Tennis season is officially here, with the French Open currently underway. This weekend, the HSBC Championships will kick off at the Queen’s Club. And Wimbledon, of course, starts on 30 June.
Whether you’re a player or a dedicated fan, here are some of the best homes on the market for tennis lovers.
This tennis let is walking distance from Wimbledon
Hamptons
Players, staff, entourage and hardcore fans all need somewhere to stay throughout Wimbledon. In a rental, they’re looking for home comforts, proximity to the grounds and somewhere to rest between matches.
Located a 20-minute walk (or six-minute drive) away from Wimbledon, this four-bedroom period house is available on a “tennis let” throughout the tournament for £3,200 per week via Hamptons. There are two bathrooms, a large kitchen to prepare nutritious, Wimbledon-ready meals and a rear garden for players or fans to relax in. There’s also parking available.
Why buy tickets to Queens when you can watch it from your terrace?
John D Wood & Co.
Why bother with tickets — or queues — for Queens when you can watch the tennis from your terrace? This two-bedroom apartment, listed for £700,000 with John D Wood & Co., overlooks the Queens Club grounds in West Kensington, which host the annual HSBC Championships. This year, it’s running from 7 to 22 June, featuring some of the biggest names in the sport, including Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka.
Located on Gledstanes Road, the 652 square foot top floor apartment has a west-facing terrace with “truly remarkable views” over Queen’s Club.
“Properties with views over the Queen’s Club are exceptionally rare, and this apartment offers one of the best vantage points we’ve seen,” says Nick Scott, sales manager at John D Wood & Co.’s Fulham branch. “The large west-facing terrace is perfect for entertaining or simply soaking in the atmosphere during the tennis season.”
According to the agents, the property is currently rented out to tenants who fell for its views. “It’s ideal for young professionals, pied-à-terre seekers, or those looking for a smart investment in one of west London’s most desirable pockets,” says Scott.
Miramonte is a modernist marvel – and also comes with a tennis court and pavilion
Coombe Residential/Rightmove
The Grade II-listed Miramonte in New Maldon was designed in 1936 by the English modernist architect Maxwell Fry for the property developer Gerry Green. But as well as being a modernist marvel, it’s the perfect home for a tennis player, with its own all-weather tennis court and pavilion, which features a shower room, kitchenette and double bed. Fans can watch from the sun terrace, which overlooks the court.
There are 1.24 acres of grounds and an indoor pool complex, with a spa pool, changing room, steam room and sauna to help boost an athlete’s recovery. And, when it’s time for the Championships, Wimbledon is a 12-minute drive away.
This property on Somerset Road has a large driveway and a double garage to rent out during Wimbledon
High & Co./Rightmove
As visitors descend on Wimbledon during the Championships, some homeowners on the nearby streets make thousands of pounds renting out their parking spaces. Spaces listed on YourParkingSpace can go for up to around £70 per day, so homeowners with multiple spaces and bookings throughout Wimbledon are quids in.
This 1,891 square foot property on Somerset Road is a five-minute walk from Wimbledon, and comes with off-street parking big enough for more than one car and a large double garage. Other parking spaces in Cedar Court are being advertised for £62.50 per day.
Besides the parking spaces, the house has five bedrooms – so canny owners could also make an extra buck by renting some out during the tournament. One bedroom is ensuite and there are two extra bathrooms, plus a rear garden. It’s on sale for £1.35 million with Hawes & Co.
This house backs onto the AELTC Community Centre, where professionals practise
James Bailey
This four-bedroom house on Grand Drive backs onto the All England Lawn Tennis Club Community Centre in Raynes Park. The centre is home to 25 public tennis courts, which are used by the pros for practice during Wimbledon.
You might be able to spot some of those training sessions from the rooms at the back of this 1,279 square foot house – or, failing that, you’ll live close enough to the community facility to hone your own tennis skills.
There’s a bright kitchen and dining space which leads onto the garden and a loft conversion from which to snoop on the players. It’s on the market for £800,000 with James Bailey Property.
Fred Perry’s former home
After he retired from tennis, Perry used Rottingdean as a UK base
David Webb Residential/Rightmove
This house in Rottingdean, East Sussex, is the former home of Britain’s most successful tennis player, Fred Perry. Perry won three Wimbledon titles in the 1930s, as well as the men’s singles championships of the United States (three times), Australia and France.
In 1935, he became the first man to win a career Grand Slam, having won all four major titles between 1933 and 1935. He remains the only British player to have done this, and in 1984 a bronze statue of him was erected outside Wimbledon. Perry founded his eponymous sportswear brand in 1952.
After the Second World War, Perry split his time between Jamaica, Florida and the UK. He moved into this house in Rottingdean in 1965, using it as his UK base until 1994. Perry died in 1995.
The house was built by the developer and financier Charles W Neville, and has 3,935 square feet of space with four bedrooms, a double garage and a south-facing garden. It’s on the market with David Webb Residential for £1.5 million.