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About Dwight Davis Tennis Center

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Welcome to St. Louis'  Premier Public Tennis and Pickleball Facility! Dwight Davis Tennis Center named 2010 Public Park Of the Year by Racquet Sports Industry Magazine and 2014 Outstanding Community Tennis Association (CTA) Award winner. 

 

Dwight Davis Tennis Center is a state of the art facility with 18 lighted tennis courts and a Stadium Court that seats 1,700 spectators. (In 2017, the Stadium court was converted to 4 Pickleball courts.) If you are a tennis or pickleball enthusiast or just thinking about learning the game(s), DDTC has a program for you! There are programs for beginners to advanced players of all ages.  

The mission developed by Dwight F. Davis remains today:
To foster and encourage municipal, district, state and national tennis tournaments in the City of St. Louis and to stimulate interest in the sport and to encourage and educate the youth of St. Louis in sportsmanship as exemplified in tennis.



Dwight Davis Tennis Center is named after Dwight F. Davis, a native St. Louisan and the donor of the famed Davis Cup. Born in 1879, he spent his life working for and with people to make tennis in public parks available to all. As Director of Parks in St. Louis, he removed "Keep Off the Grass" signs that filled the citys parks. People were invited to enjoy their surroundings; he built the first free public tennis courts and organized the municipal leagues in order to make their play more enjoyable.

Dwight F. Davis put life into public park tennis and the entire public parks and recreation system. As long ago as 1913, Dwight F. Davis held a public parks tennis tournament in which 200 St. Louisans participated. That same year he wrote to other cities encouraging them to form municipal leagues so inter-city and national competition could be held. He was also co-founder of the Muny Athletic Association.



The stadium and other courts were made possible by the tremendous support of the local tennis community. In 1964 a not-for-profit corporation was registered with the Missouri Secretary of States office. S.E. Freund, Harry G. Burrus, Harry Leuke and Thomas W. White formed this corporation, known as the Dwight F. Davis Memorial Tennis Center.

Dwight F. Davis Memorial Tennis Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  We rely on donations to make capital improvements so we can continue to grow the game of tennis in St. Louis.  The mission developed by Dwight F. Davis remains today: To foster and encourage municipal, district, state and national tennis tournaments in the City of St. Louis and to stimulate interest in the sport and to encourage and educate the youth of St. Louis in sportsmanship as exemplified in tennis.

DDTC hosted the 2009 & 2010 USTA Wheelchair US Open Championships, the 2010 National Public Parks Tournament and is the home of the World TeamTennis St. Louis Aces.  Past pros who have played at DDTC include Lindsay Davenport, Kim Clijsters, Pete Sampras, Venus & Serena Williams, Anna Kournikova, Bob & Mike Bryan, Sam Querrey & Andy Roddick, just to name a few.

Dwight Davis Tennis Center prohibits discrimination against and harassment of any employee, applicant, or participant because of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, veteran status (special disabled veterans, disabled veterans and Vietnam-era veterans), or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law. All personnel who are responsible for hiring and promoting employees and for the development and implementation of programs or activities are charged to support this effort and to respond promptly and appropriately to any concerns that are brought to their attention.

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