Every spring in New York, tennis courts across the city fill with players eager to return after months away.
But those first games back might be trickier than you thought. Perhaps your doubles partner moved to a different club, your regular Saturday group disbanded over winter, and the intermediate clinic you loved is now full of new faces.
This pattern of “starting over” goes deeper than rusty skills.
When you only play during New York's outdoor season, you rebuild your tennis community from scratch each year. Meanwhile, year-round players return to the same partners every week.
At The West Side Tennis Club, members spend summer outside on the grass courts and move indoors when the weather turns.
“When the summer ends, it doesn't mean that tennis or other racquet sports stop,” says Mikhail Esipov, Director of Adult Programming at The West Side Tennis Club. “We continue the whole year because we put the bubbles up. We have 10 indoor courts.”
“People don't have a pause or a break after their busy summer,” Mikhail says. “It just rolls into the fall and the winter.”
When you meet weekly in every season, you learn each other's playing styles, and trust builds on the court and off it. Soon, you're grabbing coffee after matches and celebrating birthdays together. Over time, these tennis friends become some of your closest.
“We create a unique vibe where people feel that they don't disconnect from the club,” Mikhail says. “They see their friends on a daily basis, and I think it's very important for our members.”
Tennis is the heart of The West Side, and members have other racquet sports to mix into their year.
“The whole year, there are activities across different racquet sports, whether it’s tennis or platform,” Mikhail says.
Platform tennis picks up when the temperature drops. Members play it outside through the winter, and it ranks among the most social games at the club. Padel gives members another option that new players can pick up quickly.
On a January weekday, the first clinic starts before most of the city heads to work. Sunrise, one of the club's most popular winter programs, begins at 7:00 a.m. inside the bubbles, the air-supported structures that cover the indoor courts.
“People come before work and get their workout in,” Mikhail says. “It sets off a good start to their day, and then they go off to work in a good mood.”
As the morning goes on, the clubhouse becomes the gathering spot for members who arrive early for lessons. “People hang out there,” he says. “They drink their coffee and chat before the clinic or the lesson.”
Out on the courts, the bubbles stay busy. “We have clinics and lessons, and members play doubles and singles,” Mikhail says.
“We see a variety of players at different levels,” Mikhail says. “We offer beginner-friendly programming for people who are new to tennis and just want to learn the sport.”
“Members who are more serious and more advanced can sign up for programming with more specific drilling,” he says.
The club's strongest players stay busy too. They set up their own singles matches with one another. “Our club attracts a lot of high-level players who love to compete,” Mikhail says. “They go after each other on the court, but again, it's fun.”
If you're new to tennis, winter may be the perfect season to begin.
“Outside, you have obstacles like the sun and the wind,” Mikhail says. “Beginners don't like it because the ball is moving from side to side.”
Indoors, those variables go away. “You're comfortable there. The temperature is always controlled,” he says. “You have much less to worry about, so you can focus on your technique and your form.”
Mikhail sees the colder months as preparation for the year ahead. “You can build your fundamentals,” he says. “Then you show off in the summer.”
By the time the grass courts open, you'll head outside with a steadier game and friends you met indoors.
Are you ready to discover the player you could become when weather no longer holds you back?