Cities
Tennis ladders in Cary
The Cary singles ladder on Deuce is open, and it's free to join. You won't find the town's own ladder running right now: on September 30, 2026, the Town of Cary's site said its Challenge and Champions ladders were temporarily suspended. Cary Tennis Park has 32 courts, seven of them under a roof, and walk-up play on its outdoor courts is free until 11 p.m.
Cary at a glance
| Ladders on Deuce | 1 |
| Active players (last 30 days) | 0 |
| Matches played (last 30 days) | 0 |
Ten players is enough to start a ladder. Below that we would rather tell you so than launch something that dies in three weeks.
Where you would play
The Town of Cary runs one big tennis center and five neighborhood parks with lit courts. Tennis questions for all six go to one desk at Cary Tennis Park, (919) 462-2061. The last four rows are courts in the neighboring towns of Apex and Morrisville. If you want one place to start, start at the tennis park: it has the most courts and a staffed desk.
Public tennis courts in and next to Cary
| Venue | Address | Courts | Surface | Lights | Booking | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cary Tennis Park, outdoor | 2727 Louis Stephens Dr | 25 (12 closed Oct. 5 to March 2027) | Courts 1 to 12 asphalt, being rebuilt in post-tension concrete. Others not listed | Open until 11 p.m. | Walk-up. Reservations for annual passholders | Free walk-up. No charge to passholders |
| Cary Tennis Park, covered | 2727 Louis Stephens Dr | 7 | Post-tension concrete | LED, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Call, up to two days ahead | $36 an hour, $32 with an annual pass |
| Middle Creek School Park | 151 Middle Creek Park Ave | 8 | Not listed | Yes | First come, first served around town programs. High school use on school days | Free walk-up, $8 an hour reserved |
| Robert V. Godbold Park | 2050 NW Maynard Rd | 6 | Not listed | Yes, until 11 p.m. at the latest | First come, first served | Free walk-up, $8 an hour reserved |
| Annie Jones Park | 1414 Tarbert Dr | 6 | Not listed | Yes, until 11 p.m. at the latest | First come, first served unless reserved | Free walk-up, $8 an hour reserved |
| R.S. Dunham Park | 519 Walnut St | 6 | Not listed | Yes, until 10 p.m. at the latest | First come, first served unless reserved | Free walk-up, $8 an hour reserved |
| McCrimmon Park | 3870 Cary Glen Blvd | 6 | Not listed | Yes, until 11 p.m. at the latest | Reservable | $8 an hour reserved |
| Apex Community Park (Apex) | 2200 Laura Duncan Rd | 6 | Not listed | Not stated | Town court-use calendar online | Not stated |
| Pleasant Park (Apex) | 3400 Pleasant Plains Rd | 4 | Not listed | Yes | No player reservations | Not stated |
| Church Street Park (Morrisville) | 5800 Cricket Pitch Way | 3 | Not listed | Not stated. Park open sunrise to sunset | First come, first served | Not stated |
| Morrisville Aquatics & Fitness Center | 1301 Morrisville Pkwy | 2 | Not listed | Yes | Walk-up. Members' reservations come first | Reserving needs an MAFC membership |
The only surfaces these towns publish are at Cary Tennis Park: post-tension concrete under the roof, and asphalt on outdoor courts 1 to 12, which the town is rebuilding in post-tension concrete. Every other surface cell says "Not listed." Apex and Morrisville publish no court fees for their sites. We checked each row against the operator's own page on September 30 and again on October 2, 2026.
Cary Tennis Park
The tennis park is on Louis Stephens Drive. The clubhouse is staffed from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, and the outdoor courts stay open until 11 p.m. Walk-up play on them is free. Courts 3 to 10 were built with the school board, and on school days Green Hope High School has first call on them. If people are waiting, the park asks you to cap your time at an hour.
