewisham and the City. There is no fee or booking required, so if you go when they are not busy you can practise your serve until it is perfect!
