Here’s some information about playing tennis in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Robert was recently in Mexico for about two weeks on a dental tourism trip.  Since he is a recreational tennis player, he took his rackets and spent a lot of time playing tennis while not in the dentist’s chair.  There seem to be two tennis options in Oaxaca near the center of town.

Neither of the options are posh by our standards.  But the courts are in good shape.  For better or worse, they are full of the same sorts of folks we find at the tennis clubs in the US (middle class professionals, blah blah).

Note:  Robert does not speak Spanish other than a few words that get him from here to there and  to check into hotels, etc.

First, the Hotel Mision de Los Angeles has three hard courts with lights.  Robert took a look at those and they are open to the public.  The fee is 100 pesos per hour during the day and 200 pesos per hour at night. The hotel is directly north of the city center about 1 block north of the Panamerican Highway (HWY 190).  Within walking distance of the city center.

The second option is Deportivo Oaxaca, and this is where Robert spent all his time on the courts while in Oaxaca.  This is a sports club with 7 hard tennis courts, squash courts,  swimming pools, and a cafe.  Robert showed up there at about 7 am almost every day of his trip.  During the weekdays, all of the tennis seems to happen before 10 am. The club has a head pro (a Cuban named Leon when he was there) and an informal staff of very good former university players who will hit with you for a fee of $100 pesos per set.  Leon the pro will give you lessons for 200 pesos per hour.  Robert spent a lot of time with Leon. Of course, Robert also made lots of friends who he played with.  On the weekends, more members show up and hang out all day playing tennis and drinking beer. The “regulars” are largely male, but Robert is sure they would be happy to play with women and let them join in the fun.  The three primary courts where everyone hangs out are populated by the better players (4.0 and up) and most everyone will offer to play with you even if you can’t really keep up with them.

Deportivo Oaxaca is located on the Panamerican Highway (HWY 190) about 6.5 kilometers east (south?)  of the center of Oaxaca (although some of the road markers near the club say KM 9).  It is very easy to get to.  You can take a taxi and tell the driver to take you to Deportivo Oaxaca, KM 6.5, San Francisco Tutla.  It should cost about 80 pesos.  Or, if you are more adventurous and take a shared taxi like Robert did every day. This costs 10 pesos. To get a shared taxi, simply walk out of the center of town up to the Panamerican Highway (about two blocks north of Lllano Park) and find the baseball stadium on that road.  On the highway on the eastern edge of the stadium  you can jump into a shared taxi (a “collectivo,” they are maroon in color) on the same side of the street as the stadium and tell the driver you want to stop at Deportivo Oaxaca. Robert was in the habit of finding a collectivo headed to Tule (they usually say “Tule” on the windshield or the side door), but he suspects that all of the collectivos headed east pass by the club. The collectivo driver will almost certainly know where the club is and will drop you off.  You will have to squish into the taxi with 4 other passengers, so if you have a big tennis bag you may want to ask the driver to put it in the trunk.  The club  is on the north (left) side of the road.  The club is not marked well, but it is an orange building. The driver will almost certainly point it out to you.

Once you get to the building, you can find the club receptionist.  Pay her 100 pesos to be a guest at the club for the day. She should give you a receipt (which is handy to show future taxi drivers).  Ask the receptionist if you can talk with the “jefe de tenis” or the club pro and arrange a lesson.  The pro can introduce you to some other member players.  After you go as a guest for a day or two, you’ll probably be able to set up matches with members.

You can get breakfast, lunch, and lots of beer at the club cafe.  There is also a pro shop where you can buy water, balls, and get your racket strung (50 pesos if you have your own strings and perhaps 100 pesos if you do not).

When you are finished, you can flag a shared taxi outside the club, or you can catch a bus nearby.  All the traffic heading west outside the club is going into the city center.  Just jump out at the baseball stadium.