Thursday, March 21, 2024

Tennis in Kigali: A Guide to the Best Courts in Town

Tennis fans in Kigali are in luck because there are several places to play scattered all around town. With the beautiful weather and clay courts, playing tennis here is fun… and not super expensive, either. Getting ahold of a decent tennis racket and balls in Kigali will be a challenge, though, so it’s probably best to bring your equipment from home. Make sure to also bring a decent sized supply of socks as the clay courts will turn them all a nice shade of orange.

Cercle Sportif

Cercle Sportif is a well-known recreation center in Kigali that offers a range of sports activities, with a particularly strong reputation for tennis. The facility boasts six clay courts, which attract a high number of skilled players. Prices per 1 hour session are Rwf 3,000 for children under 14 and Rwf 5,000 for adults. You can also buy a membership but I’m not certain how much it costs.

You can access the courts from as early as 6 am, but it’s essential to book in advance to avoid disappointment due to high demand. Booking days are Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, and you can talk to your coach, and they will book for you.

If you’re feeling sporty you could also take advantage of their ping pong, volleyball, basketball, and squash areas. Or chill out by the pool. They’ve got a restaurant where the brochettes are reportedly tasty, and they show sports on the TVs. So, if you want to fit in more than just tennis, Cercle Sportif is a great place to play.

Hotel Des Mille Collines

This Kiyovu hotel has only one court tucked away at the side of the pool and if you play like me, you could find yourself launching balls all over the place. The fences around the court are high, but they’re also fairly close to the edge of the playing area which, for me, would most certainly mean a lot of lost balls. It costs Rwf 5,000 to rent the court for an hour. The court is central with a nice view.

Nyarutarama Sports Club

If you live out in Nyarutarama then this sports club near the golf course is the place to be. There are a few courts on either side of a quiet road. It also costs Rwf 5,000 to rent a court per hour. This seems pretty expensive when compared to the other courts around town.

You can also find tennis courts in Kigali Convention Center, but I hear it can be quite pricey. There is also Kicukiro Ecology Tennis club with six courts. They used to be at Amahoro stadium, but changed venues when reconstruction started at the stadium.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. […] Depuis mon arrivée au Rwanda je ne faisais plus beaucoup de sport. Lorsque j’habitais à Montréal, j’étais habituée de faire deux fois par semaine de l’aérobie et l’été je faisais du jogging et je jouais au tennis. Au cours des derniers mois, j’ai tenté de faire régulièrement du jogging, mais avec la chaleur ou la pluie c’était plutôt difficile (oui j’invente des excuses pour ne pas vous avouer que je suis paresseuse). Heureusement, récemment j’ai trouvé une amie pour aller jouer au tennis. Tout près de la maison où j’habite, à l’hôtel Umubano (plus connu sous les noms de Laico, Novotel ou Méridien…oui, oui, ce sont tous les noms que cet hôtel a eus) il y a des courts que nous pouvons louer. Alors, une fois par semaine, nous allons courir les balles (et quelques fois nous les frappons). Voyons voir si je serai plus assidue à ce sport qu’avec le jogging ! Pour les amateurs de tennis, notez qu’il existe de nombreux endroits pour jouer au tennis à Kigali. Par contre, il est préférable que vous ayez votre propre raquette, car essayer d’en louer ou d’en acheter une peut devenir un sport extrême. Pour connaître tous les endroits à Kigali où vous pouvez jouer au tennis, vous pouvez consulter le site web Living in Kigali. […]

  2. We went to the Umumbano/Novotel/Laico after we had confirmed the prices you are listing one month ago. Surprisingly yesterday the price had gone up to 3.000 Francs/hour PER PLAYER! We felt something was definitely wrong and smelling rip-off but still bit the bullet. After we were done playing we headed to the Nyarutarama Sports Club, AKA Tennis Club and found out that now, their 5.000 Francs/hour/court rate is better than the afore mentioned Novotel deal. The Nyarutarama’s different membership options make playing tennis in Kigali even more affordable and certainly a better alternative to the Umumbano which BTW, offers membership plans, too.

    • There are instructors at Amahoro Stadium. I went with a friend and we paid 2,000 for the court and I think 3,000 for the instructor. It’s often crowded since it’s the most affordable place to play tennis.

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