By Racquet

Welcome to September, when the US Open is in full force, the temperatures ease back to something pleasant, and this year, you can walk into an issue of Racquet IRL. All month long we’ll be in residence at the Wilson Pop-Up Museum (594 W. Broadway) in SoHo with the latest release as well as deep cuts from the Racquet archive. To celebrate, we’ve partnered with our friends at Wilson on the definitive guide to NYC tennis. Check out an excerpt below, and cop a poster-sized version at the Wilson Skybox at the mezzanine level of the Pop-Up Museum.

You can’t be on the New York tennis scene without your copy of Racquet, so make sure to stop by the best magazine store in the city, CASA (2), in the heart of the West Village to get your hands on the latest issues. Ali and Muhammad will get you sorted with all the best reading material. From there, check out a hidden Tribeca gem—the sole court at Washington Market (3), where local legend John Jones runs the show (and is responsible for the umpire chair and hopper of balls). The crowd can be pretty cutthroat, and you’ll have to ask ahead for the door code.

For an immersive New York City tennis experience, stop by the Wilson Pop-Up Museum (4) at Broadway and Houston, in the heart of SoHo. Learn more at the History & Culture Wall, play in the Official Ball Room, check out game-changing technology in the Gallery, connect with fellow athletes in the Skybox, design and create your own racket in the Customization Experience and shop Wilson’s latest tennis equipment and all-new sportswear in the store.

If you’re headed to Queens, you’ll want to get a glimpse of the newly restored court at Ella Fitzgerald Playground (19). In partnership with the NYC Parks Department, RecycleBalls and Laykold, Wilson resurfaced the court with recycled tennis balls and Kith designed the artwork for this local spot, so don’t miss it. You’ll be working up an appetite, and no trip to the city’s most diverse borough is complete without stopping in on the classic South Asian grocery store Patel Brothers (20).

No pilgrimage to New York City public court tennis is complete without visiting the cathedral itself, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (21). You can book ahead to hit on the same courts as the pros do during the US Open, or you can visit the adjacent Flushing Meadows Corona Park (22) for a more convivial vibe.