Dubai is not the first city that comes to mind when you think of tennis culture. No clay tradition, no Grand Slam legacy, no Nadal. But the city has become one of the more interesting stops on the tennis calendar – and if you’re visiting during the tournament season, there’s a lot to do with a racquet in your hand.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is a combined ATP 500 and WTA 1000 event held every February at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre in Garhoud. It’s one of the few venues where ATP and WTA events are held back-to-back at the same site, and the combination of warm weather, a compact stadium, and relaxed atmosphere makes it a genuinely enjoyable tennis trip. Seeing players walking around the grounds between sessions is almost expected here, it’s that kind of place.
But beyond the tournament, Dubai has a surprisingly active recreational tennis scene. Court infrastructure has exploded over the past decade, driven by a large expat population and serious investment in sport. Here’s where to find a court, and what to know before you show up.
The Surface: Fast Hard Courts Everywhere
Unlike for example Barcelona’s clay culture, Dubai is hard court territory. Almost every court in the city is acrylic or plexipave — fast-playing, consistent bounce, and easy on footwear. The surface at the tournament itself is hard court, and most academies and clubs match it. If you’re used to hard courts, you’ll feel right at home. If you’ve just come from a clay-heavy holiday, the pace will feel noticeably quicker. In fact, many of the Dubai tournament courts are known for being exceptionally fast Decoturf. It’s a low-bounce, high-speed environment that favors big servers and aggressive baseliners.
February is genuinely pleasant, warm, dry, and ideal for outdoor play. But if you’re visiting outside that window, especially May through September, outdoor tennis becomes difficult during the day. Temperatures regularly exceed 40°C in peak summer. Most serious players stick to early mornings, evenings, or indoor courts year-round. Plan accordingly.
Where to Play Tennis in Dubai?
CF Tennis Academy at the Aviation Club
Al Garhoud, Dubai (next to the tournament stadium)
This is the most tennis-connected venue in the city. The Clark Francis Academy has been based at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre – the same complex that hosts the tournament – since 1997. The facility has nine Decoturf hard courts, and visitors can book court time when the tournament is not in session. Walk-in court fees are around AED 150 per hour.
The location is unbeatable if you’re in town for the tournament. Playing on the same courts where the pros train is a proper experience, and the club has been a cornerstone of Dubai’s tennis development for nearly three decades.
Tennis 360 (Tennisthreesixty.com)
Multiple locations: Meydan, Jumeirah Golf Estates, DWTC, Safa Club, and more
Tennis 360 is the city’s most accessible and widely spread tennis operation, with courts across several Dubai locations. The Meydan site is the flagship: a championship floodlit outdoor plexipave court, five regulation hard courts, two mini tennis courts and beach tennis courts, plus a stringing service. Court hire for non-members is around AED 160–180 per hour depending on the location, open daily 7am–10pm.
What makes Tennis 360 useful for visitors is the range of what’s on offer, for example social mixers, interclub leagues, kids’ programs, alongside straightforward court rentals. It’s a real tennis community rather than just a facility, and the Meydan location in particular has a good atmosphere. Booking via their website or Playtomic.
Mouratoglou Tennis Center Jumeirah
Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Jumeirah Al Qasr
Patrick Mouratoglou’s international expansion landed in Dubai in 2020, in partnership with the Jumeirah hotel group. The center is split across two locations: Jumeirah Beach Hotel (6 outdoor hard courts, overlooking the Burj Al Arab) and Jumeirah Al Qasr (4 outdoor hard courts, set among palm-lined canals). Total of 10 courts between the two sites.
Crucially, courts are open to external visitors and you don’t have to be a hotel guest. Coaching follows the Mouratoglou Method, the same system used at his academy in France, and if you visit January through March, you might find yourself hitting next to a pro who’s using the facility to prepare for the Dubai or Abu Dhabi events. That reportedly does happen here. A premium option, price-wise, but the setting is fantastic.
