Wingate tennis set to play another season off-campus due to damaged courts

By Arantxa Taberneiro

Staff Writer

For the second straight year, the Wingate tennis teams will be playing their home matches 10 minutes away from campus at Monroe High School as they continue to wait for the construction of new courts. 

The Bulldogs’ longstanding eight-court facility located between Ron Christopher Stadium and the McGee Center has been deemed unsuitable for NCAA Division 2 matches because of excessive cracking. While university maintenance staff recently filled in those cracks so the teams can practice on campus, a new home for the Bulldogs must be built to host future college matches. When that will happen and who will pay for it are questions that remain undetermined. 

According to Wingate spokesperson Kristen Yost, the university has already raised a significant portion of the money that will be needed to help pay for the new facility. 

“We have a donor, and athletic leadership and [the] advancement [department] are working on fundraising to match the generous gift we just received,” Johnson said. 

Yost said the plan is to start construction “sooner rather than later, but the university has to do its due diligence and put the project out to bid. This process takes time.” 

While repairs have been made to the courts in the past, Yost said, this time a complete overhaul is required, which will be costly. The first of the courts were built in the late 1950s and they were later expanded to their current number. Yost explained that the water flow beneath the surface of the courts has accelerated wear and tear, creating cracks that could no longer be addressed with simple resurfacing.

“We have to finish them differently this time to make them last longer, which is more expensive,” Yost said.

 According to online sources, the cost of a single asphalt tennis court can range from $60,000 to $120,000, depending on lights, benches and other additions. Wingate’s current tennis center has eight courts, four of which are lighted. 

The Wingate players are trying to make the best of the situation. Rodrigo De la Torre, a junior on the men’s team from Spain, is hoping he’ll be able to enjoy a true home court by the time he graduates during the 2027 season. 

“I feel pretty bad that our last season didn’t get to be played at home because the courts just weren’t in shape, but I see they added [three] new team [sports],” De la Torre said. “It’s sad not having a real home advantage.