Do I need a permit to play tennis in New York?

Yes, on any City park court. A single-play permit is $15 a person. Clubs, indoor centres and the National Tennis Center run their own booking instead.

Can I play at the US Open's home?

Yes, at the centre. It books courts to the public, online, up to 48 hours ahead. The four stadium courts are not part of standard bookings, and you are given your court at check-in.

Can I book a public court?

At 6 City parks. Another 92 public parks are walk-on.

A single-play permit is $15 a person. A City reservation is $15 a court an hour on top. An outdoor hard court at the National Tennis Center is $42.

When is the 2027 US Open?

Not announced when we checked on October 13, 2026.

Visitor guide · New York

Where to Play Tennis in New York

You can't book Arthur Ashe Stadium but you can see it from a court that you can book.

New York is a walk-on city. Most public courts take no booking at all. Turn up, put your name on the sheet, wait your turn. What you need is a permit. Buy it online and the City mails it. Buy it in person and you play the same day.

We checked 111 places to play in 5 boroughs. 92 are walk-on parks. 6 are parks that take a City booking. 13 run their own booking, with their own rules. This guide tells you which is which.

Court data last read October 26, 2026. Permit and tennis centre facts last checked October 13, 2026.

111
places to play: 92
walk-on public parks: $15
a single-play permit, per person: 11
within 5 km of the US Open's home

Play at the US Open's home

The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center calls itself one of the world's largest public tennis facilities, and it is home to the US Open. It books courts to the public. Not Arthur Ashe Stadium. Not Louis Armstrong, the Grandstand or Court 17. You are given your court when you check in.

Booking: Online only, through the centre's own reservation system. No phone bookings, no walk-ins.; ntc.usta.com · ntc.usta.com, read 2026-10-11
How far ahead: 48 hours at most.; ntc.usta.com, read 2026-10-11
Price: $42 for an outdoor hard court, daily 7am to 11pm.; ntc.usta.com, read 2026-10-11
Bring: Government photo ID.; ntc.usta.com, read 2026-10-11
From the venue's page: Closed to public play from 3 August to 20 September 2026 while the US Open is set up and played. Field courts are bookable outside that window.

Every player on the court needs a profile on the centre's site.

No racquet? The pro shop has demo racquets. Its page does not say what they cost.

A City tennis permit is not what gets you on here. The centre runs its own booking.

Book at the National Tennis Center Full details

Sort the permit first

Every City park court in New York needs a City tennis permit. A visitor wants the single-play one: $15 a person, good for one hour of singles or two hours of doubles, in any borough.

Here is the catch. Buy it online and the City mails it. That can take up to three weeks.

So buy it in person. The City sells single-play permits the same day at its tennis permit offices, one in each borough, open Monday to Friday, 9 to 4. It also sells them at the Central Park, Prospect Park, Alley Pond Park and Randall's Island tennis centers. Bring photo ID and proof of age.

The permit season runs from the first Saturday in April to the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

The City's tennis permit page Permit prices by age

The closest courts to the US Open

The National Tennis Center full, or closed for the tournament? These are the nearest public park courts, closest first.

Flushing Meadows Corona Park0.4 km from the National Tennis Center
Queens
- Courts: 11
- Walk-on
Grand Central Parkway Extension1.3 km from the National Tennis Center
Queens
- Courts: 1
- Walk-on
Helen Marshall Playground2.7 km from the National Tennis Center
Queens
- Courts: 1
- Walk-on
Colden Playground2.8 km from the National Tennis Center
Queens
- Courts: 1
- Walk-on
Russell Sage Playground2.9 km from the National Tennis Center
Queens
- Courts: 2
- Walk-on
Kissena Park3.1 km from the National Tennis Center
Queens
- Courts: 12
- Walk-on
Rory Staunton Field3.6 km from the National Tennis Center
Queens
- Courts: 2
- Walk-on
Flushing Fields3.8 km from the National Tennis Center
Queens
- Courts: 8
- Walk-on

As the crow flies.

The parks that take a booking

6 public parks take a City reservation. $15 a court an hour, on top of the permit. Bookable up to seven days ahead. Never the same day.

Not the City's courts

13 of the places on our list are clubs, tennis centres and courts the City does not run. They run their own booking and set their own prices, and no City permit is involved. Check the venue's page before you go.

