Tennis Poterne des Peupliers: Top marks

My son has a new racket - an early birthday present - and he absolutely had to try it out! So armed with his new kit - and some new balls for good measure (always a treat) - I booked an as yet untried court in the 13th arrondissement. As we stepped out of the metro at Maison Blanche it started to drizzle which was actually quite gratifying as I'd booked an indoor court which can feel like a waste on a glorious day.  Miserable weather and the usual miserable architecture of the 13th - but we had a spring in our step for our second game of tennis in as many days.

Poterne des Peupliers is a beautifully maintained sports centre just across the Paris tramway. We approached via a path lined with flower beds full of spring bedding and there were crocuses poking their heads up under the trees. There are two covered courts, each in its own bubble and the court surface was the best we've played on.

A new racket (for my partner!), new balls and a perfect playing surface - what more could you ask for? We had a great game. The ceiling height here is much better than in Jules Ladoumègue, where we played our last two games so there were fewer points to replay and the proportions of the dome were much better than at Tennis Carnot in the 12th arrondissement with a shorter distance to collect balls.  10 out of 10 for these courts!

Tennis Poterne des Peupliers

2 Rue Max Jacob

75013 Paris

Jules Ladoumègue: It's not the Luxembourg Gardens!

The worst possible news this week - it is no longer possible to book a court at the Jardin du Luxembourg! The lease between the city of Paris and the Sénat has expired and the courts have reverted to the Ligue de Tennis de Paris (which no doubt will require that players demonstrate an official ranking - something all the tennis players at the English class I teach at school seem to have - and a medical certificate). I can't believe I cancelled the one and only booking I managed to snag at the Luxembourg courts last year in favour of a lie-in after a rather late night out. There is a lesson in there somewhere. As it is, I felt I was paying the price today when we played at Jules Ladoumègue in the 19th arrondissement for the second week in a row - there could hardly be a greater contrast between the social housing just across the Périphérique and the leafy Luxembourg Gardens in the swanky 6th arrondissement. It was my husband's choice - he was hoping to book a football pitch for our son's 13th birthday party next month, something which seems to be rather more complicated than booking a tennis court.

The main saving grace was that the weather was perishingly cold so I was at least grateful to be inside and we were at least on a different  court, at the other end of the aircraft hangar, for a new perspective.

Even inside it was freezing and we kept our tracksuits on throughout. We are not hardy souls, unlike my husband's colleagues at AFP's London office who are in training for the London West Tough Mudder and hope to raise £15,000 for charity along the way (see here). As my husband managed to strain a hamstring during our chilly hour on court (another excuse for losing) I think he can breathe a sigh of relief that he is safely ensconced in the Paris office offering support in the form of a donation rather than actually being required to take part.

Tennis Jules Ladoumègue: Service with a smile!

I can hardly remember the last time I played tennis. My daughter's broken collarbone back in October, the terrorist attacks just minutes from our home in November, countless weekends spent flat-hunting and finally the diabolical weather at the start of 2016 all conspired to keep me off court. But with two weeks of holiday stretching ahead and nothing planned (since we were supposed to be moving to a new apartment) it was time to stop the rot. I managed to book an indoor court for Sunday morning and the joy was palpable as we set off to Porte de Pantin in the 19th arrondissement. Jules Ladoumègue had been my least favourite court, but no matter - indoor courts are rare as hens' teeth on February weekends so I was prepared to give it another chance. Tennis courts in Paris fall into broadly two types - individual or pairs of courts squeezed into a small space between the buildings intramuros or large sports complexes on the outskirts of the city. Jules Ladoumègue falls firmly into the latter category. Last time we played there in November 2014 the Philharmonie de Paris was still very much under construction and the surrounding area resembled  a building site. Now Jean Nouvel's gleaming, futuristic, silver concert hall dominates the the skyline like something out of a sci-fi movie.

Perhaps because of this, perhaps because the weather was warmer and brighter or perhaps because we were just so thrilled to be playing tennis again, everything about the experience felt so much more appealing and welcoming. The indoor courts are in a long aircraft hanger of a building - laid end to end and stretching into the distance. The one we played on could have done with a good sweep, but the concrete surface gave a nice even bounce. The overhead lights were still rather dazzling, but a trickier problem this time was balls bouncing off the ceiling. It may have been over-enthusiastic lobbing on our part, but a number of shots went awry after hitting the roof - perhaps this is just another environmental factor to take into account in the same way you might have to compensate for a strong wind when playing outside. It didn't matter, we were literally jumping for joy to be back on court - in fact after our game the children were so full of beans they went over to the running track for a few laps (at no extra cost). Great to be back on court - and I intend to stay there.

Tennis Jules Ladoumègue, 39 Rue des Petits Ponts, 75019, Paris

Metro: Porte de Pantin

Tennis Rigoulot-La Plaine: Autumn blues

I love Paris in the autumn (as the song doesn't say). Blue skies, warm sunshine, the leaves turning red and gold on the trees and everything bathed in a warm glow. Today was one of those perfect days, my husband had an unexpected day off and I managed to book a last-minute court in the 15th arrondissement.

My daughter broke her collarbone at the weekend, putting paid to our regular family four (and just as her service was starting to improve!) so it's back to energetic singles, better for my fitness levels, but not as much fun.
Tennis Rigoulot-La Plaine was quite a trek, involving two Metro rides and a tram and we arrived 15 minutes late for our 10am booking. In the end it wasn't a problem because the court was also free for the following hour so we ended up with nearly two hours of play - a record.
The blue concrete courts were a flashback to my tennis club in Ealing though the nets were in much better condition (Steve Riley please take note!) There are seven courts in total, set amid the trees and also an astroturf football pitch with its own stand that my son would have loved.

