You do not need to stay at a hotel with its own court to play tennis around the Bay of Naples. The region has a serious club culture, from the historic clay at the Tennis Club Napoli, which hosts an ATP Challenger every spring, to a pair of synthetic grass courts tucked into a rock canyon in Positano. The catch: almost nothing is bookable in English with one tap. Here are the clubs I could verify that accept visitors, and how to get a court.
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Quick answer: where visitors can play
- Naples, for clay and history: Tennis Club Napoli in the Villa Comunale, six clay courts on the seafront. Guest access is by arrangement, so call first.
- Naples, easiest online booking: Paradise Sporting Village on the Vomero hill, booked through the Wansport app.
- Sorrento: Tennis Sporting Montariello, two floodlit clay courts close to the centre.
- Amalfi Coast: Tennis al Settimo Piano in Positano (synthetic grass, WhatsApp booking) or San Pietro Padel & Tennis above Maiori (tennis plus padel, open to visitors).
- Capri: Capri Sporting Club in Anacapri, three floodlit courts and lessons in English.
- Best months: April to June and September to October.
If you would rather have a court a few steps from your room, see our guide to tennis hotels on the Amalfi Coast and Sorrento, or the full list of luxury hotels with tennis courts in Italy.
Check prices and availability
Sorrento is the most practical base for court hopping: Naples, Positano and the Capri ferries are all within reach. Compare dates before the spring and autumn peaks fill up.
How court booking works in Italy
Italian tennis runs on private clubs, the circoli, rather than public park courts. Access for visitors varies, but these patterns repeat:
- Apps: Playtomic is widespread in Italy, above all for padel. Around this coast, the clubs I could verify use the Wansport app instead (Paradise Sporting Village and San Pietro in Maiori). MATCHi did not turn up for any club in this area. Register on Wansport before you arrive.
- Phone and WhatsApp: still the default. Message in simple English or Italian with the date, time, singles or doubles, and whether you need rackets.
- Guest fees and membership: clubs rarely publish visitor prices online. Some charge a court fee per hour, some add a guest fee, and member clubs may only let you in as a member’s guest. Where no price is published below, check with the club.
- FITP card: the Italian federation (Federazione Italiana Tennis e Padel) issues the tessera that members use for insurance and tournaments. Napoli club guides note that some city clubs normally ask for one.
- Clay etiquette: bring clay or all court shoes with a herringbone sole; running shoes can be refused. Sweep the court with the drag net at the end of your hour and brush the lines.
Naples: the city clubs
Tennis Club Napoli (Villa Comunale, Chiaia)
The club sits on Viale Dohrn inside the Villa Comunale gardens, a few metres from the bay, with six clay courts. It hosts the Napoli Tennis Cup, an ATP Challenger 125 that in 2026 ran from 23 to 29 March as the first clay event of the European season. Local guides say the club normally requires a membership card to play. Visitor access, prices and floodlighting are not published, so check with the club (+39 081 7614656) before you turn up with a racket.
Best for: clay purists, and anyone who wants to see the Challenger in March.
Posillipo Tennis Club (Posillipo)
Formerly known as the Tennis Club di via Petrarca, this club has five courts, a gym, a bar and a daily tennis school from 15:00 to 18:00, with a free trial lesson arranged via Instagram. Our research turned up contradictory information on two points. The club’s own website gives the address as Via del Marzano 7, while Naples guides and court directories still list Via Francesco Petrarca 93. One guide lists four clay courts plus one synthetic grass court; the club itself mentions only red clay. It was not clear to us which applies, so confirm both when you call (+39 081 7690161). Visitor rates: check with the club.
Best for: lessons in a residential corner of Posillipo.
Paradise Sporting Village (Vomero)
On Via Aniello Falcone, high on the Vomero hill, this club has renewed courts with views over the Gulf of Naples. Courts are booked through the Wansport platform, and the office answers on WhatsApp (+39 333 927 0149). There is a tennis school for children and adults. Court numbers, surfaces, lighting and prices are not published; check with the club, and ask whether non members can book in the app.
Best for: visitors who want to book online, then spend the afternoon in the city. Pair it with our Naples food guide.
Tennis Club Vomero (four courts) describes bookings by members, and the Circolo Nautico Posillipo is a private sporting club with no published visitor access. Call ahead before trying either.
Sorrento and the peninsula
Tennis Sporting Montariello (Sorrento)
The closest club to central Sorrento, on Viale Montariello. Court directories list two floodlit clay courts, and it has hosted the Open Città di Sorrento. Lessons with qualified instructors are offered. Prices, hours and booking method are not published: phone +39 081 878 1246 or ask your hotel concierge to call.
Best for: a morning match without leaving Sorrento.
Also worth a call: Circolo Tennis Paradiso, near the post office in Sorrento, runs adult and junior courses and is listed on the Fubles booking platform (courts and surfaces not published). Hotel & Resort Le Axidie at Marina d’Equa, Vico Equense, has its own courts; directories disagree on the number (three versus five), and non guest access is not stated, so ask the hotel.
The Amalfi Coast and Capri
Tennis al Settimo Piano (Positano)
Set in a natural canyon above the Mandara car park on Viale Pasitea, a short walk from Piazza dei Mulini, with rock walls and sea views. The surface is synthetic grass; directories list two courts. The club notes that the courts are in shade after 4pm, even in summer, which makes late afternoon the time to book. Private lessons come from FIT certified instructors. Showers, changing rooms and, per reviewers, racket hire. Reviewers have booked via WhatsApp with quick replies (+39 338 268 7037). Prices, lighting and season: check with the club.
