Tennis at Central Park and Prospect Park

Two of our more popular tennis courts, the Central Park Tennis Center at 93rd Street and the Prospect Park Tennis Center at Parkside Avenue, each have their own policies. Find out more before you head to the courts.

Prospect Park Policies

For more information about the Prospect Park Tennis Center, or to reserve a court, please visit the Prospect Park Alliance's Prospect Park Tennis Center page, or call 718-436-2500.

Central Park Policies

Hours

Tennis courts open at 7:00 a.m. The last hour of play varies by month, ranging from 2:00-3:00 p.m. to 7:00-8:00 p.m.

Reserve a Court

The easiest way to reserve a court at Central Park is through our online tennis reservation system. Advance reservations cost $15 per court, per hour. 

Every player on the court must have a valid single-play ticket or season permit before playing. You can also purchase single-play tickets along with your reservation. You can book a reservation up to 1 - 30 days in advance, up until midnight on the day before play.

Reserve a Court Online Now

Reserve a Court in Person or by Phone

If you do not want to or cannot reserve a court online, tennis permit holders can also purchase advance reservation tickets at the Central Park Tennis Center. You can also purchase tickets from the Arsenal Permit Office, Paragon Sports, or our Borough Permit Offices. These tickets are not reservations, but they can be redeemed by visiting the Central Park Tennis Center or calling (212) 280-0205 ext. 2 on Mondays-Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to make a reservation. Please allow two weeks for delivery.

You may also visit the Central Park Tennis Center on the day you want to play, and walk in to use a court. All courts are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. All players require a tennis permit or single-play permit to play. Single play permits are sold in-person at the Central Park Tennis Center, where only cash is accepted.

Purchase a Locker Room Rental

You may purchase a locker for the season at the Central Park Tennis Courts. Rentals are $20.00.

You can review the Locker Room Floor Plan if you have a preference of specific locker.

Purchase a Locker Room Rental

Central Park Tennis Guidelines

Before visiting the Central Park Tennis Center, please make sure that you observe our citywide tennis rules & regulations. The Central Park Tennis Center has additional guidelines for you to follow.

Court Guidelines

  • Photo ID along with your valid tennis permit or single play ticket will be required at sign in.
  • No personal property beyond a small backpack permitted on the court.
  • No more than three balls permitted on the court.
  • No more than four people permitted on the court.
  • Must have minimum of two players to play on the courts at any time. No practicing serves alone.
  • Please wait for the hourly bell before entering your court.
  • Only players with smooth sole tennis shoes will be permitted on the courts. No running shoes are allowed on the clay courts.
  • Attendant in charge makes final decision in court assignment or any disputes.
  • Violation of any rules or regulations will result in cancellation of the permit.
  • Tennis lessons may only be given by the concessionaire. No tennis lessons are permitted by outside pros.

In addition, please observe the following guidelines when reserving courts and when signing up for courts in person.

Signing Up and Showing Up

  • In-person sign up begins at 6:30 a.m. during tennis season (April-November). Players can sign up for one hour of singles (2 players) or two hours of doubles (4 players) using a Season Permit or a Single Play Permit.You must have two players present to sign up for two hours of doubles. One for the first hour, one for the second hour.
  • Not all players have to be present to sign up for a court, but all players must check in at least 15 minutes before their hour of play. Players who are late checking in will lose their court.
  • After players are checked in, if all players are not on the court after the first 15 minutes of play, they will lose the court, and the No Show List will be called.

The No Show List and the Repeat List

  • If there are no courts available, eligible players may sign up on the No Show list. This list is called 10 minutes to the hour for courts that have opened up due to no shows.
  • Courts that are not signed up for will be given to the next available players on the No Show List.
  • If the player is not present when his or her name is called, that player will be removed from the list.
  • Players who have played for one hour and would like to play again may join the Repeat List, which will only be called after all the players on the No Show list have been assigned court time.

Reservation Guidelines

  • Courts may be reserved from 1 - 30 days in advance, and each player can hold up to five active reservations at a time.
  • Only one reservation may be made for any particular day.
  • You may purchase up to two reservations per day online.
  • All players must check in no later than five minutes before the hour of play. If either player is late, you will lose your court and reservation.
  • Cancellations must be made at least one day before scheduled play.

Weather Conditions and Cancellations

  • For weather conditions and court availability, please call (212) 280-0205 ext. 1
  • Rain checks will be issued for reserved courts if the courts are closed due to inclement weather and are valid for the duration of the tennis season.
  • If you booked your reservation online, you will receive an automated email allowing you to rebook later in the tennis season.

Contact Central Park Tennis Center

If you have any questions, please visit the Central Park Tennis Center website. For Tenis Lesson/Tennis Programs, call their general information line at (212) 316-0800. For Har-tru/clay courts, call (212) 280-0205/0206, ext. 4 and ext. 2.