The St. John's Tennis Association (SJTA) is a not-for-profit association operating two tennis facilities in the center of St. John's.
Green Belt Tennis Club is an indoor, year-round facility with six tennis courts and six pickleball courts. In addition to recreational and league play, its programs include junior and adult lessons, private lessons and the province’s high performance training program for elite junior athletes.
Riverdale is the association’s outdoor facility which operates during the summer months. Located on Portugal Cove Road, next to Rennie’s River, Riverdale has six outdoor lighted courts and a clubhouse.
Green Belt Tennis Club
Riverdale Tennis Club
Green Belt Tennis Club
The 1977 Canada Games, hosted by the City of S. John's, saw the construction of a number of new sport facilities which proved pivotal for a number of sports within Newfoundland and Labrador, but particularly for the game of tennis. Ten open-air courts were constructed in the valley known as Kelly's Brook. After the Games, these courts became the Greenbelt Tennis Club. Tennis participation levels exploded over the next few years as the increased capacity helped interest in the game expand and the membership of the club grew to a peak of almost 700 members.
Green Belt continued as an outdoor club until the mid-1980s. Through the efforts of the club executive, "The Bubble" was finally erected in 1987. Initially it covered four courts but as use increased, it was expanded to six, and three outdoor courts were retained. Court 7 was lost as the space was required to anchor the structure. Increasing membership and a steadily improving standard of play confirmed the potential provided by developing Green Belt into a year-round facility.
Tennis in Newfoundland had come of age. Green Belt had established itself as a permanent year-round base where players, young and old, social and competitive, could play and develop their game. Over the years, a number of our top junior players have been awarded NCAA tennis scholarships in the United States.
Riverdale Tennis Club
Located next to the scenic Rennie's River, Riverdale, with its clubhouse and six outdoor lighted courts, is one of the oldest continuously operating tennis clubs in Newfoundland. It has been the crucible of competitive tennis in the province for decades.