Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) — Friday the City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation Department officially re-opened newly resurfaced tennis courts at Wellesley Park. The two courts were resurfaced as part of a $51,740.47 project, which was funded through a combination of state capital outlay funds and City funds. The new Wellesley courts in Nob Hill are now a sharp combination of purple and blue—the only tennis courts in the city in that color combination.
“Albuquerque tennis players are going to love these resurfaced courts,” said Parks and Recreation Department Director, Dave Simon. “We have given them a bright new look and we hope the community enjoys playing on them for many years to come.”
The popular Wellesley Park Tennis Courts had not been resurfaced since 2012 and were showing signs of cracking and wear. State Representative Gail Chasey allocated $40,000 in 2021 state capital outlay funds toward the resurfacing project and the City provided the balance of the funds ($11,740.47). In addition to the unique purple/blue resurfacing, the courts also got new nets, net poles, and wind screens. Parks & Recreation also trimmed several trees to reduce debris falling onto the courts.
“As a tennis player myself, I understand how important it is that we invest in recreation facilities to support a healthy community,” said Representative Gail Chasey.
Albuquerque has seen strong participation in tennis over the past two years, as participation nationally in the sport has surged during the pandemic. According to the United States Tennis Association, a 22.8 million Americans played tennis in 2021, an increase of over 5 million since the pre-pandemic year of 2019 Whether new to the sport or returning, players have flocked to the sport to be outside and for benefits of exercise and health. Because Albuquerque has an ideal climate for year-round outdoor tennis play, maintenance and repair of City public courts has become even more important.
