No more soggy tennis balls. Indoor courts open at center named after Tacoma tennis pro

The number of indoor tennis courts in Tacoma has grown by six with the opening of the Galbraith Tennis Center.

A dedication event open to the public will be Oct. 13. The center at 1680 S. Mildred St. opened Sept. 4.

The non-profit United States Tennis Association Pacific Northwest rehabbed the space, which hasn’t been used since LA Fitness bought and shut down Bally Total Fitness in 2011.

The association rehabbed court surfaces and installed livestream court viewing, a new ceiling liner, LED lights, new bathrooms and made other improvements.

The center is named after former Tacoma tennis pro Patrick Galbraith, who starred at Bellarmine Prep and UCLA in the 1980s and who once was ranked as the top doubles player in the world.

The association wants to reverse tennis’ reputation as an elite sport, said Pat Dreves, the group’s general manager for facilities and operations and services.

“We are truly a public facility,” he said. “Anybody can come off the street and participate and play at our facility. We will never allow money or finances to be a barrier to entry.”

Memberships will be offered, but not required, at the facility. Scholarships, based on financial need, will be available.

The sport is drying up at high schools and public parks and recreation departments, Dreves said.

“What were seeing is that they are no longer offering tennis,” he said.

Participation in the sport is flat or declining, according to the Tennis Industry Association.

“Certainly, in the Northwest, the lack of indoor courts is a problem,” Dreves said.

The Tacoma center will host high school and other local tournaments as well as United States Tennis Association tournaments for adults and juniors. It will offer tennis training for, “Someone who has not touched a racket to the most advanced player,“ Dreves said.

The center’s entrance is in the back of the building. The front of the building will be used by Sky Zone, a trampoline park expected to open later this year.

Galbraith Tennis Center

Where: 1680 S. Mildred St., Tacoma.

Hours: 6 a.m.–10:15 p.m. Monday–Friday; 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

Information: pnwtenniscenters.com/tacoma/

This story was originally published September 25, 2018 at 4:33 PM.