United States of Tennis: NYC's biggest tennis party is word-of-mouth only

Need your winter tennis fix? In “United States of Tennis”, our Baseline editors Stephanie Livaudais and Liya Davidov set out to document some of the city’s most unique tennis experiences and iconic venues.

First up is MetroTennis’ “Sets in the City”, a hidden gem of a tennis party hosted monthly at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club that turns the individual sport into a social event as young professionals gather from all over the region to compete, eat and drink.

THE GIST

What’s better than snacking, drinking and playing tennis? How about doing them all at once. “Sets in the City” is Manhattan’s best kept secret as the monthly social event for tennis lovers all over the tri-state.

“I came once, I was essentially hooked,” Jennifer Agbobli, a frequent attendee of Sets in the City, told Davidov. “I started coming every two weeks after that, and kept coming through the pandemic."

What started as a two-court event in 2012 has grown into one of the city’s biggest tennis parties—and it’s almost all thanks to word of mouth advertising. According to Pam Glick, MetroTennis’ treasurer and Sets in the City organizer, the concept was first developed in Atlanta and then exploded in popularity when it hit the tri-state, with the help of some clever “Sex and the City”-inspired branding.

“We started with 12 people on two courts, and early on we realized that we had beginners and we had advanced players,” Pam Glick, MetroTennis’ treasurer and event organizer, told Livaudais. “So that was when we decided to bring in the pros. We started to get more structured as we got a little bigger, took ideas and feedback.

“We came up with a discount for bringing friends—that’s when people really started to come. All word of mouth, no offense to the internet!”

THE VENUE

Whether by aerial tram, public transit or even by car, heading to Roosevelt Island feels like a miniature getaway from the New York City buzz. Not to mention the views of the water and the city skyline are a nice touch to a Friday evening outing.

Har-tru courts are set aside for players of all skill levels to compete, with individuals signed up for 40-minute playing increments. Players even have the option to train with the club’s coaches, working on their groundstrokes and playing mini-games alongside the competing courts.

Snacks are also laid out with drinks of all kinds—yes, that includes the alcoholic kinds. It all adds up to an event that turns the individual sport of tennis a social, community happening.

“At other clubs you don’t really get to meet the people you’re playing with, it’s not that kind of vibe. But here that’s what it’s all about,” said attendee Meg Boucher. “I can actually make friends here.”

THE SELLING POINT

Bringing friends and spreading the word is highly encouraged, and members receive a discount for every additional player they bring. It stokes that word-of-mouth buzz that can’t be generated from a sponsored social media post, and speaks directly to the event’s millennial target audience:

“We didn’t want to run another tennis league. We wanted this to be drop-in, because that’s what gets young people in the door,” Glick explained. “Millennials don’t want to commit, so how are we going to get them to commit to a six-to-eight-week league season? We could sell out 100 spots online, but we prefer to encourage folks to drop in and pay at the door too.”

Many of the players we spoke to said the event was the perfect mix of quality tennis and socializing. One court featured friends, roommates and an extended circle that’s been close since college, while another saw complete strangers team up for drills.

It’s especially nice when the event organizers corral the event goers to the local bar for drinks and more socializing. Young professionals from 21 to 35 make their way over for the second half of the night, sharing favorite moments from the day’s play and getting to know each other off-court.

“It feels nice when you come here, it’s familiar faces,” Agbobli said.

Check out Roosevelt Island Racquet Club for all of their membership programs, including the next Sets in the City get-together. We’ll see you there!