A Game for All Ages

Real Tennis is not only the world’s oldest racket game, it is also the most fascinating and satisfying, for young and old alike. Real Tennis, because it is also a game of experience, tactics and thinking rapidly on your feet. You’re never too old for this game!

The game is played on an indoor court with a central net. The game was originally played in the cloisters of monasteries, a courtyard with sloping surrounding walls – and this space is replicated in modern Real Tennis courts.

The courts at Prested are fully insulated, with under-floor heating, and one of the courts features a glass “grille” wall, ensuring excellent and exciting viewing for a large audience. There is only one other court with this feature in the world. We also have a viewing gallery above the side penthouses, and the traditional viewing area, known as the “dedans”.

Watch the BBC’s footage from April 2018 at Prested

Our Professionals

Claire & Rob Fahey joined the Prested team in February 2017.   Rob is a 13 time, current Men’s World Champion and Claire is 4 times (and current) Ladies World Champion.   Their enthusiasm and commitment to growing the game here at Prested is something we are very excited about.  It’s a fantastic combination and we’re delighted to have them coaching and playing at Prested.

Rob Fahey: A lot has been written about Rob Fahey over the years.  He held the World Championship title for over 23 years and has won an impressive 49 Open singles titles, a dominance in the game that is unrivalled. It is largely agreed that he is the greatest player to have ever played the game.  He has a passion for coaching and is a terrific ambassador for the game.

Claire Fahey: Claire starting playing here at Prested at the age of 12.  She won many junior titles, before securing her first World title at the age of 19 – the youngest ever to hold the title.  Since then, she has gone from strength to strength and has pushed the ladies game to a new level.  She is the best female player to ever play the game and it’s a joy to have her back at the club she started at!

Ged is our senior professional and has won both singles and doubles at world under 24 level and is an ex-world doubles championship semi-finalist. He has been a professional for 25 years, starting at Cambridge before working at Queens for 20 years and joining Prested in Autumn 2014

Handicaps
All players are allotted a handicap which enables them to play against any other player. Their starting score is determined by the handicap difference between the two (or four) players.

Tournaments and Master Classes
Real Tennis members at Prested enjoy various national tournaments – both as individuals and with club teams, and enjoy Prested in-house tournaments.

Visitors can enjoy watching our pros practice together – ring the Real Tennis department to find out when you can catch them on court or playing in a competitive match.

Membership

In addition to the Health Club membership, we also run a tennis-only membership.  Tennis membership covers Real Tennis, Padel Tennis and Lawn Tennis and is £27.50/month for adults and  £12/month for juniors (under 16) – please note court fees apply to Real Tennis and Padel tennis.

Residential Real Tennis Breaks

We welcome groups from other clubs for mid-week residential breaks at Prested Hall, where they can enjoy court time at the Club, and, if they wish, take advantage of some extra coaching from Rob, Claire and Ged.  We have lots for non-playing partners to enjoy, from the Health Club, Spa with Elemis treatments through to Afternoon Tea in the calm surroundings of the hall itself.

House Rules
Please note Prested operates a no smoking policy throughout its premises.

Lessons with our Pros

• £40/hour with Rob (Head Pro)
• £35/ hour Claire (Head Pro)
• £30/ hour with Ged (Senior Pro)

Other Courts
There are courts in Australia, the USA, France – 46 in the world. The other two-court centres are in London, New York, Melbourne and Cambridge.

Real Tennis News Worldwide
For the latest country and world-wide Real Tennis news please visit RealTennisOnline or TennisandRackets.

These sites contain news and message boards and also contain the international web-based handicapping calculator and registry – essential viewing for all players. In order to log-on as a full user you need to be vouched for by your club, so let us know if you are a member and want to become recognised. The professionals also have their own website at IRTPA.