Sheridan Snyder Tennis Center
Representing a major component in the development of elite collegiate tennis programs at the University of Virginia, the Sheridan Snyder Tennis Center opened for competition in the spring of 1997.
Conveniently located near UVa's Central Grounds, the $1.4 million complex features 13 courts, spectator seating for 1,000 fans, a scoreboard and sound system. In 2004, the Lady Astor Tennis Pavilion was completed nearby which is home to locker rooms for both the men's and women's tennis teams and a conference room.
The tennis center is named after Sheridan Snyder, a 1958 UVa graduate who founded the National Junior Tennis League. Snyder is also a board member of Friends of Virginia Tennis. The facility has been host to major collegiate competitions in recent years. The Snyder Tennis Center hosted NCAA Regionals every spring since 2004. The women's squad played host to NCAA competition for the first time in 2010.
In addition to serving as Virginia's primary practice and competition facility, the Snyder Tennis Center is regularly used for University faculty and staff tournaments, camps, clinics and student classes. It has also accommodated community participants in the Dogwood Festival Tournament, a number of Junior Tournaments and MATA Tournaments. Open 18 hours a day, the center provides more than 120 hours of tennis opportunities each week for members of the University community.
Tennis facilities at UVa date back to 1931 with the construction of the Lady Astor tennis courts. The school's first tennis center was made possible by a gift from Nancy Lady Astor, a Virginia-born member of the British Parliament, who contributed her resources on the condition that others would take part in the venture.
During the more than six decades since the original 14 courts were built, innumerable matches have been played on the site.
Together, the University and The Friends of Tennis program hope to build on Lady Astor's foundation and create the most impressive and functional facility for collegiate tennis in the nation.
From the East/West: Take I-64 to exit 118B (Culpeper-Charlottesville). Take second exit (sign will say University of Virginia Information Center and Business 250 East) and bear right onto Ivy Rd. At third stop light, turn right onto Emmet St. The Tennis Center will be on your left side in front of Memorial Gym. Parking is on side streets or in the Parking Garage, which is behind Memorial Gym.
From the North: Take Route 29 south into Charlottesville (Emmet St.). All the way into the Ivy Rd./University Ave. area. After passing through this intersection, the Tennis Center will be on your left side in front of Memorial Gym. Parking is on side streets or in the Parking Garage, which is behind Memorial Gym.
From the South: Take Route 29 to Business Route 250 East (sign will say University of Virginia Information Center) and bear right onto Ivy Rd. At third stop light, turn right onto Emmet St. The Tennis Center will be on your left side in front of Memorial Gym. Parking is on side streets or in the Parking Garage, which is behind Memorial Gym.
Boyd Tinsley Courts at the Boar’s Head Sports Club
Men's and Women's Tennis
A new era of Virginia tennis opened in January of 2006 with the completion of the Boyd Tinsley Courts at the Boar’s Head Sports Club. The $7.5 million expansion of the club, highlighted by the indoor tennis stadium, has given the Cavaliers one of, if not the best, collegiate indoor tennis facility in the country.
The courts are named for the primary benefactor of the addition, Charlottesville native Boyd Tinsley. Tinsley, the violinist for the Dave Matthews Band, is an avid tennis player and fan who has contributed greatly to the game in the community. In addition to the indoor courts, he annually sponsors the USTA Women’s Challenger Event held at the Boar’s Head Sports Club. He also created the Boyd Tinsley Tennis Program, which provides instruction and equipment to underprivileged kids. Tinsley makes frequent appearances at Cavalier matches when he’s not on the road touring with the Dave Matthews Band.
Construction began in the spring of 2005 on the project, which added to the existing tennis facilities at the club. The addition brought the number of indoor courts to 12, including the sixcourt indoor tennis stadium with seating for 1,200 spectators. The project also added locker rooms, a training room, and state of the art scoreboards for the Cavaliers.
The facility has been the site of past ITA National Individual Indoor Championships and ITA Men’s Mideast Regional Championships. The Boar’s Head Inn, owned and operated by the UVa Foundation, is a staple of Tennis Magazine’s annual “Top 50 Tennis Resorts” rankings. The Boar’s Head Sports Club has been the indoor home of Cavalier tennis for over a decade.
