Tennis Croix Nivert: Room to to manoeuvre

In France, almost every weekend in May has a Bank Holiday attached. This Friday was VE Day so Paris was quieter than usual with lots of Parisian leaving the city. We had started the day with a Champagne brunch with friends who were over from London - not the best precursor to a sporting contest, but I hoped my husband would over-indulge by way of a handicap. I'd adjusted the time of our booking which meant changing courts as well - and what a stroke of luck. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the only court available was in a leafy part of the 15th arrondissement. We emerged from the underground into Place du Commerce with its bandstand and beds full of tulips. 

My friend and I had been Googling vintage tennis dresses on eBay and it was so warm I even braved my tennis skirt on the Metro ride across the city. It felt like a holiday weekend with the terraces of pavement cafes full of people enjoying a leisurely lunch even at 3pm. It was warm and sunny - perfect tennis weather.

Tennis Croix Nivert has just one outside court positioned between the apartment blocks and balconies. The space was so vast it felt as though two courts could have been squeezed in so it was a long way from the baseline and the tramlines to the outside netting - take plenty of balls or you'll walk a long way between points.

The surface was excellent - one on the best we've played on - with no cracks between panels to send the ball awry. If I have a gripe it is that the court also serves as a basketball pitch and handball court  so there was a confusing number of lines leading to more than one suspect line call.

  

As it was we had a perfect Sunday afternoon game of tennis and I believe the Champagne had done its job knocking my husband off his stride so my son and I were once again victorious in our family four! My friend suggested an innovation - giving each court a mark. So this one was 8/10.

Tennis Croix Nivert

107 rue de la Croix Nivert

75015 Paris

Metro: Commerce