The newly expanded and renovated Sportime Tennis Center at Randall’s Island had its grand opening earlier this year. Located at the heart of Randall’s Island Park, the state-of-the-art public tennis facility is the official home of the John McEnroer Tennis Academy.
The public-private initiative has transformed a key area of the island into a vibrant hub for year-round tennis, youth development and community engagement. Following a multi-year, $55 million expansion, the 260,000-square-foot facility now includes 30 regulation hard and clay courts, three “red ball” training courts for young beginners, and a dedicated exhibition stadium court. During the winter season, 12 outdoor courts are enclosed in two seasonal bubbles, ensuring full indoor access to all regulation courts year-round.
Designed by Ricardo Zurita Architecture & Planning (RZAPS), the facility integrates extensive support spaces—including locker rooms, classrooms, strength and conditioning areas, viewing lounges, and club amenities—creating a comprehensive environment for both recreational and high-performance play. The project also features landscaped outdoor plaza areas for the public.
At the heart of the new complex i
s the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, which delivers elite training to young athletes and provides scholarships, school-based programming, and free clinics to thousands of New York City youth each year.
The two-phase, $75 million project led by RZAPS, focused on sustainable construction, environmental resiliency and a sensitive integration into the surrounding parkland. The design utilizes pre-engineered steel fieldhouse structures, clad in blue and green metal panels to minimize their visual impact within the park’s natural setting. Dynamic supergraphics animate the facades, introducing rhythm and movement to the industrial forms, while clubhouse spaces are carefully woven into the architecture. Ample natural light and direct court views from interior public areas are central to the user experience.
“We used materials strategically to reduce the visual impact of the large fieldhouses and to connect them to the park context. The green and blue metal panels reference the landscape and water, while the bold supergraphics break down the scale and bring energy to the facades. These choices help the architecture feel dynamic yet grounded in its surroundings,” said RZAPS Principal Ricardo Zurita.
The architecture incorporates advanced environmental strategies, including energy reduction systems, water reuse, stormwater management, use of recycled building materials and construction waste recycling. Given its waterfront location, the project proactively addresses long-term sea level rise by exceeding current flood protection requirements.
The design was approved by the New York City Public Design Commission and meets USTA facility standards.
“Our goal was to design a tennis center that supports the vision of Randall’s Island Park’s redevelopment plan—placing major sports buildings along key edges to preserve open space and enhance the natural environment. More broadly, we aimed to create a public facility worthy of New York City,” said Zurita.