Courts 1 to 12 close for construction on October 5, 2026, and stay closed through March 2027 while the town rebuilds them in post-tension concrete with new lighting. The other 13 outdoor courts and the seven covered courts stay open. The town warns that court time at the park and at the neighborhood parks will be very limited while the work runs.
Outdoor reservations at the tennis park are for annual passholders. An individual annual pass costs $350 for Cary residents and $450 for everyone else. It makes outdoor courts free and lets you book up to a week ahead through the Plan-2-Play app, in blocks of 30, 60 or 90 minutes, one booking a day. The seven covered courts are open to anyone who calls the desk up to two days ahead. On the day, the town's online court-assignment page tells you which court is yours.
Neighborhood parks: free unless someone booked
Godbold, Annie Jones, Dunham and Middle Creek are walk-up parks first. Play is free unless a town program or a reservation holds the court. Each park page links to a schedule of booked slots. A reservation costs $8 an hour through Plan-2-Play, and you don't need an account to make one. It can't be refunded, so check the forecast before you pay. Middle Creek's eight courts belong to the high school during the school day.
Lit play runs until 30 minutes after the last match ends. The hard stop is 10 p.m. at Dunham and 11 p.m. at Godbold, Annie Jones and McCrimmon.
Courts in Apex and Morrisville
Apex Community Park has six courts and posts a court-use calendar online. Pleasant Park's four courts are lit but can't be booked by players: you follow the posted signs at the courts. In Morrisville, Church Street Park has three walk-up courts, and the Aquatics & Fitness Center has two lit courts where members with a booking go first.
When you can play
You can play in Cary all year. The area's federal climate station is at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, and its 1991 to 2020 normals set the calendar.
| Month | Normal high | Normal low | Normal rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52°F | 32°F | 3.4 in |
| April | 73°F | 49°F | 3.5 in |
| July | 91°F | 70°F | 5.0 in |
| September | 83°F | 63°F | 5.2 in |
| October | 73°F | 50°F | 3.4 in |
| December | 55°F | 34°F | 3.4 in |
April and October are the easy months, with highs in the low 70s. July is the hottest, and summer matches go better early in the morning or under the lights. September is the wettest month on the record, and July isn't far behind. Winter highs sit in the low to mid 50s, so a midday match is comfortable. By evening it's close to freezing.
When it rains, Cary has a fallback. The town calls the seven covered courts at the tennis park the Triangle's only covered hard-court tennis facility. They have a metal roof and sides down to 12 feet, with wind-screened fencing below. The town's FAQ says they are not a true indoor court.
How a ladder works here
Deuce's rules are the same in every city. In Cary, what you plan around is court time. A passholder can book 90 minutes a day at the tennis park, and walk-up players are asked to give up a court after an hour when others are waiting. Best of three tiebreak sets, the platform default, can run past both.
- Agree the format first. A challenge doesn't name one. Settle on one the ladder accepts, then size the booking to it. A one-hour slot isn't best of three.
- Long match, no booking. Try a neighborhood park. The town's park pages list no time limit for walk-up play there.
- Rain forecast. Call the desk for a covered court two days out. It's $36 an hour.
The mechanics
These are the defaults. An organizer can change the challenge range, both windows and the rematch cooldown. The first challenge and the inactivity schedule are fixed.
| Rule | Default |
|---|---|
| Challenge range | Five rungs up. Rung 6 may challenge rung 1 |
| Response window | 5 days |
| Play window | 30 days from acceptance |
| First challenge | One unrestricted challenge inside your own level band. Always on |
| Rematch cooldown | 14 days. Playing someone else does not shorten it |
| Absence | Up to 21 days. You keep your rung and cannot be challenged |
| Inactivity | Points decay every 30 days without a played match. Your rung is released at 180 days and you are withdrawn at 365 |
If you played the town ladder, three things change. You could challenge anyone there, and on Deuce the range is five rungs up. The town allowed three weeks for a match. Deuce gives you five days to answer a challenge and 30 to play it. The last change is the score: the town had the winner submit it, while on Deuce the other player confirms it, or an auto-confirm timer does. Scoring has the details.
