Are tennis courts open and are doubles matches allowed?

The UK is slowly easing its way out of coronavirus lockdown, with people now allowed outdoors to sit in the sun and enjoy unlimited exercise – as well as being able to meet with one other person outdoors under social distancing measures.

While many restrictions still remain in place, the current rules also allow for certain sports to be played outdoors – with tennis on the list of sports which can now take place.

With the bank holiday weekend promising warm weather, it’s likely people may want to take advantage of their exercise privileges – but are tennis courts open if you fancy a game, and how many people can play?

Here are the current guidelines…

Are tennis courts open?

Outdoor tennis courts in England are now able to re-open, although they remain closed in Scotland and Wales at the moment.

However this does not mean that all courts in England have automatically re-opened, with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), saying that venues will need to make an assessment on whether to re-open based on whether or not they can facilitate safe play on their courts.

So if you fancy a game of tennis, best to get in touch with your local court or check online to see whether it’s open at the moment.

The Lawn Tennis Association has produced a list of guidelines under which safe play can resume.

These include players bringing their own equipment and only handling their own tennis racket and marked tennis balls, coaching to take place on a one-on-one basis only, and a buffer period of 10 minutes or more between bookings to allow previous players to have left the court.

The LTA also recommends players avoid changing ends or changing at opposite sides of the net, and keeping to the 2m social distancing rule at all times as well as following the public health guidelines for hygiene (washing hands, using hand sanitiser etc.)

You may also find your local court now only takes bookings and payment online or over the phone, so once again it’s best to check before setting off for the court.

While outdoor courts may be open, indoor courts, clubhouses and changing rooms remain closed at the moment.

Are doubles matches allowed?

Under the current guidelines, doubles matches are only allowed if all four players are from the same household.

Currently, people are only allowed to meet up with one other person from outside of their own household outdoors.

So while you can play a singles game of tennis with a friend, or meet up with a tennis coach for a training session, you’ll have to stick to your own household for anything more for the time being.

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