To the untrained eye, a tennis court is merely an amalgamation of nine parallel and perpendicular lines, converging to define the limitations of movement for both ball and player. But to American photographer and journalist Nick Pachelli, a tennis court is the harmonious union of surface, sound, and spectators, complemented by the natural elements and the inherent intensity of tennis.
“Tennis is our only sport where the canvas on which we play can change so dramatically,” Pachelli, a former top junior tennis player himself, told CNN, highlighting each court’s “unique persona,” as he describes in his new photobook, The Tennis Court.
During more than 500 days of travel, Pachelli visited over a thousand courts (of the roughly 200 in the book), crisscrossing more than 250 cities and towns in his pursuit of spotlighting the world’s most aesthetic, esteemed, and even idiosyncratic tennis courts.
From cliffside clay courts pocketed between the peaks of the Swiss Alps, to the salsa capital of the world that is Cali, Colombia and the vibrant purple and green hardcourts of Yangpyeong, South Korea where the background noise isn’t the cheers and gasps of crowds, but a DJ creating a partylike atmosphere.
The result was not only an anthology of captivating, vivid visuals and evocative essays, but also, essentially, a love letter to the sport and an homage to its patrons and communities.
“The book constantly asked this question of, what do we think about when we think about tennis?” said Pachelli, “We take that question as the spectator, the newcomer to the game, the die-hard player, the professional, the groundskeeper; every single role you could think of around this sport.”
Pachelli’s inclusive approach challenges historical preconceptions of elitism and inaccessibility which have long blemished tennis. In Pachelli’s view, tennis institutions must reckon with this convoluted history in order to advance the sport and elevate its global community. Pachelli gives the example of Lawn Tennis Clube da Foz in Porto, Portugal and the Junior Tennis Champions Center in Maryland as bastions of preserving tennis’ prestige while simultaneously uplifting their local communities through initiatives such as waiving fees for low-income youths, empowering female coaches and curating programs for disabled players.
The expansiveness of Pachelli’s journey is also a reflection of tennis’ surging popularity. In 2023, the ATP (the worldwide top-tier tennis tour for men organized by the Association of Tennis Professionals) and WTA (the principal organizing body of women’s professional tennis) tours recorded more than 1.84 billion in combined global audiences, while the United States Tennis Association marked four consecutive years of participation growth with nearly 24 million Americans playing the sport. Pachelli partially credits local grassroot initiatives with this surge, and also notes Hollywood’s recent investment in tennis with films such as King Richard and Challengers.
“There’s so much exciting grassroots tennis happening,” said Pachelli, “There are young tennis communities emerging that are finding their own tennis sensibility.”
Yet despite his extensive travels, Pachelli still finds his peace cushioned between the seats of Grandstand and Court 17 in Flushing Meadows, New York, watching US Open games with some friends and some food, to a serene sunset backdrop.
“There’s no energy like the US Open. It’s wild and congested and a little drunk,” Pachelli said. “There’s no other place in the world like the US Open to experience every type of viewing of professional tennis.”
“I hope that sort of global tennis community interconnectedness is what will hopefully inspire some people to go experience it in new places,” said Pachelli, “because I think that’s the ultimate way to learn about yourself, see the world, and engage with your fellow tennis obsessives somewhere else.”
The Tennis Court by Nick Pachelli (Artisan Books) is out now.
