Wednesday tennis group celebrates nearly 45 years

Wednesdays might be halfway to the weekend for most, but for one group of tennis players in Peachtree Corners, Ga., it means more than 40 years of forehands, backhands and memories on and off the court.

Bill Weikel, 80, a retired engineer, was one of the founders of the Wednesday Tennis Group.

"I was a member of what was called WCT Peachtree Tennis. In 1981, they started permanent indoor court time. We started with two courts and 8-12 guys." Bob Kopec is another original member.

Weikel sets a rotating three-month schedule and each player plays with everyone in the group. There are no set partners. While players keep score during their 90-minute indoor court time, there is no listing of who wins or who loses over the course of the season. 

One of Weikel’s goals is to make sure players don't team up with or face the same guy every week. Two courts are rented, meaning eight are playing each Wednesday. The group has enjoyed the independence to play outside of organized leagues, where competition is often more important than playing for the sheer love of the sport.

Kopec added, "Bill was really the glue because he did all the scheduling and got everyone together, which is not easy to do. We know we get to play year-round and not worry about rain or snow."

Members ranged from dentists to lawyers and engineers. One traveling salesman even adjusted his schedule to be back in town for the Wednesday night matches. "I played a little bit in high school and started playing out of my subdivision when I moved to Georgia," stated Weikel. "But these Wednesday nights made me take tennis (seriously)." Some matches are played on Wednesday afternoons.

All players are members of what is now Life Time Peachtree Corners. If they can't make it on Wednesday, they have to find a sub.

Weikel said a sub would sometimes create interesting matchups. Kopec remembered that two former pro players had jumped in as subs: New York Yankee pitcher Bob Turley and Washington Redskin quarterback Eddie LaBaron, along with Florida State Hall of Fame baseball player Bob Clem.

"The permanent members all were pretty close in level, but sometimes we'd get a very good player on the court with us, a college player or even a talented younger player."

90-year-old played in the group
Over the years, the age range of the regulars has varied but most are over 50. Weikel said they had a member who was 84, and from time to time, they were joined by a 90-year-old.

While the on-court play was competitive and enjoyable, the fun sometimes continued well into the night. "For 30 years, it was a gathering," admitted Weikel. "We hung out and had food and drinks, but the food in the lounge has changed over the years."

Currently, the club hosts a Trivia Night on Wednesdays, and some of the players stay to test their brains in various trivia categories.

As we head into 2026, how long will the Wednesday group continue? "45 years is a long time. A lot of friendships, Wednesdays, good times and some tennis too," the founder said.

Wednesday Tennis Group fun facts

With the goal of getting in as much play as possible, the group has a few unique rules:

• One player is assigned to bring balls and his team gets to serve first; there is no racquet spin or coin toss.
• Warm-up serves are taken from one side only. Returners never bother to tell the server if the serve is in or out.
• Water breaks and change of ends usually only happen at the end of sets.
• No-ad scoring was introduced last year.

USTA Southern Senior Manager, Communications Ron Cioffi, who edited this story, and USTA Southern Director, Community Tennis & Volunteer Engagement Andrew Feldman play in the group.