The best: Places to play tennis in Manchester

With a mixture of indoor and outdoor courts, the Manchester Tennis and Football Centre at Sportcity is one of the city’s most comprehensive public tennis facilities, with plenty of scope for everything from a casual knockabout to more serious practice.

Courts can be booked by the hour, with outdoor courts available throughout the day and indoor courts offering peak and off-peak pricing. From 1 Sep, Manchester residents can access reduced rates through the free Manchester Active Resident Pay as You Go membership, while non-residents can also book.

Part sports court, part urban social club, Courts Club brings tennis to the heart of St John’s with a bookable outdoor court designed for singles or doubles, alongside basketball and 5-a-side facilities.

Rackets are available to hire, while the adjoining Clubhouse serves food, drinks and live sport to guarantee a blissfully tranquil and well-serviced warm down.

Singles cost £15 per booking, while doubles are £25, with racket hire available for £4.

Established in 1881 and still one of the region’s most storied racquets clubs, ‘Wimbledon of the North’ The Northern combines old-school tennis pedigree with a distinctly modern setup. There are 18 outdoor courts, including six grass courts and 12 synthetic clay courts, alongside three full-size indoor courts for year-round play, with social tennis, box leagues, team competition and coaching all available.

Full membership is required for regular access to the racquet facilities, with adult memberships currently starting at £77 per month, or £40 for under-25s, while indoor court bookings carry an additional hourly fee.

For something altogether more relaxed, the verdant Fletcher Moss offers four floodlit outdoor courts in one of South Manchester’s prettiest park settings, with pay-and-play access alongside membership options and regular social sessions.

Courts are chargeable at £4 off peak and £5 peak, with the surrounding botanical gardens, café and paths providing endless opportunities for a post-match wander.

Alexandra Park’s four unfussy tennis courts offer some of the city’s best-value outdoor play, with free bookings available during selected weekday hours and court hire costing just £3 off peak or £4 at peak times outside those windows.

Open from dawn until dusk, the South Manchester park is an easygoing spot for a game without committing to club membership, with the café, lake, cricket square and other facilities onsite for a serene debrief.

For a touch of the reverent and triumphantly arcane, head to the Manchester Tennis & Racquets Club, a distinguished members’ club whose origins stretch back to 1874.

The Salford institution is home not only to racquets and squash but to ‘real tennis’, the ancient indoor game from which modern lawn tennis evolved, played on one of only 46 real tennis courts in the world. The atmosphere is suitably historic and sophisticated, with a lounge, dining room and professional coaching alongside the courts, while beginners are welcomed through taster sessions with equipment provided.

Enquire about a membership below.

Founded in 1921 and owned and run by its members, Didsbury Lawn Tennis Club has the feel of a golden-age neighbourhood sports space, with four all-weather floodlit courts, a practice court and a clubhouse complete with bar, pool table and table tennis.

There’s a healthy mix of competitive and social tennis, including regular turn-up-and-play sessions, while coaching is available for both members and non-members. Annual membership for a full-paying adult is currently £216, with reduced rates for students, under-25s and juniors.

Part of Monton Sports Club, this friendly community tennis setup has three hard courts and an AstroTurf court, all available to members without the need to book. There’s plenty of room for casual rallies, coaching and competitive league play, while Saturday afternoon social tennis welcomes players of all abilities throughout the year.

Sports membership, which includes access to the club’s other facilities as well as court booking, currently costs £137 per year for adults, with junior and 18-21 rates also available.