The Tennis Court

Every one of the world’s half a million tennis courts is, at its most basic, an identical blank canvas: a 78-foot by 36-foot rectangle, divided by a 3-foot-high net in its centre, and marked with eleven straight lines. But add in the elements of surface, space, wind, acoustics, crowds, shadows, humidity, and even air density, and every tennis court is unique-a work of art. And some are masterpieces.

Nick Pachelli curates and profiles 200 of the world’s most beautiful, iconic, significant, alluring, and idiosyncratic tennis courts from across the globe, each breathtakingly photographed. He explores the heavyweights, including Wimbledon’s All England Lawn Tennis Club, which employs a hawk to keep stray birds from soiling the meticulous lawns. Arthur Ashe, the Grandstand, and Court 17 in Flushing, Queens, where hundreds of thousands of tennis fans gather every summer for the US Open. And there’s Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland-Garros, whose clay seems to take on a different shade-burnt orange, burnt red, burgundy, umber-every time you see it.

We visit far-flung treasures, such as Waiheke Tennis Club in New Zealand, where you’ll need to take a plane, then a ferry, then a car or bus, and then walk before arriving there. Indoor marvels, including the Tennis Club de Belgique, which evokes the hushed, reverent feeling of a theatre, with skylights illuminating the court and leaving the spectators in the shadows. Hidden jewels, such as the tiny Tennis Club San Stin in Venice, a secret, single outdoor clay court tucked away behind a villa and a 15-foot wall shrouded with vines.

There are urban courts, including the Knickerbocker Field Club, deep in the heart of Flatbush, Brooklyn. Academies, like Rafael Nadal’s tennis temple in Mallorca, Spain. And the extreme: a single court completely isolated in the wilds of Scotland; a court in northern Spain revealed when the tide goes out, the sand hardens, and the metallic plates that serve as lines re-emerge; and a court in Kenya made out of termite mounds.

Throughout, Pachelli not only conducts a masterful, once-in-a-lifetime tour of the world’s best courts, but in his writing does something equally immersive: He captures the real passion-some might say obsession-that tennis inspires. Because it’s on the court, no matter how grandiose or mundane, whether in an exotic locale or around the corner, where tennis players truly see themselves. Where we come face-to-face with our temperament, our drive, our frustration, our bliss, our longing.

“This book made me fall in love with tennis all over again.”
―Rennae Stubbs, former world No. 1 and six-time Grand Slam champion

“How had I been so blind? I’d seen a tennis court as an arrangement of lines, neat boxes, a net. This book reveals so much more: spaces within spaces, quirks and surfaces, shadows and light, and the communities most of all. What a gift. I won’t look at the game the same way again.”
―Louisa Thomas, staff writer, The New Yorker

“A pure pleasure to read and peruse.”
―Christopher Clarey, New York Times bestselling author

“From Kent to Kenya, Marrakech to Melbourne. Indoors, outdoors. Seaside and underground. Pachelli captures the magic in this masterful book, which celebrates not just tennis, but this topspinning orb we call planet Earth.”
―Jon Wertheim, New York Times bestselling author and correspondent for 60 Minutes

“I’ve been around tennis all over the world, and this book truly speaks to the beauty and importance of tennis courts, whether at tennis academies or remote public courts. Every tennis player and fan will enjoy this book.”
―Patrick Mouratoglou, world-renowned tennis coach and founder of Mouratoglou Academy

“This book contains hundreds of beautifully photographed tennis courts. The real joy, though, is found in the stories that unfold about each one.”
―Katrina M. Adams, author and former president of the USTA

“Detailing the remote and far-removed to the legendary courts that have hosted the most storied events in tennis history, this gorgeous book lends us a lens to encounter the world.”
―Caitlin Thompson, founder of Racquet magazine

“Can’t travel right now? No worries; Nick Pachelli has got you covered. My recommendation: Open the book to a random page and start dreaming away. And who knows? One day you may find yourself exactly there. A truly dreamy book!”
―Andrea Petkovic, former top-10 professional tennis player, host, and writer

“A stunning celebration of tennis that speaks to the heart of anyone with a passion for a pastime.”―Tom Coyne, New York Times bestselling author