It is a lovely, spacious sports ground, the perfect spot for a blow around in the open air although it's proximity to the Péripherique makes it rather noisy so it was sometimes difficult to hear the score being called out. The court surface was in great condition with excellent bounce and the fencing was high enough to stop balls flying on to the neighbouring court. We live too far away for these courts to become a regular venue, which is a pity - I'm just glad we managed a two-hour stretch today.

Tennis Rigoulot-La Plaine
18 avenue de la Porte Brancion
75015 Paris

Tennis Max Rousié: Pitch perfect, location off-key

Sometimes a trip to a new court takes me to a delightful, undiscovered corner of Paris, a leafy backwater where you can hear the birds sing, a sunny rooftop or a bustling neighbourhood with an enticing bistro for lunch after a game, a part of Paris that I long to return to, to explore more fully or dream of living in. Rue André Bréchet in the 17th arrondissement ticks none of these boxes! Emerging from the Metro at Porte de Saint-Ouen I had the same sinking feeling I had when we played at Porte de Clignancourt and arrived to find the courts closed due to a strike.

  

It's one of the grimmer fringes of Paris and its charms were not enhanced by the fact that it was being dug up when we visited. Tennis Max Rousié is a short walk from the Metro, but it's a route lined by kebab shops, depressing social housing projects and dubious gangs of youths hanging around aimlessly. It wouldn't warrant so much as a paragraph in a tourist guide and it's certainly not somewhere I'll be flat-hunting.

The sports stadium itself, on the other hand, is as impressive as we have come to expect from municipal facilities in Paris. A well-maintained athletics track, assorted football pitches, basketball courts and three tennis courts (to say nothing of the indoor facilities which I didn't have a chance to inspect). The courts were newly resurfaced in a clay-coloured matting - it always surprises me to find carpet-type surfaces on outdoor courts. It was an easy surface to play on, reassuringly non-slip, easy on the knees and with an even bounce. The net was well-maintained and the netting round the court was high enough to ensure we didn't have any stray balls. We played at 6pm and as we left the floodlights came on. The courts stay open until 10pm.

In short, great courts where we'd love to play again were they not such a long Metro ride from home in the 11th arrondissement. But not a place to linger after tennis. Even the setting sun couldn't shed a romantic light on this lack-lustre district - and that's saying something for Paris.

Tennis Max Rousié

28 rue André Bréchet

75017 Paris

Metro: Porte de Saint-Ouen

   

Léo Lagrange: Brolly good game

Rain was rattling on the roof terrace when I threw back the shutters this morning so I logged on to www.tennis.paris.fr to see if we could switch to an indoor court. Some hope! I thought about cancelling, but I could hear my father's voice as he stood in the doorway of the tennis pavilion looking out over a rain-sodden court: "I think it's brightening up. The birds are singing - we'll be back on in 15 minutes!" So, ever hopeful, we put on waterproofs and set off. And guess what? By the time we'd registered under my son's name (I've discovered that if we're playing with the children we get a reduced rate) and paid for the court, the rain had stopped - and the man in the office promised us a refund if it started again before our time was up.

There was not a soul to be seen on any of the six courts - clearly the French lacked our British optimism in the face of a downpour. The courts dried out surprisingly quickly so there was no danger of slipping and we were soon into the game. 

It's not the first time I've played at Léo Lagrange and it remains one of my favourite spots. A short walk from the metro with well-maintained courts and the feeling of playing at a tennis club surrounded by trees and flowers rather than in a high-rise housing estate on a court that has been crammed in as an afterthought.

It was an unusual sensation having the courts to ourselves on a Saturday morning and we had nearly the full hour before the rain started again. But the man in the office was as good as his word because as we sheltered in the reception while the rain pelted down he gave us a refund. A good lesson not to be deterred by the weather. Hope for a break in the clouds and if you do get rained off, at least you'll get your money back!

Tennis Léo Lagrange
68 Boulevard Poniatowski
75012 Paris
Metro: Porte de Charenton

Tennis Cordelières: Best foot forward!

It's been too long since I had a game of tennis. Six weeks in England over the summer and a spectacular toe injury, caused by a freak escalator accident in Boots the Chemist, conspired to keep me off court during peak season. Even if we'd been in Paris though I suspect the record temperatures in July and August may have had a similar effect.

Now the rentrée is upon us - the French word that means so much more than 'back to school' - so for me it's back to tennis and after many visits to www.tennis.paris.fr  I finally managed to bag a court for 10am on Saturday (rather early for some members of the family, but what better way to kick off the weekend?).

Tennis Cordelières is in the 13th arrondissement not far from the  Corvisart Metro station. I've never had a particularly favourable impression of the 13th from visits to previous courts near the Place d'Italie. But the roads around Rue des Cordèlieres were more low-rise than concrete jungle  (though there are one or two tower blocks thrown in for good measure) and we even found a leafy short cut through a park to reach the courts.

There are two courts tucked in between the buildings - both well surfaced and with well-maintained nets - and as luck would have it we managed to play on both! Just as we came off court after our first set the other court came free following a cancellation and we were able to book it at reduced rate because we were playing with the children. A bonus two hour session meant we had plenty of time to find our form. The weather was perfect, dry and fine, but with no dazzling sunshine to blind us for overhead shots. My toe proved no handicap, though the same could not be said for my husband's shoulder, injured in a boating incident in Bandol, and my son and I won easily by two sets to love. 

Tennis Cordèlieres

35 Rue des Cordèlieres

75013 Paris

Metro: Corvisart