A road trip in New York. This week tennis MAGAZINE is heading for the tennis hotspots in the city that never sleeps. Today we visited one of the most exclusive tennis clubs in the world: the Vanderbilt Tennis Club in Manhattan.
If you want to drive to the heart of Manhattan, to Times Square, you need one thing above all: strong nerves. Even a short trip by the number of miles can quickly turn into a long odyssey. If you persevere and don’t throw in the towel beforehand, you’ll be rewarded with a huge pinch of entertainment: Times Square is one of the great highlights of New York – colorful, flashy and, above all, loud. The world-famous “Naked Cowboy” sings his songs here almost every day and is a sought-after photo object. Some of the colorful neon signs so well-known for Times Square are already busy getting into the mood for the US Open.
A must for every visit to New York: Times Square.
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A few blocks from Times Square is another New York landmark: the Grand Central Terminal, the metropolis’s most important transport hub and also an architectural masterpiece. Any tennis fan in New York should take some time to stop by the tennis club in Grand Central Station. Excuse me, a tennis club in a train station? Surely that can’t exist ?! Yes, it really does exist! In New York everything is possible and everything is a little different. Felt balls have been thrown at the Vanderbilt Tennis Club since 1965.
Around 750,000 people pass through Grand Central Station in New York every day.
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The Hungarian immigrant Geza A. Gazdag founded the Vanderbilt Athletic Club and named it after the railroad entrepreneur Cornelius Vanderbilt who built Grand Central Station. The club at the time even had a 20 meter long ski slope. The most exclusive and hidden tennis court in Manhattan (probably in the whole world) is easy to find, but not. You should avoid looking for the premises at the risk of luck and find out the exact route beforehand. Because even many New Yorkers who work in Grand Central Terminal have not heard of this special place.
If you look, you will find: The Vanderbilt Tennis Club in Grand Central Station.
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The elevator takes you up to the fourth floor, where the Vanderbilt Tennis Club is located. As we enter, we are warmly welcomed by Mel, one of the trainers. “It’s so great that you’re here.” Mel shows us around and tells the special story of this club, which is small but nice. In addition to a full tennis court, there is also a fitness room and a junior court with two training corridors. Here, players can practice their hitting skills using a ball machine. “It’s the only tennis club within a train station. That’s what makes it so unique. The flooring is the same as at the US Open, so it’s pretty quick, ”says Mel, getting more and more enthusiastic about it.
“We have players from all over the world. The day before yesterday even Andy Murray was with us and did promotional activities for his sponsors. Everyone likes it here. And if you don’t have a playing partner, there is always the ball machine. And this machine never loses, “laughs Mel and invites us to a rendezvous with the ball machine. Said and done! After five minutes of hitting time, the sweaty realization: the ball machine actually never loses and is a good drill program for the ambitious player. “I’ve been a tennis coach for 20 years and have worked in many places. This club is the most extraordinary place I’ve ever trained. When I tell people that I give training at the train station, nobody will believe me. “
From 1984 to 2009, the Vanderbilt Tennis Club was owned by Donald Trump and was home to the rich and famous. Back then the club was a bit bigger and had two clay courts. After Trump left, Antohny Scolnick, a former head of athletics at Hunter College in New York, took over the lease for the club – for $ 250,000 a year. Since 2011, every tennis player has been able to hit balls here if they want and if the capacity allows it. “It’s a great location for the club. Every hotel is nearby. And what is even more important: Getting there is easy. Every train stops below us. Even in winter, when it snows, people don’t have to go out, they get on the train and can come to us. We are open from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., ”says Mel.
Tennis trainer Mel tells tM editor Christian Albrecht Barschel about the special features of the Vanderbilt Tennis Club.
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However, the prices for booking the place are not cheap. If you want to play at prime time, Monday through Thursday between 6pm and 9pm, you have to pay $ 310. It is much cheaper from midnight to 2 a.m. during the week. Then the hour costs just $ 70. The place cannot be booked more than seven days in advance. The Vanderbilt Tennis Club is one of New York’s best kept secrets. A flying visit there is recommended to every tennis fan.