The Racquet Club of Memphis to close in 2019

The home of Memphis’ men’s and women’s tennis teams is closing its doors, said Mary Van Dyke, whose ballet school meets at The Racquet Club of Memphis.

Several groups, including Children’s Ballet Theater, were told they can continue using the facilities until June, Van Dyke said.

It’s unclear what future plans are for the property.

The closing also means the University of Memphis’ men’s and women’s tennis programs will need to seek a new home.

“As details become final, those will be shared to ensure a seamless transition into a new facility for our teams and fans,” a University of Memphis spokesperson said Tuesday.

Stephen Valentine, general manager of the club’s owner Golden Set Holdings, did not return several calls requesting comment Tuesday.

The Racquet Club of Memphis, founded in 1957, is on 12 acres in East Memphis and has more than 186,000 square feet of facilities, according to its website. It has 10 indoor and 16 outdoor tennis courts, a swimming pool, a club house and a banquets and catering department.

The property, located at 5111 Sanderlin, is appraised for $4.5 million, according to property records.

It was known for hosting the Memphis Open, one of the ATP’s longestrunning tournaments, until the tournament relocated to Long Island in 2018.

The Daily Memphian first reported Friday that The Racquet Club had mailed letters to its members saying they were looking “at other possibilities” for the property.

Van Dyke said her school and Tennessee Ballet Theater will miss the staff at The Racquet Club, as well as the two racquetball courts that were converted into “beautiful” studio space.

Now, they are looking at real estate or for another place to rent in East Memphis.

The Commercial Appeal reporter Drew Hill contributed to this story.

Katherine Burgess covers county government and the suburbs. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.