This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to London
It is said that the easiest way to get into the All England Lawn Tennis Club is to win the Wimbledon Championships. Truth be told, it’s not so much easier to get into any of London’s private tennis clubs, where lengthy waiting lists and eye-watering joining fees are the norm. But Londoners — and racket-toting visitors to London — are lucky. For the capital, according to the LTA, is home to some 3,000 tennis courts, about 60 per cent of which are located in its famous parks, gardens, commons and green spaces, and, critically, are accessible to all. They’re not all perfect — far from it — but what they lack in state-of-the-art facilities (loos, for example), they more than make up for in charm. And you never know who you might meet there. FT Globetrotter asked nine well-known Londoners about their beloved local courts.
Actor Jack Fox: Ruskin Park
Denmark Hill, London SE5 9AW
It was instilled in Jack Fox, son of actor James Fox, from a young age that tennis was a skill well worth acquiring. “My dad always used to say playing tennis was a good way of making contacts in LA because everyone used to go to the Beverly Hills Club to play tennis.” The networking opportunities may not be elite at Ruskin Park, the Edwardian-era park in south London, but the well-kept courts suit local resident Fox just fine. He’ll often “nab a court” there to play with actor and director pals from out of town, and he has a lovely tradition of playing there with his brother Robin (“a brilliant tennis player”) on Christmas Day, as well as at warmer times of year. “It’s got a nice atmosphere, it’s a real sun trap and you can reward yourself with an ice cream at the café next to the courts afterwards.” Resist the temptation to cool down in the children’s paddling pool on a hot day.
Model Laura Bailey: Holland Park
The Stable Yard, Ilchester Place, Kensington, london W8 6LU
Laura Bailey has played tennis on some of the world’s most beautiful courts — and has even co-authored a book on the subject, Courtship (Rizzoli, £50). She still feels a wave of nostalgia, however, when she walks her dogs past the municipal courts of Holland Park in west London each morning. For it was these modest courts that first ignited her passion for the sport when her children were little and she’d hit with a friend while their kids kicked a ball about nearby. These days she takes her game rather more seriously, training and competing at her club, but as a local resident, she cherishes the park: “Urban but peaceful, the tennis island in the park catches the west London sunset and both birdsong and the occasional distant opera from the theatre in the park.” Take a detour via the Kyoto Garden to see the peacocks if you can. Opera and peacocks — only in the Royal Borough!
Presenter and podcaster Miquita Oliver: Springfield Park
Clapton, London E5 9EF
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Features: Five hard courts, all free of charge; bike rides by the River Lea
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Cost: Free to use, not bookable
Miquita Oliver feeds off the intergenerational energy at the courts in Springfield Park in east London. “There’s a group of men in their 50s to 70s who’ve been playing there for years,” she says. “There’s this real bond between them and they’re all extremely fit. They really make you feel hopeful about getting older and playing sport with friends for years and years and years.” The fact that the courts are free to use — you just turn up and play — sits well with her: she longed to play as a child but could not afford it. Oliver eventually learnt at 26, and takes a weekly lesson with her coach at Springfield Park. She’s also “amassed a little crew” for singles games. “In London, we are so lucky with the number of courts we have. My main thing this year is I want to get around our city and see as much of it as I can. I’m going to use tennis courts to do that.”
Entrepreneur and content creator Max Klymenko: King Edward Memorial Park
Glamis Road, London E1W 3TD
“These courts, to me, epitomise urban London tennis,” says Max Klymenko, who learnt to play on the clay courts of clubs in his native Ukraine. “They’re in the middle of nowhere; there’s no view; there’s construction all around; and there are holes in the fence the dogs and foxes can get through.” One other thing: “They’re skewed; they’re not super-even. I use it to my advantage, especially if my opponent doesn’t know.” First-time visitors should also be aware that there are two abandoned courts at the north end of the park — what Klymenko calls “a tennis graveyard”. Head towards the river and the functioning courts with actual nets. If you’re looking for somewhere to sink a cold one after your exertions, the Prospect of Whitby, a historic riverside pub, is just a short walk away.
Ceramicist Henry Holland: Victoria Park
Tower Hamlets, London E9 5DY
Having played tennis as a child, fashion designer turned ceramicist Henry Holland only picked his racket back up a decade ago when he moved next door to Victoria Park in east London. When he’s up to it — throwing pots plays havoc with his right shoulder — he’s a regular on the park’s four courts, often hitting with the landlord of local pub The Empress. “Mike’s the ringmaster,” says Holland. “He brings together groups of local people who want to play. He’ll text when he’s got some courts booked and if I’m in town, I’ll play.” On a hot summer’s day, when the cricketers are out too, one can imagine oneself, just for a moment, transported to a quaint English village. “Growing up in the north of England where parks were this wasteland of rusting climbing frames and teenagers drinking cider, I feel so lucky to have such a beautiful open green space next to me.”