Best for: the most scenic hit on the coast without a hotel booking.
San Pietro Padel & Tennis (Maiori)
Attached to the Hotel San Pietro on Via Nuova Chiunzi, on the road climbing inland from Maiori, this centre has one tennis court and two padel courts, with changing rooms, showers and a gazebo. Crucially, the hotel says both guests and outside visitors can play, booked through reception or the Wansport app (+39 089 877220). Surface, lighting and prices are not published, so check with the club.
Best for: mixed groups who want tennis and padel on the eastern Amalfi Coast.
Capri Sporting Club (Anacapri)
The island’s most visitor friendly option, on Via G. Orlandi in Anacapri. There are three floodlit courts: one clay court with stands for around 200 spectators and two multi purpose synthetic grass courts. Play runs through the day into the late evening, booked by phone with the front office (+39 081 837 2612). Fabio Lettieri, a FIT certified instructor, gives individual and group lessons in English, and the club offers equipment rental, stringing and a hitting partner on request. A public bus stops at the entrance. Prices: check with the club.
Best for: lessons in English and evening play under lights.
In Capri town, the Grand Hotel Quisisana has two synthetic grass courts and a FIT affiliated instructor, but its website does not say whether non guests can book, so ask the hotel. For Ravello, Amalfi, Praiano and Vietri sul Mare I could not verify any court that currently accepts visitors; if you are based there, Maiori is the nearest option I could confirm.
Comparison table
| Venue | Area | Courts and surface | Lights / padel | How visitors book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennis Club Napoli | Chiaia, Naples | 6 clay | Check with the club | Phone; membership card usually required |
| Posillipo Tennis Club | Posillipo, Naples | 5, clay (sources differ on one synthetic court) | Check with the club | Phone, email |
| Paradise Sporting Village | Vomero, Naples | Check with the club | Check with the club | Wansport app, WhatsApp |
| Tennis Sporting Montariello | Sorrento | 2 clay | Floodlit / no padel listed | Phone |
| Tennis al Settimo Piano | Positano | 2 synthetic grass | Check with the club | WhatsApp, phone |
| San Pietro Padel & Tennis | Maiori | 1 tennis, surface not published | 2 padel courts | Wansport app, reception |
| Capri Sporting Club | Anacapri | 1 clay, 2 synthetic grass | Floodlit / no padel listed | Phone |
Charlotte’s tip: let the concierge make the call
Even where a WhatsApp number exists, a call from a hotel concierge in Italian gets a faster yes, and often a hitting partner too. Send your concierge the club name, two possible slots and your level the day before.
Best months and times to play
April to June and September to October are the sweet spots: warm, dry and bright, with sea breezes that make a two hour session comfortable. July and August are hot and humid on court; book before 10am or after 5pm, which is where Positano’s afternoon shade and Anacapri’s floodlights help. Naples clubs are city clubs that operate beyond the summer season, while hotel linked courts on the coast tend to follow the hotel season, so outside spring to autumn check with the club. Late March brings the Napoli Tennis Cup to the Villa Comunale; watch for the 2027 dates. On rest days, see the coast from the water with our guides to the Amalfi Coast by boat and Capri by boat.
Check prices and availability
Staying in Positano puts Tennis al Settimo Piano within walking distance and Maiori a scenic drive away. Hotels here are seasonal and book up early for May and September.
Where to stay nearby
All four have a court of their own, so you can mix hotel play with the clubs above.
Il San Pietro di Positano (Positano)
Carved into the headland just east of Positano, with a single court at sea level reached by lift, reserved for hotel guests through the concierge. Read our full Il San Pietro di Positano review. The hotel is generally open from April to October.
Check rates at Il San Pietro di Positano
Grand Hotel Quisisana (Capri)
Two synthetic grass courts and a FIT affiliated instructor in Capri town, a few minutes from the Piazzetta. Anacapri’s floodlit courts are a short ride away. See our Grand Hotel Quisisana review; the hotel is seasonal.
Check rates at Grand Hotel Quisisana
Grand Hotel Cocumella (Sant’Agnello)
A historic clifftop hotel about a 20 minute walk from central Sorrento, with a court in its gardens and a lift to a private jetty. Details in our Grand Hotel Cocumella review; the hotel closes from November to March.
Check rates at Grand Hotel Cocumella
Hilton Sorrento Palace (Sorrento)
The practical choice for groups: one tennis court and two floodlit padel courts in large grounds within walking distance of the centre, plus tiered pools. Read our Hilton Sorrento Palace review.
Check rates at Hilton Sorrento Palace
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play at the Tennis Club Napoli without being a member?
Possibly, but not by walking in. Local guides say the club normally requires a membership card, and visitor access is not published. Call the club or ask your hotel to arrange it.
Is there a public court in Positano?
Tennis al Settimo Piano is a private venue that welcomes visitors, with synthetic grass courts on Viale Pasitea. Book by WhatsApp or phone in advance.
Can I book courts here on Playtomic?
None of the clubs in this guide could be verified on Playtomic. Paradise Sporting Village and San Pietro in Maiori use the Wansport app; the others book by phone or WhatsApp.
Do I need clay court shoes?
For Tennis Club Napoli, Montariello, Posillipo and the clay court in Anacapri, yes, clay or all court shoes with a herringbone sole. Synthetic grass courts accept all court shoes; check with the club if unsure.
