Hyderabad’s Public Tennis Courts Crumble As Global Tennis Thrives
Tennis is considered a sport for the richer few, so no one shouts about it”: Bhargav - secretary, Hyderabad Tennis Association
Hyderabad: As Wimbledon lights up London with packed crowds and star players, Hyderabad’s tennis infrastructure is falling apart. The three main GHMC-run courts—Gymkhana Grounds, Sindhi Colony, and Jubilee Hills—are in shambles: cracked synthetic surfaces, frayed nets scattered on the ground, thick weeds, rusted fences, drainage puddles, locked gates and even garbage dumping nearby.
A veteran coach points out the problem: “They even hired a coach last month who’s a gymnast with zero tennis background. Tennis has gone downhill—no guidance, no coaching standards. The courts aren’t even kept clean.” The coach, who trained top seeds like Pranjala Yadlapalli, Divija Ghosh, Aishwarya Rao and Gangotri Singh, laments, “I don’t even have a court today. My best pupil calls me weekly asking, ‘Is the court open?’ I have nothing to tell him.”
Parents and players are equally frustrated. Fifteen-year-old Ananya says: “We go all the way to Sindhi Colony, but the gates are locked, weeds everywhere, nets on the ground. It’s useless.” Her fourteen-year-old brother Aarav adds: “I was training for state tournaments, but with no court, I’ve had to stop.” Another parent recalls sending their child to government-run coaching where players often arrived in burqas or casual wear, with no uniforms or discipline.
Private academies haven’t been immune. The centres at the Administrative Staff College of India and Kundanbagh shut down a year ago, due to the lack of support and bureaucratic decisions. M. Ravi Kiran, a parent, explains: “We moved from ASCI to Kundanbagh, and now both are gone. Private places can’t survive without proper courts.”
Some small coaching setups in Gachibowli and other far-off places and outskirts in the city survive by leasing open land for periods of 5-10 years. But access is costly. Meanwhile, newer sports like pickleball have surged, with over 200 enthusiasts, but tennis, once a city staple, is fading fast.
A letter from Praveen Bhargav, secretary, Hyderabad Tennis Association, to GHMC promised court fixes, yet nothing has changed. “Tennis is considered a sport for the richer few, so no one shouts about it,” says coach Bhargav. He added, “If GHMC can’t maintain these spaces, they should hand them over to associations that will run tournaments, scholarship programs and summer camps. Without courts, we’re losing future champions.”