How do I join the San Francisco tennis community?

Visit https://sf.tenniscity.org and click 'Join Our Slack Community'. Access is $5/year to keep the community spam-free. Once on Slack, join the channel for your NTRP level to find hitting partners.

What NTRP levels are in the community?

The community welcomes players from NTRP 2.5 to 4.5. Slack channels are organized by level (e.g. #3-0-find-hitting-partners, #3-5-find-hitting-partners, #4-0-find-hitting-partners) so you can find partners at your skill level.

NTRP (National Tennis Rating Program) is the standard rating system for recreational tennis players in the US. It ranges from 1.0 (beginner) to 7.0 (touring professional). Most recreational players are between 2.5 and 4.5.

Is there a Tennis City app?

Yes. The Tennis City app is available on iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play). It provides a city guide to local tennis communities, court information, and player connections.

How much does it cost to join the San Francisco tennis group?

Access is $5/year. This small fee keeps the community spam-free and ensures active, quality members. The Tennis City app is free to download.

A note from the organizer

I started this group so San Francisco players at your level can find each other and play.

Join the SF Tennis Slack · $5/year

Hi, I’m Tony. I played badminton for 15 years, then picked up tennis in 2020 and have played almost every day since. The hardest part wasn’t my backhand. It was finding people at my level who actually showed up.

So I set up a Slack group for San Francisco players, with a channel for each NTRP level. Post “anyone free at Balboa at 7:30?” and someone at your level answers. Today 1,794 players are in it. I still welcome new members, answer questions, and help pair people for singles, doubles, or a rally.

Membership is $5 a year. That small fee keeps out bots and people who only want to talk about tennis. Everyone inside is here to play.

TonyTony Tam · organizer, NTRP 3.5 · plays at Balboa, McLaren and Goldman

Join the SF Tennis Slack · $5/year 18+ · NTRP 2.5 to 4.5 · beginners welcome

UC Berkeley Computer Science30 years building softwareFormer Yahoo and Splunk engineerBuilder of the Tennis City app

Tony and Malinka taking a selfie on the courts at Balboa Park — Malinka · Balboa Park

Tony and Austin holding rackets on a blue court in Kona, Hawaii — Austin · Kona, Hawaii

Tony on court with Yokota, a player visiting from Japan — Yokota · from Japan

Tony smiling at McLaren Park with Tim celebrating behind him — Tim · McLaren Park

That’s me in every photo

What I promise every member

Three things I hold the group to

Real players only

Every member paid $5 and agreed to the rules

Adults 18 and older who want to get on court. No spam accounts, no sales pitches, no endless chat with no games. Terms of service

Your data stays here

Nothing is sold or sent to a third party

Play requests sit in a Firebase database only so I can track the state of each game. If you have a question about your data, ask me directly.

I listen

Members shape how the group runs

In October 2026 members said the automatic game-scheduling bot was too much. I turned it off the same week. You can still type /tennis to set up a game with SMS confirmation.

How it works

From joining to playing

Step 1

Pick your level

Join the channel for your NTRP level, from beginner to 4.5. Not sure? Use the NTRP and UTR chart below.

Step 2

Post a day, time and court

Ask for a rally, singles or doubles. Players at your level see it on their phones through the Slack app.

Step 3

Book and play

Reserve the court on rec.us or walk on. Use /tennis if you want SMS confirmations for the game.

For San Francisco players

Courts, gear and levels

The full guideTennis in San Francisco: courts, communities and coachingGoldman Tennis Center, Rec and Park courts, leagues, social groups, coaches, and FAQs for visitors and residents. Book a city courtSF Rec and Park on rec.usMost courts open 2 days ahead at 12 pm. Another set opens 7 days ahead at 8 am. Golden Gate ParkGoldman Tennis CenterReserve 8 days ahead at 12:30 pm. MapPlaces to play in SFPublic courts across the city, including the free reservable ones. Walk-on courtsCourt etiquetteSF Rec and Park rules for waiting and playing on courts you can’t reserve. GearCity Racquet ShopRackets, stringing and advice in the city. Know your levelNTRP and UTR chartHow NTRP ratings map to UTR, so you can pick your channel. Outside SFBay Area tennis mapCourts in the rest of the Bay Area.

Try the Tennis City app

An early app from Tony for learning tennis through Mastery Learning and building community. The Slack group is still where most of the action is. Use it on the web

Come play with us.

1,794 San Francisco players are one post away.

Join for $5/year

Run by Tony Tam, a San Francisco player. Only adults 18 and older should join. Terms of service · SF Tennis Players on Facebook