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PlayTennis vs. Meetup: What's the Best Way to Find Tennis Partners in LA?

PlayTennis vs. Meetup: What's the Best Way to Find Tennis Partners in LA?

Looking for a solid tennis partner in your neighborhood can feel like an impossible challenge. You might've tried Meetup to join tennis groups, or maybe you've posted in forums hoping someone will respond. But if you're tired of no-shows, dead groups, or sketchy anonymous profiles…there's a better way.

At PlayTennis, we're laser-focused on solving one thing: helping you find real, ready-to-play tennis partners in your area. So how do we stack up against Meetup? Let's break it down.

Quick Comparison: PlayTennis vs. Meetup

Feature PlayTennis Meetup
Purpose Find tennis partners near you Join group events (all topics)
Tennis-specific? ✅ 100% focused on tennis ❌ Broad interest groups
Local partner matching ✅ Smart matching based on skill, location, gender, and other preferences ⚠ Only through large group events
Playing Formats ✅ Play singles, doubles, find coaches, classes, liveball ❌ Mostly group play
Ease of finding partners ✅ Easy and modern UI ❌ Manual RSVP and chat threads
Cost to use Free Often free, sometimes event fees

Focused on Tennis—Not Noise

Meetup is a great platform… if you're looking for a hiking club, language exchange, or startup pitch night. But when it comes to finding a neighborhood hitting partner, it's not designed for that. Groups are inconsistent, organizers burn out, and many events are more social than athletic with uneven skill levels that hinder competitive play.

PlayTennis is built only for tennis. You can browse players by skill level, availability, and location—and message them directly to set up a hit. No waiting on event RSVPs or a host to confirm your participation. Just tennis.

Designed for your Neighborhood Tennis Scene

We built PlayTennis to match players who are actually nearby, so you're not driving 45 minutes just to play with someone your level. With Meetup, you might find a group that meets once a week. You might be out of luck if you're looking for more than that or a way to meet new hitting partners in your area.

Built for 1:1 or Casual Doubles

Want to rally with someone Tuesday night? Try out a new mixed doubles partner? Play a practice match before a tournament? PlayTennis makes it simple to set that up, even if you're brand new to the area.

Meetup events tend to be large, semi-structured groups. They're great for socializing but not ideal for match play or finding consistent partners at your level.

Ready to Rally?

If you've ever thought "I just want to hit with someone around my level, near me, this week," you're not alone. That's exactly why we built PlayTennis.

  • ✅ Local players.
  • ✅ Real matches.
  • ✅ No drama. No group chaos.

Join PlayTennis today and find your next hitting partner in under 2 minutes. Playing tennis just got way easier.

Conclusion: Meetup is a solid general platform, but if you're serious about tennis in your neighborhood, PlayTennis is the tool you've been waiting for.

👉 Start finding partners now

Estimated reading time: 3 min

Ready to find your next tennis partner?

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Our promise to you

We love playing tennis but found finding partners in LA frustrating. So, we built PlayTennisLA.

Our platform makes it easy to find available courts and match with partners quickly.

See you on the courts!

The PlayTennisLA Team

quoteTrusted by our community
In the short time I've used play tennis LA. I've set up more play dates than with the previous paid apps I'd used previously. The site is intuitive and easy to navigate. The community is super positive and supportive. It's now my go to matchmaking Tennis site.

Erik Adams

Member since December '24

PTLA is elite. The site is so easy to navigate and everyone on the site itself is awesome. I haven't had any other success on any other tennis apps and if you're in LA, this is basically the only one to be on if you want to find reliable and quality hitting partners.

Jake Lugo

Member since November '24

Play Tennis LA has made finding people to play tennis with easier than I could have imagined. I've met wonderful people and had a blast playing. It's an incredible tool for finding people of similar skill level near where you play.

Kyle Ayers

Member since October '24

You guys are a godsend.

Daniel Asbury

Member since November '24

PlayTennisLA has been an amazing experience so far! After moving to LA, I struggled to find tennis partners, but this website made it so I was playing with new people every week. The website's user-friendly platform helped me connect with other players, find courts, book sessions, and meet new tennis friends. It's been a game-changer for someone like me where I was able to find a consistent group of people around my level to play tennis with!

Charles Zhang

Member since September '24

Discover how easy it is to find partners.