Welcome to a Gentler, Friendlier, More Inclusive World of Tennis

Walk into Court 16, the new indoor tennis center in Newton, and the first thing you notice is what isn’t there: no dress code, no country club etiquette, and no sense that you’re being quietly judged for your backhand. Tennis here, it turns out, is trying something different.

The New York–born concept is built around a simple idea: You shouldn’t have to be good at tennis to start playing tennis. Instead of one intimidating full-size court, there’s a mix of 44-foot, 60-foot, and full-size courts, so you can build up gradually instead of getting thrown onto a full court on day one. There’s programming for beginners and more advanced players alike, including ball-machine sessions that sharpen technique and precision. Family memberships, camps, and community events make it easy to keep coming back. The point isn’t just to teach you the game. It’s to get you to stick with it.

That same spirit of access has deeper roots in Boston. Founded in 1961 by a group of community members who believed in tennis as a tool for opportunity, the Sportsmen’s Tennis & Enrichment Center in Dorchester was the first indoor nonprofit tennis club built by and for the African-American community. More than 60 years later, a major $20 million campus expansion—backed in part by the New Balance Foundation—is pushing that work forward in a significant way. The project, in its final phase this year, includes new outdoor tennis courts to support growing demand for youth programs, adult play, and tournaments, alongside broader upgrades including a larger fitness center, new education spaces, and an accessible welcome center.

Public courts are evolving, too. In Brookline, the long-closed Amory Tennis Center is reopening this spring after a full reconstruction, debuting six new clay courts alongside programming and amenities. The project wasn’t without debate—pickleball advocates pushed to convert the space—but the town ultimately doubled down on tennis, preserving one of the region’s few public clay-court experiences.

With these upgrades to the local tennis scene, the sport may be easier to try now, but it still rewards the same things it always has: time, focus, and repetition. The difference is that getting started no longer feels out of reach.