Sunday 29 June marks the start of Wimbledon 2026 — the 139th edition, All England Club, green grass, church-like silence. Two weeks later, on 12 July, the Gentlemen's Final. In between: the best tennis players on the planet, with video review on court for the first time.
The pattern is always the same. You watch two hours of tennis, think "I could play more too", look for a partner on WhatsApp, find nobody, put your racket back in the bag and wait until next year.
This year it can go differently.
The real problem is not the court
Finding a tennis court in Milan, London, Paris, Madrid or Barcelona is not the bottleneck. Europe has tens of thousands of courts across clubs and sports centres, many bookable online in five minutes.
The problem is the person on the other side of the net.
Not just anyone — the right person. Same level. Available Saturday morning at 9 or Tuesday evening after 7 pm. Within a reasonable distance from home. Someone who does not cancel the day before with "something came up."
That is the problem no court-booking app solves. Those find you the slot, not the partner.
Why level matters more than you think
There are two ways a tennis session goes wrong before it even starts.
The first: you play someone too strong. Every point lasts eight seconds. They retrieve everything, you miss, the score becomes embarrassing. You learn nothing and go home frustrated.
The second, less obvious: you play someone too weak. It seems less bad but it is equally dispiriting. You stand still, hold back your shots, never have a real point. Time wasted.
Amateur tennis works — becomes fun, improving, habitual — when the two levels are close enough to make real points happen. Not identical, but within a range where both players feel the match is competitive.
Finding that range among strangers is a lottery. Or almost.
How to actually find someone
A concrete example. You are in Milan, Porta Romana neighbourhood, intermediate level — consistent rallies, directional serve, you keep score but do not yet have the cross-court baseline shot. You are free on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 pm.
WhatsApp / Telegram local group:there is a "Tennis Milan" group, it takes weeks to get in, nobody declares their level, you risk playing a former competitive player who crushes you in three games.
Club option:if you are already a member, the secretary might pass you a contact. But you are limited to that club's members — 80 to 200 people, often with incompatible schedules.
PlaySportMate option: create a free profile in two minutes, set sport (tennis), level (intermediate), area and availability (Wednesday evening). The platform shows you who is out there. Filter. Send a message. No commission, no hidden subscription.
- Profile with sport, area and level (beginner / intermediate / advanced)
- Search by sport, city and time availability
- Direct message — no middleman
PSM is not a tennis-only app: it supports 150+ sports — padel, basketball, running, judo and more. But if tennis is your sport this season, this is exactly how it works.
Wimbledon grass and your club's clay
One thing Wimbledon reminds you of every year: surface changes everything.
On grass the bounce is low, the ball skids, the winner is the player who serves well and attacks the net. On clay points last longer, fitness matters more, the baseline builder wins. On hard courts the bounce is predictable — the most neutral surface.
Across most of Europe, amateur courts are clay. So when you watch the champions on the All England Club grass you are watching a physically very different game from the one you will play on Saturday morning. Kick serves, fast volleys, short rallies — all different.
That does not make it less beautiful to watch. Wimbledon on grass is visually the purest of all the Majors. But it is useful to know: play on your surface, find a partner who knows your surface, improve there.
The right moment is now
Between 29 June and 12 July, every tennis court in Europe will see at least some people getting back to playing more regularly. It happens every Wimbledon. Every Roland Garros. Every US Open.
The problem is that the window closes. The enthusiasm lasts two weeks, then routine takes over and the racket goes back in the cupboard until next year.
Breaking the loop means doing the concrete thing now, while the urge is there: create the profile, find someone within 10 km, book the first session. Not "later," not "when I find the time." Now.
If Wimbledon is what sparked you, read also how Roland Garros has the same effect every spring — or how the Tour de France 2026 is doing the same for cycling. The dynamic is always identical: a major event, the urge to get back on court, the challenge of finding someone.
Find your tennis partner now
Create a free profile, select Tennis, set your level and area. Wimbledon gives you the motivation — PlaySportMate finds you the right person on the other side of the net.
Find tennis partners →Frequently asked questions
How do I find a tennis partner at my level?
On PlaySportMate you create a free profile, set your sport (tennis), level and area. The platform shows you who is available nearby at a compatible level. No fees, no hidden subscriptions.
Do I need to be a member of a tennis club?
No. PlaySportMate works independently of any club: you find playing partners across the whole city, not just among your club's members. Once you find the right person, you book a court wherever you like.
Is PlaySportMate only for tennis?
No. The platform covers 150+ sports: padel, running, basketball, football, cycling, judo and many more. Tennis is one of the most searched, but the partner-finding feature works for any sport.