Why Lahta is the birthplace of Russian tennis

When you step onto a court in Lahta, you're playing where Russian tennis began.

The year 1888

In the late 19th century, tennis (then called "lawn tennis") came to Russia from England. The first official club — the Lahta Lawn Tennis Club — was founded in 1888 right here, on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland. The summer-house resort of Lahta was the perfect spot: open space, fresh air, and a crowd ready for fashionable English pastimes.

What happened next

From the Lahta club and its Saint Petersburg neighbors grew the entire Russian tennis tradition: the first Russian championships, the first international matches, the first Russian players at Wimbledon. Saint Petersburg remained the capital of Russian tennis right up to the revolution.

The legacy today

We play on this ground more than a century later. Clay courts, a club atmosphere and respect for the game — that's what connects today's club to the first players in their white flannel suits.

Come play where it all began — 137 years of history are included with every booking, free of charge. By the way, why we play on clay today rather than grass — separate article.