The 30-court Rock Creek Tennis Center at 4850 Colorado Ave. NW went dark Tuesday, Aug. 18, after Guest Services Inc.'s contract with the National Park Service expired, leaving D.C. players, families and junior athletes with no place to play and no timeline for reopening.

Guest Services confirmed the closure in a statement posted by PoPville, telling members it is no longer operating the facility. The company said neither it nor the NPS has information on when a new operator will take over or when courts will reopen. Any future details on reservations, lessons and programs will come from the National Park Service or the incoming operator, the company wrote.

The center sits on federal parkland and surrounds William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Stadium, home of the Mubadala DC Open. The facility offers 15 hard courts, 10 clay courts and five heated indoor courts available in winter. The Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, which runs tuition-free tennis and academic programs for underserved D.C. youth, had extended its partnership with Guest Services through April 2026, according to a September 2025 press release.

The closure comes barely two weeks after the Mubadala DC Open wrapped its July 25–Aug. 2 run at the same venue. During that tournament, organizers described plans to make the facility a year-round destination, according to the Georgetowner.

Money is already earmarked for the site. The D.C. Council approved just under $10 million for renovations and infrastructure upgrades at the tennis center, and the Budget Support Act passed July 10 requires that any District-funded improvements exclusively focus on bringing the facility up to tournament standards. That same legislation mandates periodic updates to the Council on how the money is spent and how construction affects neighbors.

The tension is plain: nearly $10 million headed toward tournament upgrades, but no operator keeping the courts open for everyday players.

The NPS has not publicly named a replacement operator, issued a request for proposals or offered a reopening date. The agency has lost 25 percent of its staff through layoffs, buyouts and resignations since January 2025, Washington City Paper reported Aug. 14.

@popville: "This has been so bizarre"

Players looking for court time can check WTEF's West Campus at 5220 16th St. NW or D.C. Parks and Recreation facilities across the city. Anyone seeking updates on the center's future is directed to the National Park Service.