Al Habtoor City Tennis Complex
Al Habtoor City, Sheikh Zayed Road
One of the biggest court complexes in Dubai with 11 outdoor hard courts close to Downtown. Courts can be rented per hour and there’s a full coaching team for adults and children, plus competitions and leagues that give it a club feel. A solid option for visitors staying in or around Downtown who want multiple court options. Managed by ISM Sports.
Al Habtoor Polo Resort
Emirates Road, Dubailand
Further out from the city center but worth knowing about, especially for visitors who want a different backdrop to the usual Dubai skyline. Set on an equestrian estate, the hard courts here have a genuinely different atmosphere. Court rental from AED 130 for 60 minutes, private lessons from AED 300.
Atlantis Tennis Academy
Atlantis The Palm, Palm Jumeirah
If you’re staying on the Palm, or just want to play somewhere that feels like an occasion, the Atlantis Tennis Academy has outdoor courts with over 20 full-time coaches. You can book a court or a lesson, and the facilities are excellent. On the pricier end (AED 400 per hour for court rental), but as a one-off experience on the Palm it’s hard to beat.
Smaller Options
Dubai has a dense network of smaller academies and court facilities. A few more worth noting:
- Emirates Tennis Academy – Five locations including Al Barsha and Al Nahda, affordable rates from AED 75–85 per hour, walk-ins welcome. emiratestennis.academy.com
- Athletic Kings Tennis Club – Four shaded courts in Al Manara, around AED 150/hour, community-focused feel. Open daily 7am–10:30pm.
- Sportsmania JLT – Courts in Jumeirah Lake Towers, good for visitors staying in the JLT or Marina area. AED 99–150/hour depending on time.
- TopSpin Sports Centre – Ten courts plus a pro shop, a well-rated facility for those wanting gear alongside court time.
Playtomic is widely used in Dubai for court bookings across most venues – download it before you arrive.
It should also be mentioned that Padel has actually overtaken tennis in terms of sheer court volume in Dubai. Almost every tennis center listed (especially Al Habtoor and Tennis 360) now has more Padel courts than tennis courts.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships: What to Know
The tournament is held at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium in Al Garhoud, a compact 5,000-seat Centre Court that’s one of the more intimate ATP/WTA venues you’ll find anywhere. That intimacy is a big part of the appeal, even in the upper grandstand, you feel close to the action.
2026 is a “transition year.” A massive two-phase redevelopment is underway and there is a new temporary 2,000-seat Court 1. This is a big deal because it increases the capacity for those “free with registration” matches (see below).
Tickets are available on the official website with prices starting around AED 65 for early-round matches. There are three seating tiers: Grandstand, Prime B, and Prime A (courtside). For the ATP men’s week, Prime A season tickets need to be booked by email and they go fast.
One excellent tip for the budget-conscious: side courts (Courts 1 and 2) are typically free to access with registration, and you get genuinely close views of top-100 players in the earlier rounds. It might be the best free tennis-watching experience on the calendar.
Evening sessions under the lights are worth prioritising – the atmosphere is livelier and the weather is cooler. The venue also has the Irish Village pub and Century Village right on the grounds, so it’s easy to make a full evening of it.
Getting there: the stadium is next to GGICO Metro Station on the Red Line. Arrive early, especially for later-round sessions.
A Few Practical Notes
Timing: February is perfect for outdoor tennis. November through March is the golden window generally. From May onwards it gets serious very quickly, midday outdoor tennis is not for the faint-hearted.
What to wear: Light, moisture-wicking clothing is essential. Hard court shoes are standard, your clay court shoes work fine on hard, but you don’t need anything specific. UV protection and water a must.
Finding a partner: Playtomic is the main platform for court bookings and matchmaking across the city. The Dubai United Expat Tennis (DUET) community also organises regular social doubles sessions, worth looking up if you’re spending more than a few days in the city.
Gear: Tennis shops are well-stocked in Dubai, including Tennis Point and a growing number of specialist retailers. Major malls carry most major brands.
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