Much of Challengers’ runtime not spent on a tennis court goes down in a suite and lobby bar at an unnamed luxury New Rochelle hotel. (The film was shot in Boston.) While the techno-pulsing tennis piece of erotica never establishes whether or not these lodgings have a place to play on the premises, there are allusions to sports power couple Tashi and Art Donaldson’s (Zendaya and Mike Faist, respectively) preferred vacation destinations when off the clock. Considering the former’s clinging obsession with the game, and use of the latter as her proxy (she cannot play following an injury), it would be difficult to imagine tennis isn’t somehow involved.
We’ve already looked at the best tennis getaways in Europe for those across the pond, but if you’re hoping to stay in the US, we’ve rounded up some of the most fabulous hotels with tennis courts in the region. From sleepy waterfront cottages with one block of green tucked amidst the trees to oceanfront resorts with veritable campuses of courts, all you have to do is throw on your best tennis skirt, lace up your sneakers, and let the Reznor-Ross score blare.
Two of this sprawling resort’s 18 tennis courts are red European clay. The Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy runs annually here for juniors and adults during the month of July. Plus, a cardio tennis fitness class is available upon request. The resort has so much to offer even outside of tennis, that our contributor didn’t even mention tennis in her review! Such are the bounties available at this 49-key, uber-luxurious California paradise. Read more here, but know that there is also a beautiful yoga pavilion to stretch out those post-match muscles.
This beauty’s four courts are all made of Har-Tru, that hard green clay surface that’s long been synonymous with the court and remains so (at least in this writer’s mind) even with the rise of that cold, blue Decoturf. The Omni properties run solid tennis programs across a number of their locations, with the recently-renovated Homestead in Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains offering, amongst myriad amenities, social round robins and special clinics for players of all levels. Days on the courts, no matter how long, are well-complimented by a trip to their spa and a refreshing meal at one of the property’s eight restaurants. Challengers, I’m sure, will soon be screened in their theater.
Home to a whopping 22 tennis courts, Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Roy Barth Tennis Center (named after their Director of Tennis Emeritus, if you’ll allow the very existence of such a title to tell you something about how seriously they take the game here) is a tennis destination in and of itself, and it just so happens to sit on the premises of one of the beloved island’s finest resorts. There are all kinds of accommodations to choose from—including resort villas and private homes—with The Sanctuary being the most traditional (five-star) hotel option. They even offer tennis packages on weekends and instruction programs, all worth perusing.
This Florida 16-court Racquet Club is so full-service that it has its own dedicated tennis concierge whose job revolves around booking courts, matching guests with at-level players, and scheduling lessons with the on-site pro. There are also junior programs for visiting juveniles and clinics for adults. These are HydroCourts, a variation on Har-Tru that waters itself. I can’t emphasize enough how picturesque the whole setup is, having so many tennis courts neatly organized like this amidst the wonderful pink architecture.
In lieu of the traditional Connecticut country club, which generally does not offer day passes and certainly does not lodge tourists overnight, allow Auberge’s beloved countryside inn to be your entrypoint to a tennis court in the state. The property—imagine a more demure bed-and-breakfast metamorphosed into a rustic-chic mansion—sits in the charming town that inspired Gilmore Girls, so it’s not rigorous prep all the time, either. In fact, think of it as a laid back alternative to that buttoned-up ideal. There are only 30 rooms, so the single tennis court onsite is more than enough, and guests play ball surrounded on all sides by that sweet New England scenery—imminently lush from spring through summer, and afire with reds, yellows, and oranges come autumn.
Speaking of taking fall foliage into consideration, there’s no destination more strongly-associated with the changing of those seasons than Vermont. While the sport most readily associated with the Green Mountain State is skiing—a decidedly wintry endeavor—come spring and summer, look no further than Topnotch Resort for your tennis getaway. The resort is super outdoorsy, with horseback riding, hiking, and biking amongst its litany of activities. But the 68-room property’s six tennis courts (that’s about one tennis court per ten rooms!) put it over the edge here.
The Pridwin — Shelter Island, New York
If Shelter Island is the end of the world, then you can play tennis while you’re there. That’s thanks in part to The Pridwin’s humble court. Located on an island in the harbor separating Long Island’s North and South forks, this resort mixes the best of the two: the laidback lack of pretension of the former, with the dreamy quiet luxury of the latter. Plus, there’s scenery you can only get here. Think of this as an uber-private (at 49 rooms, this is somehow the LARGEST hotel on the island, which should tell you a lot about the serenity of the area) escape where you can play tennis unbothered all day, with breaks for lunch, the spa, and the beach.
This is Scottsdale—you can play tennis pretty much year-round. Whoever designed the Phoenician knew this, and made room for seven courts to bake in the sun alongside the surrounding jagged red rock. An hour of tennis a day is included in the resort fee, along with use of the adjacent Athletic Club—a modernist adobe pile that blends into the surroundings with the exception of some massive windows overlooking the courts. Imagine Tashi standing there, hands on hips, watching her boys play. And sweat.
2024 Hot List champion Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort represents Hawaii on this list not only because of its shiny new refurbishment but also because its courts—traditional concrete blocks of green surrounded by palm trees and foliage of even greater verdancy. The resort’s titular village-like quality makes it perfect for an extended tennis getaway in large part because the place feels so communal, and jaunting down to the court for an afternoon match is as casual as hitting Shipwreck Bar for a sundowner right after. With regard to Hawaii, senior features editor Rebecca Misner also shouts out Four Seasons Resort Hualālai for its super-sporty pedigree—perhaps more appropriate for jubilant vacationing families (footage of Misner’s own kids tearing up the court not included).
