Thursday nights bring tennis and community together at Wanderers
Wanderers Tennis is turning Thursday evenings into a lively weekly social, bringing members together for competitive but relaxed matches, drinks, and dinner.
Every Thursday, the tennis courts at Wanderers come alive as members put their racquets to work, catch up with friends, and enjoy an evening of social tennis.
The weekly gathering, which has been running for about five years, has grown from a simple WhatsApp group into a popular fixture on the club’s calendar. Lucas Liepner, who runs the Thursday social, said the evening is about much more than tennis. “We play every Thursday, from 17:30 and sometimes we finish at 21:00. Then we go up to the club for drinks and dinner. It’s very social.”
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He added that the Thursday sessions attract a mix of regular players, with around 70% men and 30% women currently taking part. Liepner said the club has also welcomed a number of women who are returning to tennis after playing at school. “We’ve got a lot of girls that have recently joined this year.
They are mostly girls who have played at school and they’re now taking up tennis again while they’re working and doing it as a sport for fun.”
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According to Liepner, the popularity of the social is reflected in the number of courts in use each week. “In the tennis world, it’s quite a big social event. A lot of tennis clubs don’t have that many courts. Some clubs only have four courts. We have 10 courts full on a Thursday night for at least two to three hours.”
While the sessions are social, players do need to have some experience on the court. Liepner said beginners are welcome to attend lessons held on Tuesdays. “For our Thursday, you kind of need to be at least an intermediate player, like beginner to intermediate. You can’t just be starting, you’ll struggle.”
The Thursday social has grown considerably since its early days, when it was organised through a small WhatsApp group. “It’s been going for about five years now.”
For those interested in joining the Wanderers tennis community, Liepner encouraged prospective players to get in touch and try out a session. “If you ever want to join Wanderers, you can come and try us out and come visit. You can message us on our Instagram. Tell us that you want to join or come and I’ll see if we can slot you in.”
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