Illinois Men's Tennis

Facilities

Atkins Tennis Center

The Fighting Illini tennis program enjoys a state-of-the-art tennis facility in the Atkins Tennis Center. Voted one of 1992's Most Outstanding Facilities by the USTA, the Atkins Tennis Center is one of the foremost tennis centers in the Big Ten Conference and the country.

The Atkins Tennis Center was completed in October of 1991, just over a year after the ground breaking took place. The tennis center, constructed at a cost of $5.3 million, is located on the University of Illinois' south campus, east of the baseball and track and field facilities. The 58,000-square foot building houses six indoor courts, a pro shop, men's and women's team locker rooms and separate public locker rooms and offices for the Fighting Illini men's tennis coaches. Eight open-air courts are located west of the building. All 14 courts are lit and have a Plexi-Pave surface, which was finished in August 2001. The center serves faculty, staff, students and the residents of the Urbana-Champaign area. The facility was made possible by a $2.5 million donation from Clint and Susie Atkins of Champaign. The Atkins announced their gift in November of 1987. Clint Atkins is a real estate investor and co-founder of the Plastic Container Corporation of Champaign. The Atkins Tennis Center was officially dedicated Nov. 2, 1991, the date of the Atkins' wedding anniversary.

Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex

The Fighting Illini tennis teams welcomed a new addition to the Illinois family in the spring of 2009. The Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex, made possible by the gracious donation of UI alumnus Shahid Khan and his wife, Ann, complements the Atkins Tennis Center by enhancing the amenities and makes the Illinois tennis facilities among the best in the country. The Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex added 12 new outdoor championship tennis courts located on the east side of the Atkins Tennis Center, with a center spine dividing the courts into two halves. Along with the courts, a new building structure was attached to the east side of the Atkins Tennis Center, forming a new entrance to the indoor courts. Two new locker rooms for the men's and women's teams, a new sports medicine area, tennis pro shop, pro shop office and storage, and new public restrooms all were added as well. The Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex was officially dedicated on Sept. 12, 2009, though it had already been put to great use a few months earlier, as both the men's and women's tennis teams hosted NCAA first and second round matches in May. In June 2010, it was announced that the University of Illinois was selected to host the 2013 NCAA Men's and Women's Tennis Championships for the first time ever.

The Community

The Atkins Tennis Center offers clinics, private lessons, and group lessons for players of all ages and abilities. Below is a brief overview of each of the lesson types that Atkins offers to allow new players to learn the game and advanced players to master it. Additional information on each of the lesson forms is available on Atkins' website. If you have further questions, please call Atkins' front desk at (217) 244-8562 and ask to speak with a member of the instructional staff.

Atkins' clinics are classes scheduled for a specific time period (4 or 6 weeks). Players in each grouping possess a similar ability level and often share similar goals for participating in the clinic. Clinics take place at the same day and time throughout the session. Additional information including clinic policies, sessions, junior clinic information, and adult clinic information can be accessed by clicking on the appropriate links provided in the taskbar to the right.

Private lessons are for players looking for one on one attention to address specific topics. Players may come to their instructor with a specific idea on what they would like to improve or ask the instructor their opinion on what might help them become a better player. Private lessons are scheduled based on the player's availability, instructor's availability, and court availability. Click on the ‘Private Lessons' link located in the taskbar to the right for more information on private lessons.

Group lessons combine some aspects of clinics and private lessons. In a group lesson, multiple players will be on the court at the same time working with an instructor, however the content covered during the lesson will be dependant on the group's request. Also, similar to private lessons, a group lesson is scheduled based on the players' availability, an instructor's availability, and court availability. The group of players should be arranged by the group; Atkins is not responsible for recruiting players to participate in a group lesson. Click on the ‘Group Lessons' link located in the taskbar to the right for more information on group lessons.