Wappingers Falls Sports Club Closes After 50 Years of Service

After 50 years of service, a Wappingers Falls sports club is saying goodbye. Could the popularity of Pickleball be the reason behind it?

Is Pickleball the Reason For Tennis Popularity Dipping?

Pickleball is all the rage right now, but is it taking the focus off other racket sports? Tennis numbers have fallen over the last 10 to 15 years according to Cross Courts Tennis Club in Wappingers Falls.

They write "Pickleball is currently popular and added to the decline of tennis (ironically, with the assistance of the USTA.)

Adding:

Sadly, communities are tearing up tennis courts and replacing them with pickleball courts. Public courts where many kids learned to play, cheaply, are being erased.

With that being said, Cross Courts Tennis Club has announced its closure in September of 2024.

Wappingers Falls Tennis Club Closes After 50 Years of Service

Cross Court Tennis Club on New Hackensack Road in Wappingers Falls announced in September 2024 that they would be closing after 50 years in service.

In their statement, released to Facebook, they write "It's with mixed emotions that we announce the closing of Cross Court Tennis Club." They go on to say how special Cross Court was to the local tennis community, which made for incredible life-long friendships.

The statement goes on to say "But that community is diminishing and we can no longer sustain the losses."

Cross Courts Junior League, which was their mainstay program, saw a 40% decline, and USTA (United States Tennis Association) matches have dropped 50% in recent years.

The Cross Courts staff wraps up their statement with "It has been quite a ride. We thank you all for taking it with us."

You can read the full statement below:

What Will Become of The Cross Court Tennis Club in Wappingers Falls, NY?

According to the closing statement, Cross Court Tennis Club has been sold. Cross Court writes "It has been sold and will be converted into another sport."

As for what other sport they're talking about, there's no definite answer at the time. One might think it would be turned into a Pickleball club. However, Hudson Valley Pickleball and Golf Center will open in the South Hills Plaza where the old Christmas Tree Shoppe used to be.

The distance between the 2 locations is only 2.6 miles. Do we really need two large pickleball centers that close to each other?

We'll keep an eye out on the former Cross Court Tennis Club to see what becomes of it in the future.

What do you think could take over the New Hackensack Road location?