Queen City Nerve’s Guide to Tennis and Pickleball in Charlotte
Where to play and what to expect
Yes, we know, you’re sick of hearing about pickleball. But did you know that, coming out of the Olympics and for years before that, the old-school game of tennis has also been on the rise?
The Williams sisters started a surge in popularity among women of color, helping to diversify what was once a lily-white sport, then COVID came through and boosted the demand even more.
According to the 2024 U.S. Tennis Participation Report, the percentage of the US population that played tennis at least once in the course of a year bounced from 5.8% in 2019 to 7.7% in 2023 (that’s 23.6 million people).
As part of our Need to Know series, in which we take questions from readers about any old thing that’s on their mind regarding city infrastructure, history and the like, one reader complained that there was no thorough resource for tennis players to know what spots were worth visiting. So we took it upon ourselves to compile such a resource below — and yes, pickleball is included.
We enlisted the help of Charlotte City Tennis to compile this guide, so we thank them. Consider signing up with the organization for local recreational and skill-level clinics from beginner through advanced.
Founded in 2012 with the goal of establishing quality tennis programming for the community, Charlotte City Tennis offers a comprehensive array of programs for both juniors and adults, regardless of skill level.
Book group classes, group lessons, private lessons and attend events through the Charlotte City Tennis website or by downloading the app on your phone. Drop-in rates range from $25-$35 for recreational clinics and large-group lessons. Private lessons range from $40-$75.
You can check out more about county-maintained courts at the county’s website.
WHERE TO PLAY TENNIS IN CHARLOTTE
SUGAW CREEK PARK
941 W. Sugar Creek Road
Number of courts: 6
Lights: Yes, but only 1-3 work
Reservation: Yes
Rating: 3 out of 5
Located on Sugar Creek Road in north Charlotte, Sugaw Creek Park is a great place for a walk-on game of tennis or pickleball as the courts are used less frequently than other larger parks in the county. The courts don’t offer much shade as the sun crests to the west side of the park without much tree coverage until late afternoon; right-handed players will serve into the sun on the far side of the courts and left-handers on the near side (from the parking lot).
All of the nets are in fair condition but the courts are currently cracked most of the way through the service boxes and no-man’s land, with grass and weeds sprouting in some spots. The availability and accessibility of these courts on the north side of the city earn it a 3 out of 5, but the county could put some effort into the lighting situation and resurfacing. There are viewing benches outside of the playing area, but not in the bank of courts. A hitting wall is located on court 6.
FREEDOM PARK
1900 East Blvd.
Number of courts: 10 tennis courts, 6 pickleball courts
Lights: Yes
Reservation: Yes
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Located in the heart of the city, Freedom Park has two banks of tennis courts and one bank of pickleball courts. One bank is on the corner of East Boulevard and Maryland Avenue with dedicated parking off of East. This bank is open for public reservation. It is also the bank of courts the county contracts to Charlotte City Tennis (CCT) to run junior and adult public tennis programs. CCT has donated benches on each bank, and there is a good amount of tree covering in the afternoon for shade. There are no bathrooms for the bank of courts. Players need to walk into the center of the park to access restrooms.
The courts are in good condition, but the windscreens need attention. The best times for walk up or reservation play are mid afternoon during the week and during the afternoon/evenings on weekends. The bank of four courts in the park are located by the soccer fields and are accessible through the main entrance to the park off East Boulevard. These courts are not nearly as well maintained and have windscreen issues. They are available for walk-up play on a first-come, first-served basis. There are six pickleball courts here that are new and in very nice condition. They are available to be reserved.
PARK ROAD PARK TENNIS CENTER
6215 Park Road
Number of courts: 12 tennis courts
Lights: Yes
Reservation: Yes
Rating: 3 out of 5
Park Road Park Tennis Center is a 12-court facility located off of, you guessed it, Park Road. The entrance is across the street from the main entrance to Park Road. Eight courts are available for reservation online while four courts are available for walk-up play — first come, first to serve. USTA league play, school teams and public tennis programs offered through CCT all share use of the eight reservable courts. During the weeknights and weekend mornings, it can be very crowded with a long wait to access the free courts.
