Chris Dukas joined The West Side Tennis Club in 2010. Since then, he's had both knees replaced and taken a multi-year break from the sport.
That just made his comeback even better.
Chris didn't grow up playing tennis. He was a competitive rower and picked up tennis on the side.
His uncle, a tennis pro, saw potential early and told Chris's father, "Give me six months with this kid and I'll have him on the circuit." Chris was 13 at the time. None of his friends played, so he didn’t have much interest.
Years later, after moving to New York, Chris walked past The West Side regularly. "I used to look in and tell myself, one day I'm going to be a member here," he says.
He spent time overseas, played occasionally, and eventually made his way back to Forest Hills. He joined The West Side not long after.
"I was extremely fast, and I didn't tire. My eye and hand coordination was good. I'd be at the net, and I was deadly," he says.
Chris played for years after joining, getting more consistent and building his game.
Then, his knees started to fail.
"It's an impossible game to play with bad knees," he says. Good mobility is everything in tennis, and once his was impacted, the rest of his game was, too. He remembers watching other members from the gym and thinking, "I want to be out there."
Chris eventually had both knees replaced.
After his first knee surgery, Chris moved quickly to get back on the court, eager to make up for lost time. Soon after, his other knee started to fail, and he went in for a second surgery.
Once both knees were fixed, his game came back.
"People ask me if I'm taking lessons," he says. "I can move now. I'm getting shots that would've been impossible five years ago."
Chris is quick to mention the club's new tennis director, Christopher Sanni. "He's encouraging. He gives us tips every day with a big smile on his face."
"Aside from tennis, it's a huge social scene. I don't think I'd play the game if it wasn't for The West Side."
Today, Chris plays as often as his schedule allows. "If I could play every day, I would," he says.
He doesn’t care much about rankings. He's chasing the challenge.
"Tennis challenges you at every level. If you accept the challenge, you get better." Whether he's playing mixed doubles or working through drills alone on the ball machine, his goal is to keep improving and have fun doing it.
Chris credits the game and The Club, "I think being at The West Side will add years to my life. Truly, in a lot of ways."