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Ponce
Where to play tennis in Ponce
The Hilton Ponce courts overlooking the Caribbean, what time to play to beat the heat, and what to bring to the court in southern Puerto Rico.
Ponce has an advantage few places do: you can play tennis twelve months a year. But southern Puerto Rico is the driest, hottest part of the island, and that changes how you plan.
The Hilton Ponce courts
FDJ Tennis Academy operates on the courts at the Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort, overlooking the Caribbean Sea. That is where Tennis Pro Francisco "Paco" De Jesus runs his private lessons and group programs, and where the academy's semesters take place.
It is a resort facility, so the setting is different from a public court: you play with the sea behind you and the golf course alongside. For lessons and court availability, the fastest route is to contact the academy directly.
What time to play in the south
Between ten in the morning and three in the afternoon the Ponce sun is punishing year-round, not just in summer. The local habit is to play early or late in the day.
- Early, 6 to 9 am: the best hours. Cool, still, and the court has not soaked up heat yet.
- Late, from 4 pm on: the second best. Watch the light, which in winter is gone before 6.
- Midday: only if you have no choice. And with twice the water you think you need.
What to bring
- More water than you would carry in the north of the island. The south is drier and dehydrates you faster.
- A towel and a spare grip. In this humidity the grip slips within half an hour.
- Cap and sunscreen. There is no shade on court.
- A second set of strings if you are in match season: heat speeds up wear.
The advantage of training year-round
A junior player in Ponce can train on court 52 weeks a year. On the mainland, a kid up north loses entire months or moves indoors. That continuity is a real development advantage, and one of the reasons the island has produced players well beyond what its population would suggest.
That is the subject of the guide on tennis in Puerto Rico.