There is one teaching court surrounded by a fence that has adequate shade throughout the day. The remaining 11 courts can be exposed to the elements, and there is a lack of windscreens. The county maintains bathrooms, a water fountain, and a gazebo with picnic tables adjacent to the courts. Limited trash cans means trash gets left on the courts regularly.
JEFF ADAMS TENNIS CENTER
1200 W. Tyvola Road
Number of courts: 13 tennis courts
Lights: Yes
Reservation: Yes
Rating: 4 out of 5
Jeff Adams Tennis Center is the tennis portion of Renaissance Park, located in southwest Charlotte. Courts 1-4 and 13 are available for walk-up play. Courts 5-12 are reservable online, but are sometimes reserved for USTA league play and instruction by CCT. The courts are in decent shape with minimal cracks, though the lines are starting to fade. Courts 1-4 have the most shade during the morning time.
This facility is not busy during the morning and early afternoon on weekdays. Weeknights and weekend mornings are popular for instruction, league play and walk-up play so getting a court can be tough. The bathrooms have been renovated, but the water fountain has been inoperable for months. This has potential to be one of the nicest facilities in Charlotte, but the neglect of facilities by the county prevents it from reaching its potential.
FIVE POINTS PARK
200 French St.
Number of courts: 2
Lights: No
Reservation: No
Rating: 4 out of 5
Five Points Park is a quiet and tucked away park in the Five Points neighborhood between Rozzelles Ferry Road and Brookshire Freeway near Johnson C Smith University. There are only two courts at this park, but they are in rather pristine condition. There is great shade coverage in the afternoon on the court nearest the parking lot as the sun starts to set in the west behind large trees adjacent to the courts.
These courts are not reservable and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are no bathrooms at this location. There are no noticeable cracks through the courts and the lines are in fairly great condition. Sometimes you may come across pickleball lines that have been drawn in chalk and there are a lot of fallen leaves and dirt collected near the fences from run-off after the rain. There is only one bench near the courts and it is located outside of the playing area.
ALEXANDER STREET PARK
739 E. 12 St.
Number of courts: 6
Lights: No
Reservation: Yes
Rating: 4 out of 5
Alexander Street Park is a small neighborhood park located just off of I-277 near the Villa Heights and Belmont neighborhoods. There are six courts that have recently been resurfaced, but those get a lot of play at any time of the week, so we expect the lines to fade over time. There are no lights or restrooms at this park, and it can be difficult to find an open court for walk-on play at times. You can make reservations through the county website, though some courts are reserved on specific days for instruction.
Do not expect much shade during the daytime hours. The fledgling trees around the courts are not tall enough to provide any coverage. The sun crests on the southwest side of the park where there is no tree coverage at all. Shade starts to come into courts later in the afternoon near the baseline on the parking lot side. A lot of pickleball players frequent this park and it can be loud with a lot of balls rolling onto neighboring courts during play. The fences extrude slightly on either side of the court to maintain tennis balls in your play area which can be helpful in avoiding running them down behind other players. These are very good quality courts and would receive a 5 out of 5 rating if not for the lack of lighting, shade and public facilities.
LIFE TIME
11220 Golf Links Drive
Number of courts: 20
Lights: Yes
Reservation: Yes
Rating: 5 out of 5
Life Time is a private club in the Ballantyne area with membership running around $300 per month or $100 for a day. This place feels like a resort and offers 10 indoor and 10 outdoor tennis courts. Outdoor courts are a mixture of hard courts and clay courts and everything is well-maintained with coolers of water available throughout the space and shoe cleaners for when you get done with your match or practice on the clay courts.
If you can find a member to play with, you can access the indoor courts for a guest fee of $15 and the outdoor courts for free. There’s also a shop on site. The outdoor courts do not offer much shade during the daytime hours since the courts face north/south and the sun moves right overhead without many trees on the east/west sides of the court banks. There are covered benches at each court for some relief during the day.
MASON WALLACE PARK
7301 Monroe Road
Number of courts: 8
Lights: Yes, but for only courts 1-4
Reservation: Yes
Rating: 4 out of 5
The two tennis court banks at Mason Wallace Park on Monroe Road near Matthews are completely surrounded by tree coverage, offering great shade in the mornings and afternoons for match play. The trees are large, mature and dense and offer a valley of relief from the heat of direct sunlight. Many of the more popular courts in the Charlotte area provide blue courts with green borders, but Mason Wallace offers green courts with a clay-red border, which offers a change of scenery, at least.