The full ruleset is on the rules page. The glossary defines rung and level band.
Levels and where you start
In western Wake County, levels are written in NTRP. The USTA leagues that the Western Wake Tennis Association runs are split by NTRP from 2.5 to 4.5, and the Town of Apex's ladder uses a 3.5 to 4.0 division. Played on a USTA team here? Then you already know your number.
Deuce doesn't require one. You can give an NTRP, UTR or WTN level, a club level or a plain description of your game, and the system places you from that declared level. Two rules keep a wrong guess from sticking.
- A close call puts you higher. Unsure between 3.5 and 4.0 means 4.0. A placement that is too low hands you easy wins and skews the ladder for everyone below you.
- Your first challenge can go anywhere in your level band. One played match is usually enough to fix a bad start.
The rating conversion table lines NTRP up against UTR and WTN. What each NTRP level looks like in a match is on the NTRP rating chart.
How competitive tennis is organized in Cary
Leagues fill a lot of the tennis park's calendar. The town says it hosts more than 200 league teams a year. Each option below is described from its operator's own page.
USTA and local leagues through the Western Wake Tennis Association
WWTA, once called the Cary Community Tennis Association, is a volunteer non-profit under the USTA that runs league tennis for western Wake County. Its 2026 USTA calendar has adult leagues from February to May, singles leagues in summer and fall, and mixed, tri-level and combo doubles in between. It also runs doubles leagues that don't need a USTA membership. Town teams at the tennis park pay a court fee of $22 a player for residents, $26 for nonresidents and nothing for passholders.
The Town of Cary's Challenge and Champions ladders
Both are temporarily suspended, according to the town's adult tennis page on September 30, 2026. The town gives no restart date. Their rules are still posted: the Champions Ladder sent the top eight players with seven matches to a weekend tournament.
The Town of Apex Fall Tennis Ladder
is a nine-week co-ed singles ladder at the 3.5 to 4.0 level that began in early September. It cost $5 for Apex residents and $30 for everyone else, and registration closed on August 31.
Two paid ladders also cover Cary. Rival Tennis Ladder runs a combined Cary-Durham ladder in four 10-week seasons. On September 30, 2026, its page said the first season is free, then singles costs $35 ($30 early) and doubles is free. How Rival compares with Deuce sets its prices, rules and scoring side by side.
TennisRungs' Triangle Tennis Ladder takes in Cary, Apex, Morrisville and other Wake County towns. On the same date it listed $25 for a 10-week ladder with a playoff for the top four.
Questions
The quick answers, for anyone who skipped down.
Is there a tennis ladder in Cary?
Yes. Deuce runs the Cary singles ladder, which is open-ended and free to join. Rival Tennis Ladder runs a paid Cary-Durham ladder, and TennisRungs runs one for the Triangle. The Town of Apex has a seasonal singles ladder, though fall registration has closed. The Town of Cary's own Challenge and Champions ladders are suspended for now.
Is the Town of Cary tennis ladder still running?
No. On September 30, 2026, the town's adult tennis page said Cary Tennis Park had temporarily suspended its Challenge and Champions ladders, with no restart date given. The rules pages are still online. Watch the town's page for news, and play somewhere else in the meantime.
Are tennis courts free in Cary?
Yes, for walk-up play. Outdoor courts at Cary Tennis Park and the five neighborhood parks cost nothing when no one has booked them. A reservation at the five neighborhood parks costs $8 an hour. Outdoor bookings at the tennis park are for annual passholders, and they pay nothing. Covered courts are never free: $36 an hour, or $32 with a pass.
How do I reserve a tennis court in Cary?
