WHAT DO I NEED TO PLAY HERE


The 96th Street Red Clay Tennis Courts (Oscar Hijuelos Clay Courts) in Riverside Park are public courts, part of the New York City Parks & Recreation's system. Anyone can play here. Each player must have one of the following:

-A New York City Parks full-season tennis permit for the current year (click here to purchase) OR

-A day pass purchased upon arrival at the courts for $15, valid for that day only at the RCTA. Credit card or virtual wallet preferred, cash also accepted OR

-A New York City Parks "Single Play" ticket. This refers to a physical paper ticket, not a confirmation email from purchasing the tickets online (click here to purchase).

Full-season permits are $100 for adults, $20 for seniors, $10 for juniors. Single Play tickets are $15 each. Full-season permits and Single Play tickets are usable at all NYC Parks tennis facilities, including the 96th Street Red Clay Courts in Riverside Park.

Wait times vary according to time of day, day of week and time of year.

Rackets and used balls are available to borrow at no cost.

How do i get a court


Same Day:  Courts are given away first-come first-serve.  When the gate attendant arrives for the day (roughly 30 minutes before the first hour of play), they will begin accepting sign-ups for all hours of the day.  This means that the earlier you are able to make it to the gate to put your name down for a court, the better the chance you have of getting a court.  For more details, see the Rules of Play.

Court availability varies widely according to hour of day, day of week and time of year.

Advance Reservations:  Two courts are available for online reservation up to a week in advance (but not same day).  Click here for details.

Download the TennisGroups apps to take the RCTA on the go!