There are viewing benches outside of the fence surrounding the courts, with a grassy sloped bank for viewing if friends or family wanted to set up a picnic to watch your match. There are no benches inside of the playing area, though. Courts 1-4 are set up side-by-side with lights available and courts 5-8 are set up in two-by-two quadrants with no lights available. The courts are pretty worn and with minimal cracks, though the crack repairs are visible throughout the play area and borders.
VETERANS PARK
2136 Central Ave.
Number of courts: 6
Lights: Yes
Reservation: Yes
Rating: 4 out of 5
Veterans Park in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood is a very popular park for tennis in Charlotte. The county keeps these courts surfaced well and the nets are in fair condition. The courts are reservable online through the county website and courts 1 and 2 are often reserved for instruction after school hours.
The courts face north/south so the sun comes directly overhead most of the day with no tree coverage on the east side of the courts, though there is good tree cover on the north and west sides. The lights make play easy into the night hours before the park closes. Each court has a long bench for storage and rest between sets and there is a hitting wall on court 2 for practice.
Note: Though there is a lack of maintained courts on the west side of the city, that does not mean they don’t exist. The new West Charlotte High School tennis courts off of Beatties Ford Road are beautiful, and Charlotte residents can walk on and play matches without a reservation at public schools. Five Points Park listed in these reviews is tucked away in the Five Points neighborhood, and a little further north is Sugaw Creek Park that are great places to play a match on the north and west sides of the city. There is also Frazier Park, Coulwood Park, Hornets Nest Park, Martin Luther King Park and others.
RESERVABLE COURTS
Tennis
- Alexander Street Park: Courts 1-4
- Colonel Francis J. Beatty Park: Courts 2&3
- Freedom Park: Courts 1-6
- Hornets Nest Park: Courts 1-8
- Jeff Adams Tennis Center: Courts 5-12
- Mason Wallace Park: Courts 2,3,4,7,8
- Park Road Park: Courts 5-12
- Sugaw Creek Park: Courts 1-4
- Veterans Park: Courts 3-6
Pickleball
- Clarks Creek Park: Courts 1-5
- Clanton Park: Courts 1-4
- Freedom Park: Courts 11, 12, 14, 15
- MLK Park: Courts 2,3,5,6
Hybrid
- Latta Park: Courts 1-4
- Tuckaseegee Park: Courts 1-4
Open Play Courts
Tennis
- Alexander Street Park: Courts 5&6
- Colonel Francis J. Beatty Park: Courts 1&4
- Freedom Park: Courts 7-10
- Hornets Nest Park: Courts 9-12
- Jeff Adams Tennis Center: Courts 1-4 & 13
- Marion Diehl Park: Courts 1-4
- Mason Wallace Park: Courts 1, 5, & 6
- Park Road Park: Courts 1-4
- Sugaw Creek Park: Courts 5&6
- Veterans Park: Courts 1&2
Pickleball
- Clarks Creek Park: Courts 6-8
- Clanton Park: Courts 5&6
- Freedom Park: Courts 13&16
- MLK Park: Courts 1&4
Hybrid
- Latta Park: Courts 5&6
- Tuckaseegee Park: Courts 5&6
Mecklenburg Park and Recreation plans on delivering up to 55 new outdoor courts as part of its five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP.) Out of the new and Board approved $4-billion plan, $437 million will be allocated to 37 Park and Recreation projects, including greenways, a new park at Eastland Yards, improvements for soldier facilities, lake dredging projects and new amenities such as skate parks and pickleball courts.
PICKLEBALL BUSINESSES AND COURTS IN CHARLOTTE
Pickleball Charlotte
Pickleball Charlotte offers clinics, lessons, group outings, social events, open play, court rentals, tournaments and leagues. The organization also sponsors free clinics and resources to help grow and promote the sport for all current and future players with four locations: Ballantyne, Sharon Lakes, Northlake and Sports Connection on Granite Street in southwest Charlotte.