Creative consultant and ceramicist Kim Sion: Chiswick House and Gardens
Park Sports Chiswick, Chiswick House Grounds, Great West Road, London W4 3EP
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Features: Five hard courts (one floodlit); one floodlit carpet tennis court; four floodlit pickleball courts; Andy Murray fan art; a kitchen garden
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Cost: £11-£14 an hour via parksports.co.uk
Kim Sion goes to the 18th-century neo-Palladian Chiswick House and Gardens every day. “It’s my medicine,” she says. The tennis courts are by the west entrance. “I can walk Tony, the long-haired lilac chihuahua, to the park, then we go and play tennis and he sits under the bench watching.” Sion, who has played on and off since she was at school, takes a weekly lesson with her coach, Isaac. “I always do lessons because I have so far to go. It’s always been an inner fantasy that I would be incredible at tennis and every time I play, I get into that fantasy again. I put the little white skirt on, the little socks, the old school tennis kit, and imagine that there are lots of people watching me.” There is a RIBA award-winning café in the park, but Sion has a soft spot for the tennis-club tea shop hung with Andy Murray fan art. The best days to visit the park, not tennis-related, are Thursdays and Saturdays, when homegrown produce is sold at the Kitchen Garden.
Chef Neil Rankin: Clissold Park
Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, London N16 0BF
Neil Rankin has a nice little routine: coffee at Jolene bakery en route to the courts at Clissold Park in Stoke Newington, ice cream at Romeo & Giulietta on the way back afterwards — “If I’m feeling really chuffed with myself.” After an evening match with friends, he might also go for a meal and a few pints at The Clarence Tavern. “The entire point of playing tennis is so I can eat more food,” says the chef, currently in residence at the Railway Tavern in Dalston with his deep-dish pizzeria Little Earthquakes. “I eat a lot and still drink a lot, so I just need really high-intensity exercise that’s not boring.” There are eight courts, so you can get a court relatively easily, and six are floodlit, meaning you can hit until 9pm year round. And they’re shielded from the road by trees; any noise is from the nearby children’s playground and skate park. “There’s also a toilet next to them, which I think is a really useful thing for a tennis court to have!” says Rankin. Another reason for the attachment to Clissold Park? The deer and goats that are kept there. “I used to like cooking goats; now I like looking at them.”
Restaurateur Karam Sethi: Regent’s Park
Park Sports, York Bridge, Inner Circle, London NW1 4NU
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Features: 12 hard tennis courts (eight floodlit); two floodlit padel courts; café; tennis shop; racket hire and restringing service
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Cost: £16.40 to £19.55 via parksports.co.uk
For Karam Sethi, co-founder of JKS Restaurants, the 12 well-kept courts in Regent’s Park in central London are conveniently located 10 minutes from his home and 10 minutes from his Marylebone office. Midweek, he’ll rope in his friend Sanj, who works in the area, for a lunchtime match; at the weekend, he’ll pop down with his children, who take tennis lessons there. “I started watching and playing when I was around five, similar to my kids’ age now, and I’ve been playing casually for 35 years. It’s good for keeping my hand-eye co-ordination and timings in check.” Regulars like Sethi appreciate the club-like feeling around the clubhouse, a quaint mock Tudor cottage that houses a small café and tennis shop with a resident racket stringer. Padel and netball facilities make it quite a sporting hub.
Actor Henry Lloyd-Hughes: Hackney Downs
Downs Park Road, London E5 8NP
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Features: Five courts (two floodlit), one of which is free and non-bookable; good coffee
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Cost: From free of charge to £8 via clubspark.lta.org.uk
Henry Lloyd-Hughes packs his rackets in his suitcase when he’s on the road. When he was filming the 2024 Holocaust drama We Were the Lucky Ones in a Romanian winter, tennis with fellow cast members “under the bubble” (indoors) was a way of decompressing from the heavy nature of the work. When at home in London, he hops on his bike to Hackney Downs, which he likes because there’s one court you can’t book, so when a match runs over the allotted hour, you can complete it on court five. “It has a people’s court vibe,” he says. Lloyd-Hughes has a “roster of mates” he can play and also finds opponents via the local league and the Spin app. “Being an actor, when I’m employed, I’m really preoccupied, but when I’m not, I’m fantastic to play tennis with because I’m always free.” Play early then grab a coffee from the Calma van afterwards.
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