page_title: Real tennis
section_title: Locations
hierarchical_section_title: Real tennis / Locations
caption_attribution_description: English: Real Tennis Court Spectators' Gallery
context_page_description: Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original racquet sport from which the modern game of tennis is derived. It is also known as court tennis in the United States, formerly royal tennis in England and Australia, and courte-paume in France.
  The term real was first used by journalists in the early 20th century as a retronym to distinguish the ancient game from modern lawn tennis.
  There are more than 50 active real tennis courts in the world, located in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and France. Other countries have currently disused courts, such as the two in the Republic of Ireland. The sport is supported and governed by various organizations around the world.
context_section_description: There are more than 50 real tennis courts in the world, and over half of these are in Britain. New courts were opened in 2008 at Radley College, near Oxford, England, and in 2016 at Wellington College near Reading. In August 2012 at the Racquet Club of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, a court built in 1922 was re-opened.
  Some noteworthy courts in the UK are:
  The Queen's Club, London: Opened in 1886, is the National headquarters of the governing body of real tennis, the Tennis and Rackets Association, and hosts the British Open every year.
  Falkland Palace, Fife, Scotland: The oldest court in the world for real tennis, opened in 1539, currently home of the Falkland Palace Royal Tennis Club.
  Royal Tennis Court, Hampton Court Palace: The oldest surviving real tennis court in England, built on the site of an even older (1528) court in the 1620s, where the game can be watched by the general public during British Summer Time.
  Petworth House, West Sussex: The first court was built in 1588, and the current one was built in 1872.
  Merton Street tennis court, Oxford, built 1798, on the site of courts dating back to c.1595.
  Leamington Spa, built in 1846, it is the oldest purpose built real tennis club in the world.
  The Manchester Club: Originated in 1874, the current club on Blackfriars Road was built in 1880.
  Jesmond Dene, Newcastle: The court is situated on Matthew Bank near Jesmond Dene park, was built in 1894 for Sir Andrew Noble, the then-owner of Jesmond Dene House as a private court. It is now a listed building.
  Canford, Dorset: Sir Ivor Guest opened the court at Canford in 1879, although there had been an earlier court built in the grounds of the manor house dating back to 1541. It is still in use in a building that belongs to Canford School and also now houses four squash courts.
  The Oratory School, Woodcote. Opened in 1954, a club situated in one of the leading catholic private schools in England. Its many sports facilities include court tennis.
  Wellington College, Crowthorne: Opened in 2016, the court is situated on the Wellington College estate.
  United States of America:
  The Racquet Club of Philadelphia: Founded in 1889, current location constructed in 1907 by noted architect Horace Trumbauer.
  The Tennis and Racquet Club, Boston, MA: One of the oldest courts in the US, opened in 1902.
  The Racquet and Tennis Club, NY: New York City's famously exclusive tennis club, contains two real tennis courts, as well as a Racquets court, built in 1918.
  Prince's Court, McLean, VA: The newest court in the United States, opened in 1997 and has a glass viewing wall.
  National Tennis Club in Newport, RI: Located in the 'Newport Casino" now known as the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
  The Tuxedo Club in Tuxedo Park, NY: Private member-owned country club. Its many sports facilities include court tennis. The court building was constructed between 1890 and 1900.
  The Aiken Tennis Club: in Aiken, South Carolina founded in 1898 by William C. Whitney political leader, financier and a key figure in the prominent Whitney family. The court building was constructed in 1902.
  The Racquet Club of Chicago: real tennis court was restored and re-opened in 2012 to complement the Racquets court and squash.
  Georgian Court University in Lakewood Township, New Jersey: built by George Jay Gould in 1899.
  Greentree: on the former Whitney estate on the north shore of Long Island; now a dormant court.
  France: 
  Palace of Fontainebleau, France: the largest real tennis court in the world, and one of the few publicly owned.
  Paris, France : 74 rue Lauriston, Jeu de Paume and squash club. The real-tennis court was privately built around 1900 after the Jeu de Paume in the Tuileries gardens was made into a Museum.
  Bordeaux, France: built in 2019/2020, and located in Mérignac
  This modern facility replaces the 1st Merignac court which closed in 2013 whose predecessor was the original Bordeaux court which closed in 1978.
  Ireland:
  Lambay Island, Ireland: On the privately owned Lambay Island (approx 5 km off the coast near Dublin, Ireland).
  Australia: 
  Hobart Real Tennis Club, Tasma
caption: The Spectators' Gallery facing the court at Falkland Palace
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