Lifetime Athletic
Lifetime Athletic offers a welcoming atmosphere for all pickleball enjoyers. Whether you’re looking to jump into a new sport and perfect your skills and serve, Lifetime offers lessons, leagues, drills, clinics, tournaments, mixers, clinics, as well as seven indoor clay courts. Membership fee includes access to the pickleball facility as well as other amenities such as a restaurant, equipment store, private training and groups lessons.
More: Open seven days a week; membership required; 11220 Golf Links Drive
Rally Pickleball
Founded in 2021 by Barrett Worthington and Meg Charity, Rally started as an app that connected tennis players with coaches. It wasn’t long until they shifted their focus to pickleball and creating meaningful connections within the community. For Rally, the duo wanted to create a recreational experience like no other, combining curated culinary offerings, craft cocktails and a social outlet for pickleball players to enjoy.
Rally has indoor and outdoor facilities, offering various leagues, classes and social events such as Courts and Coffee, Rally Shuffle, Rally Social and Paddle Battle, plus a slate of tournaments.
More: Open seven days a week; prices vary; 101 Southside Drive
Charlotte Tennis and Pickleball
Charlotte Tennis and Pickleball features 18 courts — 12 indoors and six outdoor. They also offer a restaurant, an equipment store, and private trainers and group lessons. They plan to offer padel courts in the future, one of the fastest growing racquet/paddle sports in the world with currently only six courts available to play in the state.
More: Times vary; memberships or one-time fees available; 8401 Sharon Lakes Road
UPCOMING PICKLEBALL VENUES
The Picklr
With over 30 locations across the country, The Picklr is a premier indoor pickleball club open for players of all different levels with open play, leagues and tournaments. The indoor facility will offer amenities such as 15 courts, outdoor surfacing, a ball machine, pro shop, private event area, league play, tournaments & drop-in play, court reservations as well as locker rooms and showers. The Picklr’s grand opening is set for late December of this year near Camp North End.
The Serve Pickleball + Kitchen
Expected to open early 2025, The Serve will be located just north of Charlotte in the Lake Norman area. Their mission is to bring the community together as a unique indoor/outdoor sports and entertainment complex. For pickleball players, you can expect open play, leagues and lessons with 10 indoor and six outdoor pickleball courts. The venue will also offer four Topgolf swing suites, five different dining and bar options, memberships, private events, classes as well as other special events.
TENNIS AND PICKLEBALL GROUPS
CLT Paddle Battle
CLT Paddle Battle is a year-round pickleball league that offers players the opportunity to play against one another in the area. The leagues offer competitive matches that go toward the league standings while players fight for a playoff spot. Paddle Battle is designed to allow participants to play at their convenience, improve their game and meet others who enjoy a good game.
Paddle Battle offers beginner women’s/men’s doubles, mixed intermediate doubles, mixed advanced doubles, men’s intermediate doubles, men’s advanced doubles, women’s intermediate doubles, social doubles, singles and more.
- Current league: Fall 2024 ($20/person)
- Deadline to register: Sept. 6 (a $5 late fee will be applied for anyone registering after the set date)
- League dates: Sept. 7-Nov. 8
- Playoff dates: Nov. 9-16
Charlotte Squash & Pickleball Club
The Charlotte Squash & Pickleball Club aims to provide information, equipment, training assistance, adult programs, clinics, individual and group lessons, closed tournaments and more. Their junior programs cater to over 100 participants, including five schools (private and public) that compete in leagues, training and tournaments.
Paddle Party
Skill-based divisions ensure fair matchups and competitive gameplay, allowing players of all levels to enjoy an engaging pickleball experience tailored to their skill level. With flexible scheduling options, they ensure you can play matches at a time that works for you.
Terri’s Tennis Ladder
With ladders for singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, this league offers an opportunity to meet other players at your level and offers flexibility on schedule. Participants play whenever they want, wherever is find convenient.
Four seasons are offered each year, lasting 8-10 weeks each with a playoff tournament at the end. Players get points for each challenge match they play, with ladder changes updating weekly.
- Current league: Fall 2024 ($30/singles and $25/doubles per player)
- Deadline to register: July 29 (a $5 late fee will be applied for anyone registering after the set date)
- League dates: Aug. 5-Oct. 20
- Playoff dates: Oct. 26-27
