How one woman strung together a grassroots tennis community in Queens, New York

On a Tuesday afternoon in Jackson Heights, Queens, Monica Vergara paces the bright blue tennis courts of Travers Park. The courts are quiet at 3pm, but the end of the work day ushers in a low hum of activity that swells into a cacophony of laughs, shouts and racquets whipping through the air—all music to Vergara’s ears, as she’s become the leader of this burgeoning tennis community.

A former professional basketball player in her native Colombia, she never expected to pick up a racquet in her late 40s, nonetheless shepherd a grassroots tennis group. It wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic that she and her husband, Rafael, decided to try a new hobby. They both became obsessed and quickly encouraged their youngest son to join the game, too. 

“In basketball, you’re depending on four other players, but I like how individual tennis is. How you can make the decisions, how you can decide a single game. I feel this relief,” Vergara said.  

“I love the physicality of it. You really have to be 100% focused, you cannot be lazy,” Rafael said, with a chuckle. “It's also really helped me with my patience and stress management. I get stressed out really quick, but with this sport, you cannot let it get to you, you have to be cool, calm and collected at all times.”

While the Hispanic community has a foothold on the courts, they are joined by a bevy of other backgrounds. At peak playing time, nearly a dozen people had gathered to play, a group representing India, Honduras, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Tibet, Thailand, Egypt, Paraguay and more. 

“We have the United Nations here,” Vergara exclaimed, laughing with her teammates.

As the afternoon slipped into the evening, the power of tennis shone bright. If someone didn’t have a racquet, they were lent one by someone else. Everyone was conscientious of playing time, ensuring no one was waiting on the sidelines for too long. And players of all skill levels and ages rallied around the sport, from ages 6 to 81.

“I moved here five years ago, and I didn’t know one person. And then gradually, I became part of the group,” said Mary Jenkins, 80, who has played tennis for 40 years. “I just come here and people will play with me, hit with me. In turn, I’ll hit with young kids. It’s a very loving community.”

“We have all different kinds of people,” Vergara said. “But when we come on the court, we are one.”