Getting Back Into Tennis in San Francisco

Updated October 2026. Tennis City SF › San Francisco Tennis Guides

Lots of San Francisco players are returning after a break of years or decades. Your strokes come back faster than your fitness and timing, so ease in. Here’s a simple plan.

A four-week plan

  1. Week 1: hit on your own. Use a hitting wall for 20 to 30 minutes to get your timing back. Restring your old racquet first; old strings go dead even if they never break (see stringing).
  2. Week 2: take a group class. A Goldman 8-week class or a Rec & Park group lesson gets you hitting with others at your level. See lessons.
  3. Week 3: rate yourself. Read NTRP ratings explained. Returning players often remember their old level; start half a level lower and move up.
  4. Week 4: find partners. Join a round robin or social doubles night, then post in the Tennis City SF Slack group. See finding a partner.

Look after your body

  • Play 60 to 90 minutes, not three hours, for the first few weeks.
  • Warm up properly, especially on cold, foggy mornings.
  • Tennis shoes, not running shoes; they support side-to-side movement.
  • If something hurts, stop. Tennis elbow and calf strains are common in returning players.

What’s changed since you last played

  • Rec & Park courts are now reservable online at $5 per court per hour; many are still walk-up. See booking.
  • Lots of courts now have pickleball lines too. See sharing courts with pickleball.
  • UTR and World Tennis Number sit alongside NTRP as ratings.

Looking for someone to play with? Join nearly 1,800 San Francisco players in the Tennis City SF Slack group and post a day, time and court at your NTRP level.

Scroll to Top