Tennis town? As sport takes off in Sioux Falls, more courts could be coming

For a weekend in July, Sioux Falls became home to the nation’s best tennis players.

The South Dakota Adult Open, a United States Tennis Association-ranked tournament, marked its 71st year in the city as a largely under- the-radar event, despite drawing many of the nation’s top 100 players and the top 10 college players in a junior open.

“It is like a hidden secret,” said Lydia Healy, executive director of the Sioux Falls Tennis Association. “It’s crazy how good these players are there. I mean these are kids on the pro circuit. They are not quite Roger Federer, but that’s what they’re trying to attain.”

When the tournament was over, the winners left with a combined $20,000 in prize money.

“That’s the largest in the Midwest. We have the largest number of players in the Midwest,” Healy said. “This is really crazy good tennis.”

It is tournaments like these that demonstrate the growth of tennis in Sioux Falls and the need for more space, said Healy and others closely involved in the sport.

In the past five years, Huether Family Match Pointe, an indoor tennis facility in Sioux Falls, has seen an overall increase of 60 percent in its tennis programs. They’re up 20 percent in the past year alone, said Mark Vellek, executive director of Match Pointe.

“Because of the growth we have seen, we have begun the initial phases of an addition to our facility, which would include four additional indoor tennis courts and eight indoor pickleball courts,” he said.

“We are really excited about tennis and pickleball because they are not only two of the fastest-growing sports in the country over the past couple years but also are lifelong sports to be enjoyed recreationally and competitively at all ages.”

While conversations are starting about the future of Match Pointe, fundraising is heavily underway for the Sioux Falls Tennis Association to build a 12-court outdoor tennis complex at Tomar Park.

“And that will be a game changer for the city and our summer events that we can host,” said Marc Kurtz, head tennis coach at Augustana University, tennis director at GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness and South Dakota Adult Open tournament director. 

“Currently, we have facilities that only have eight courts, but to have a facility that has 12 courts in one place will be fantastic. This facility will also ease some of the difficulty with scheduling matches for the South Dakota Adult Open by having those courts in one location.”

It could make the area a hub for citizens of Sioux Falls because of its close proximity to the interstate and the fact that there is not a park on the south side of town beyond Interstate 229, Healy said.

“Tomar Park is like a hidden gem. The trees create a quiet little bowl, and it is right on the bike trails,” she said.

The addition will include a 12-court tennis complex, 50 additional parking spaces, soccer fields, pickleball courts, sand volleyball areas, a water-filling station and a full-size basketball court. 

The sssociation is waiting to begin construction until all funds needed for the project are raised, Healy said. 

“We are currently at $1.8 million, and construction will begin when the $2.5 million is pledged,” she said. “I am hoping to break ground next spring.”

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“If anyone would like to put a bench, a tree or sponsor a court in honor of a family member or loved one, we’d be happy to help take their help,” Healy said.

At Match Pointe, Vellek said that in a perfect world, expansion would be a couple of years away. Fundraising hasn’t begun actively to avoid competing with the outdoor effort.

“We want to be supportive and respectful of what they are doing to help grow the game and not compete with their efforts, and we also want to be thorough in our decisions and path forward, so there have been a number of conversations we have needed to have regarding the project,” he said.

Kurtz, who has been in Sioux Falls for more than two decades, said the sport continues to grow and evolve here.

“We have multiple facilities in town that offer lessons, leagues, tournaments and also court time during the winter months,” he said. “Tennis is a game that people of all ages can play, it’s great exercise, and it’s a great way to meet new people.”