Book a neighborhood park court online through Plan-2-Play, linked from the town's Court Reservations page. It costs $8 an hour, and you don't need an account. Bookings can't be refunded. Outdoor courts at the tennis park are booked by annual passholders, up to a week ahead. For a covered court, call (919) 462-2061 up to two days ahead and pay when you book.
Which Cary tennis courts have lights?
At Cary Tennis Park, the outdoor courts stay open until 11 p.m. and the covered courts are lit from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. All five neighborhood parks have lights. Godbold, Annie Jones and McCrimmon allow lit play until 11 p.m. at the latest, Dunham until 10 p.m.
Can I play in Cary when it rains?
Yes, under a roof. Cary Tennis Park has seven covered hard courts, open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and bookable by phone up to two days ahead for $36 an hour, so a two-hour match costs $72 for the court. The town says they are not a fully enclosed indoor court.
What rating do Cary players use?
NTRP. The Western Wake Tennis Association's USTA leagues split players by NTRP, and Rival asks you to register at your NTRP level. Deuce accepts NTRP, UTR, WTN, a club level or a description, and your first challenge, which can go anywhere in your level band, corrects a bad placement.
How is a ladder different from a league?
In a USTA league you play for a team, on dates the league sets. On a ladder you hold a rung and pick your own opponent and time, inside a response window and a play window. Confirmed results earn Deuce Points. How it works walks through it.
Can I play in Raleigh or Durham too?
Yes. You can join more than one ladder, and each keeps its own standings. If you live in Cary and work in Raleigh or Durham, a second ladder near the office gives you another pool of opponents. The Raleigh page and the Durham page list the courts there. Where a town has no Deuce ladder yet, you can start one.
What does it cost to join?
Nothing. Deuce Ladder is free for players right now. As of September 30, 2026, Rival's first season was free and singles then cost $35, TennisRungs charged $25 and Apex's fall ladder $5 or $30. Walk-up courts in Cary are free. A reserved neighborhood park court costs $8 an hour. Browse open ladders on Discover, or read what players get.
How do I start a ladder in Cary?
Apply as an organizer. You need ten players you can name, from a neighborhood, a club, a USTA team or an office. The application is short, and every ladder is reviewed before it opens. The section below has the detail, and the organizers page has more.
Start a ladder in Cary
If you played the town ladder, you already know the people a new one needs. This is for whoever can name a dozen of them: a USTA captain whose team wants matches between seasons, a neighborhood with its own courts, or a group of coworkers.
The application has ten questions and a free-text box, and it takes about five minutes. We review it and contact you only if something needs clarifying. Once it is approved, the ladder is live and players can join and challenge from that moment.
Ten players you can name is the floor. At twelve it mostly runs itself, because the same two people stop playing each other every week. If you have fewer, apply anyway, and we'll tell you if the group is too small.
There is no import from a spreadsheet or an old ladder site. Invite your players once the ladder is approved, and the unrestricted first challenge sorts the order.
Sources and last verified
- Cary Tennis Park, Town of Cary Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
- Adults, Online Challenge Ladder Rules and Online Champion's Ladder Rules, Town of Cary
- Court Reservations, Rates and Fees, Covered Courts and Covered Courts FAQ, Town of Cary
- CTP Adult Tennis Leagues, Town of Cary
- Town of Cary park pages: Robert V. Godbold, Annie Jones, Middle Creek School Park, R.S. Dunham, McCrimmon
- Town of Cary policies: Tennis Park Operations and Tennis Satellite Court Usage
- Town of Apex: Tennis, Apex Community Park, Pleasant Park
- Town of Morrisville: Church Street Park, Morrisville Aquatics & Fitness Center
- Western Wake Tennis Association: Organization Information, USTA Leagues, Adult Tennis
- Tennis Ladder in Cary-Durham, NC, Rival Tennis Ladder
- Triangle Tennis Ladder, TennisRungs
- U.S. Monthly Climate Normals, 1991 to 2020, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, station Raleigh Durham International Airport (USW00013722)
Last verified: September 2026.