When to go

The US Open had not announced its 2027 dates when we checked on October 13, 2026.

Outdoors, the City's season is April to late November. In winter, look indoors: 7 of the places on our list have indoor courts.

Want an evening? We have lights on record at 7 of the places on our list.

Where to play indoors

FAQ

Do I need a permit to play tennis in New York?: Yes, on any City park court. A single-play permit is $15 a person. Clubs, indoor centres and the National Tennis Center run their own booking instead.
Can I play at the US Open's home?: Yes, at the centre. It books courts to the public, online, up to 48 hours ahead. The four stadium courts are not part of standard bookings, and you are given your court at check-in.
Can I buy a permit on the day?: Yes, in person. At a City tennis permit office in any borough, Monday to Friday, 9 to 4, or at the Central Park, Prospect Park, Alley Pond Park and Randall's Island tennis centers. Not online: those permits are mailed and can take up to three weeks.
Can I book a public court?: At 6 City parks. Another 92 public parks are walk-on.
What does it cost?: A single-play permit is $15 a person. A City reservation is $15 a court an hour on top. An outdoor hard court at the National Tennis Center is $42.
When is the 2027 US Open?: Not announced when we checked on October 13, 2026.

How we checked

Every fact on this page comes from the City's, the tennis centre's or the organiser's own site. Each venue page shows the source and the date we read it. We do not review courts and we have not played them for you. If something here is wrong, the source changed after we read it. Tell us.

“one of the world's largest public tennis facilities, is home to the US Open” ntc.usta.com, read October 11, 2026
“Reservations for open court time are done online only through the NTC reservation system.” ntc.usta.com, read October 11, 2026
“Phone reservations are not accepted.” ntc.usta.com, read October 11, 2026
“Court bookings can be made no more than 48 hours in advance of the reserved date. We do not accept walk-in court reservations.” ntc.usta.com, read October 11, 2026
“Outdoor Hard Court Daily 7:00 AM -11:00 PM: $42” ntc.usta.com, read October 11, 2026
“Anyone entering the NTC will be required to show a government-issued photo ID when they arrive.” ntc.usta.com, read October 11, 2026
“Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, Grandstand, and Court 17 are not available selections for standard court bookings.” ntc.usta.com, read October 11, 2026
“All players on the court must have a profile on the NTC website.” ntc.usta.com, read October 11, 2026
“Court assignments are given at the time of check-in.” ntc.usta.com, read October 11, 2026
“demo racquets” ntc.usta.com, read October 11, 2026
“The City requires a permit to play tennis on any public court.” portal.311.nyc.gov, read October 11, 2026
“A single-play permit costs $15 per person.” portal.311.nyc.gov, read October 11, 2026
“For single play, your permit is good for 1 hour of tennis in any borough.” “For doubles play, permits are good for 2 hours of tennis in any borough.” portal.311.nyc.gov, read October 11, 2026
“The permit will be mailed to you.” portal.311.nyc.gov, read October 11, 2026
“You can apply in person to make a same-day single-play permit purchase.” nycgovparks.org, read October 13, 2026
“Purchase a single-play permit in person at a tennis permit office, Central Park Tennis Center, Prospect Park Tennis Center, Alley Pond Park Tennis Center, and Randall's Island Tennis Center” nycgovparks.org, read October 13, 2026
“We do not offer same-day permits online. Please allow up to three weeks to receive your tennis permits by mail.” nycgovparks.org, read October 13, 2026
“Proof of age” “Photo ID” nycgovparks.org, read October 13, 2026
“We allow players to make reservations for up to seven days ahead” nycgovparks.org, read October 13, 2026
“Bronx Tennis Permit Office” “Brooklyn Tennis Permit Office” “Manhattan Tennis Permit Office” “Queens Tennis Permit Office” “Staten Island Tennis Permit Office” portal.311.nyc.gov, read October 11, 2026
“Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 4 PM” portal.311.nyc.gov, read October 11, 2026
“The Parks tennis season starts on the first Saturday of April and ends on the Sunday before Thanksgiving every year.” portal.311.nyc.gov, read October 11, 2026
2027 US Open dates: not published when we checked. usopen.org, read October 13, 2026

All tennis courts in New York City

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