New indoor tennis dome opens in Chatham-Kent, drawing players from across the region

The indoor tennis dome in Chatham-Kent is now open. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell has the details.

A brand-new indoor tennis dome is serving up excitement in Chatham-Kent, giving players a chance to play year-round.

The Chatham-Kent Racquet Centre officially opened its doors this fall and is already hosting events like a South Western Ontario Secondary Schools Association (SWOSSA) tournament, which brought together athletes from across the region.

“I am beyond thrilled. This is more than a dream come true right now,” exclaimed project manager Stephanie Chapados, who helped bring the facility to life.

Chapados said the response has been overwhelmingly positive, noting the dome is more than eight years in the making.

“We have schools from Windsor-Essex, Sarnia-Lambton, and then, of course, Chatham-Kent all here playing tennis indoors. Amazing,” she said.

The new dome is part of the first phase of the St. Clair Community Park project on Bear Line Road.

“And to be a part of the first phase for St. Clair Community Park as well, with St. Clair College donating the land, this wouldn’t be possible. So, we’re extremely thankful for everyone,” said Chapados.

The facility features four tennis and pickleball courts, a viewing gallery, and accessibility upgrades.

“To be able to have a gallery here as well that people can sit back and they can watch and cheer on all the players — it’s amazing,” she said.

“Everyone, the majority of people that are coming in here, they’re like, I can’t believe we’re in Chatham-Kent right now. It is like a total wow moment.”

Chapados said the centre is open to the public.

“We’re open year-round, we offer indoor tennis and pickleball, so you don’t need to be a member to play,” she said.

“We also offer lessons and court bookings, and we’re fully accessible as well.”

The centre will hold a public open house on Oct. 25, supported by Tennis Canada.

“Their initiative is to grow tennis year-round in all the communities across Canada. So, we’re very fortunate to be one of them,” Chapados told CTV News.

High school players were among the first to try out the new courts.

“It’s nice, it means we can play tennis all year round, and in the winters,” said Johnathan Canal, a Grade 10 student at Ursuline College Chatham.

“And the courts in here are better than the ones outside. There’s no cracks in the ground and it’s new.”

Teammate Abi Perini, also in Grade 10, said she enjoyed the experience.

“I had played tennis before and I just thought it would be fun and then I had friends on the team, and then I made new friends,” she said.

“I didn’t really have that many expectations of it because I’d never heard of something like this. So, I think it’s really nice how they have it set up.”

Chapados said the new facility is meant to inspire more people to get active.

“We have a huge passion for giving back in the community and just getting people active and healthy,” she explained.

“To be able to see everyone here enjoying and playing — it’s top-tier quality of tennis that we have brought here into Chatham-Kent. Chatham-Kent will be a destination for tennis players to come and play.”

More photos are available here.