With the warmer weather on the horizon, it’s high time you donned your tennis whites and hit the courts. Luckily for budding Serenas, London is home to some incredible private and pay-as-you-go clubs, the most exclusive of which have several sporting greats on their membership books. From The Hurlingham Club to the Barbican Estate, these are the capital’s best tennis courts on which to practise your serve.
All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon
Facilities: State-of-the-art gym, croquet court, clubhouse, restaurant, sports shop
Surfaces: Grass, acrylic
Membership fee: Price upon request
Notable members: Princess of Wales, Tim Henman, Cliff Richard
It’s easy to forget that aside from hosting the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club is a fully functioning private members’ club – with an application process more difficult than returning John Isner’s serve. The club, which boasts immaculate grass courts and a state-of-the-art gym, has just 565 full members and a waiting list of around 1,000 people. Additionally, there are approximately 100 handpicked temporary members and a number of honorary members, including Tim Henman and Maria Sharapova.
The Princess of Wales was awarded honorary membership in 2013 and is now the club’s patron, taking over from Queen Elizabeth II in 2016. ‘Club Privileges’ include a dedicated seat on Centre Court during Wimbledon, so if you are successful in joining, you may find yourself rubbing shoulders in the members’ enclosure alongside McEnroe and Federer.
Church Road, SW19 5AG, visit wimbledon.com
The Hurlingham Club, Fulham
Image: David Flett
Facilities: Croquet court, cricket grounds, squash courts, fitness centre, spa, indoor and outdoor pools, reading room, clubhouse, restaurants
Surfaces: Grass, hard, clay
Membership fee: Price upon request
Dress code: Tennis whites
Notable members: Roman Abramovich, Pippa Middleton, Lord Fowler, Lord Temple-Morris
The Hurlingham Club counts the Prince and Princess of Wales among regulars and has a rumoured waitlist of more than 15 years, making it one of the most exclusive members’ clubs in the world. Roman Abramovich once unsuccessfully attempted to buy the club for £1 billion and pay off existing members with £1 million apiece, but was promptly rebuffed.
This prestigious riverside institution in Fulham opened its doors in 1869 and prides itself on its “elegant and congenial ambiance”. The club also boasts manicured gardens, outdoor pools, four indoor squash courts and a fitness centre, with a half-size Olympic indoor pool and a plush spa. Guests are expected to be just as well-kept as the grounds: a strict dress code frowns upon flip flops and it is compulsory to wear tennis whites when playing (at least 80 per cent of each item of clothing must be white). Curse if you must after a double-fault, at the risk of the prim peacocks giving you a sideward glance.
Ranelagh Gardens, SW6 3PR, visit hurlinghamclub.org.uk
Queens Club, West Kensington
Facilities: Clubhouse, restaurant, cafe, museum, function suites
Surfaces: Grass, shale, Plexi courts and artificial grass
Membership fee: Registration fee of £207, membership fee agreed upon application
Dress code: Tennis whites
Notable members: Andy Murray, Boris Becker, Feliciano López
Andy Roddick, who dominated the Queen’s Club Championships during the early 2000s, has called the courts at the Queen’s Club “arguably the best in the world”. Concluding the week before the grass-court championships at Wimbledon, the Queen’s Club Championships has welcomed the world’s greatest tennis players over the years, including Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic. The club gives honorary life membership to the winners of each championship, meaning that you could be practicing your swerve alongside Boris Becker.
Interesting fact: Roger Federer has never played at Queen’s because, in his early days as a pro, he was declined a wildcard to the tournament — a decision Queen’s probably regrets. Membership to the club is dependent on one being proposed and seconded by two existing members.
Palliser Road, W14 9EQ, visit queensclub.co.uk
Roehampton Club, Wandsworth
Facilities: Gym, indoor and outdoor pool, wellness studios, 18-hole golf course, squash courts, croquet, clubhouse, sports shop
Surfaces: Grass, synthetic grass, Poraflex® acrylic court, smash courts, mini courts
Membership fee: From £1,580
Head southwest of central London towards Barnes and Richmond and the capital takes on a more leisurely atmosphere with leafy streets and quaint 19th-century homes. The Roehampton Club, set in a hundred acres of parkland close to Richmond Park, is known for having some of the finest grass courts in the country — many tennis pros play here at an intimate pre-Wimbledon tournament. Alongside the tennis, there are myriad sporting and leisure facilities including an 18-hole golf course.
Roehampton Lane, SW15 5LR, visit roehamptonclub.co.uk
Holland Park Lawn Tennis Club, North Kensington
Facilities: Clubhouse
Surfaces: Grass, synthetic grass
Membership fee: £650 per year, plus £1,500 joining fee
Set on a quiet hilltop and surrounded by affluent Holland Park Avenue mansions, the Lawn Tennis Club is a firm favourite of sporty types from Notting Hill and beyond — many of whom treat it like a second home. The club has eight courts in total. Five of these are all-weather (artificial grass) courts, which are floodlit and open throughout the year, while the remaining three are grass courts, open between May and September. It’s well worth mentioning the club’s opening hours: seven days a week, from 8am until 9.30pm — you can no longer blame your sketchy serve on lack of practice.
1 Addison Road, W14 8DU, visit hollandparkltc.co.uk
Golden Lane Tennis Courts, City of London
Facilities: Indoor swimming pool, gym and fitness centre
Surface: Hard court
Membership fee: From £55 per month
In what must be one of the most unique residential estates in Europe, the Golden Lane tennis courts are situated next to the Barbican Estate, a Grade-II listed Brutalist masterpiece. Courts are available for all members of the public to use by booking online. With apartment balconies overlooking the courts, you’d better hope your backhand is on form.
Fann Street, EC1Y 0SH, visit fusion-lifestyle.com
Park Sports, across London
Regents Park, London
Facilities: Site-dependent
Surfaces: Synthetic grass, hard court
Fee: From £14.50 per hour
With multiple courts throughout London, Park Sports, previously known as Will to Win, is the easiest way to start playing tennis in the capital. The organisation offers a ‘Pay & Play’ scheme meaning tennis courts can be booked up to three days in advance. There are tennis courts available at the following locations: Chiswick House Gardens, Hyde Park, Greenwich Park, Lammas Park, Pitshanger Park and Regent’s Park.
Across London, visit parksports.co.uk
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