Temple held a grand opening for its new on-campus tennis complex Friday morning, which including a ribbon cutting ceremony led by Athletic Director Arthur Johnson. The new facility broke ground in May 2024 and was finished this past October.
“This is a special moment for Temple Athletics and I’m excited to celebrate it with all of you,” Johnson said. “I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Temple University’s leadership for their commitment to the success of our student athletes and your vision to continue to grow campus. To the alums who have joined us today, thank you for representing the Cherry and White with pride during your time on campus and we appreciate your tenure and continued support.”
The new courts will be the home to both the men’s and women’s tennis teams. The Owls have spent the year practicing on the courts but haven’t played an actual match on them yet. Both programs spent the season playing on the old space, which had been worn down to the point that they had just one playable court.
Temple spent the last four weeks of the fall season practicing on the courts when they had finished construction. However, the Owls have spent much of the fall season practicing at Penn and Legacy Temple Center due to the weather and both having indoor facilities.
“It was a bit unorganizing, a bit difficult sometimes, especially with the rain and stuff with our old courts,” said Temple Women’s Tennis player Thamara Kawaratani. “It gives more energy to us, especially home matches. People can come watch. It’s a great facility. So it gives us more energy, more spirit and more willingness to win.”
Temple had been playing its games at various locations throughout Philadelphia during its spring season due to not having a true home court. The Owls home matches were played at Penn, Drexel or Legacy and they never had a true home court advantage because both fans and players had to drive or catch public transportation.
The complex sits next to the Aramark Star Complex on 15th Street near Montgomery Avenue. It is filled with seven courts, which gives teams more chances to get matches in. There are also bleachers on the side of the courts for Temple fans to come watch the team play.
“It makes such a big difference,” said Director of Tennis Jeff Brandes. “Not having to go in a van even if it’s not that far away, it’s just a different feeling and a different sensation because we play on these courts every day. So every court plays a little bit differently, different bounce, different speed, so when you know you’re gonna play on your own courts, there’s just a little bit more comfort.”
The newly opened complex will also be available for student recreation, much like the old courts just across the street. When speaking about the new facility during the ceremony, Temple President John Fry reminisced about his time playing tennis during his childhood.
Fry also addressed how the construction of the new courts gives Temple the space to open ground on the new Klein College for Media and Communication and Center for Performing Arts building. The move benefits Temple’s student athletes but also ushers in a new facility for the university as a whole.
“While this facility is the home for men’s women’s tennis teams, it’s used to actually go far beyond that,” Fry said. “Whether it’s one of our recreational sports programs or just a hit among friends, we expect this facility to be bustling with all sorts of activities. While these courts will help Temple athletics in its recruiting and provide countless opportunities for student engagement, they also indirectly support Temple’s academic mission.”
The Owls get the opportunity to break in the new courts right away as both men’s and women’s teams have games against Siena today at 2 p.m. The men’s team is in the midst of a four-game win streak and hopes the new courts help usher in more momentum for themselves.
“Everyone’s gonna have a little bit more energy than they probably would have because there’s just a lot of excitement around this,” Brandes. “It’s gonna be interesting to see. Like, how many fans we got? This is the first home match ever for these courts.”
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