There is a phrase that gets repeated often around the St. Petersburg Tennis Center, and it explains the award better than any statistic could. “We never say no.”
That is the standard the staff, pros and volunteers at SPTC hold themselves to, and it is a significant part of why the facility has been named the 2026 USTA Florida Public Park of the Year.
“This is of course a great honor, as there are so many wonderful public park tennis facilities in the state,” said Jack Bailey, general manager and director of the St. Petersburg Tennis Center. “It validates the notion: we never say no to anyone who wants to play tennis, and we will find a way to make it possible. This is made possible through the amazing work of our staff, pros and volunteers who make our tennis facility a welcoming community open to all, and facilitating the idea, if you want to learn and play tennis we will find a way to make it happen.”
A Historic Home, Still Doing the Work
The 20-court facility on 18th Avenue South has been welcoming players since 1919, making it Florida’s oldest public clay court facility, and its résumé is one few public centers anywhere can match. Chris Evert won her first professional title on these courts. Arthur Ashe, Billie Jean King, Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick have all played here. Danielle Collins, the 2022 Australian Open finalist, learned the game at SPTC before her rise through the professional ranks.
But the award is not for the names on the wall. It is for the players who show up every week, at every level, and for a facility that has spent more than a century making sure they can.
A Year of Rebuilding and Investment
The past 12 months in particular made the case. After the hurricanes of fall 2024 left their mark, the center refurbished its courts, upgraded its online presence through CourtReserve, and replaced its downed light standards with new LED lighting, restoring full night play. The work was funded through a combination of a generous player base, tournaments and fundraisers, and a $10,000 grant from Madison Keys and Kindness Wins.
“Through our partnerships with USTA Florida, the City of St. Petersburg, and generous donations from members, now we are fully operational including night play,” said Herb Segal, board member of the Tennis Foundation of St. Petersburg. “There is no wait list to join and rarely a problem accessing an available court.”
A Partnership That Works
The Tennis Foundation of St. Petersburg has leased the tennis center from the City of St. Petersburg for decades, and the relationship has become a model for how a municipality and a nonprofit operator can keep public courts thriving.
“We are fortunate to have a great working relationship, and through this collaboration we are able to keep the tennis center in great shape,” Bailey said. “When we need something, the city is quick to act, to ensure we have everything in good working order.”
Reaching the Whole Community
SPTC runs open enrollment, with access to well maintained clay courts alongside group and private lessons, leagues, clinics and community programming. Whether a player is chasing a personal best or picking up a racquet for the first time, there is a place for them on the schedule.
The center’s signature effort is Courier’s Kids, the foundation’s after-school and summer tennis program that introduces local youth to the game while building character on and off the court. Reaching the Bartlett Park community has been a consistent goal, and the program extends tennis to kids across St. Petersburg who might not otherwise have access to it.
What Comes Next
The facility is not treating the recognition as a finish line. Immediate goals include continued facility upgrades in lighting and court resurfacing, further expansion of Courier’s Kids, and tournament play at all levels.
“This recognition is a great honor, and we are humbled to be recognized as such,” Bailey said. “Our long-term goals will become clearer as we improve our facility for the future.”
The St. Petersburg Tennis Center is open year round, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 650 18th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33705. Players can book courts or join through CourtReserve.
The Public Park of the Year award recognizes the facilities delivering on USTA Florida’s Best in Class Facilities and Providers Big Bold Move. For more than a century, the courts on 18th Avenue South have set that standard, and the promise behind it has not changed: anyone who wants to play will find a way onto a court.
Congratulations to the St. Petersburg Tennis Center, the 2026 USTA Florida Public Park of the Year.
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