Back in 2000, Bryant Palmer met a friend for lunch in New York City. The place happened to be showing a tennis match on TV: Venus Williams playing in the U.S. Open.
“That was a fun match to watch, so I started watching others, and within a year was following the sport pretty closely,” recalled Palmer, a Denver resident who owns a PR and content marketing agency, Oh Hey Creative. “The next summer, a buddy of mine taught me how to play tennis — we’d meet most days at the courts in Central Park.”
Palmer started taking lessons, and within a couple of years, tennis became a significant part of his life. He met some of his best friends while playing in tournaments on the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance Tour (GLTA), and, in 2014, he met his now-husband Jay Gallagher. When they wed in 2022, the specialty cocktails at their wedding were named “The Serena” and “The Venus.”
Colorado is a tennis state. United States Tennis Association (USTA) leagues — competitive adult leagues — are especially strong here, with Colorado ranking among the largest districts in the country for league participation, according to the organization.
One of the best things about moving to Denver from NYC, Palmer said, is how much easier it is to play tennis around the Mile High City. Not only are there courts all over the city, but most of them are free, and he rarely has to wait very long for a court.
Plus, Denver is home to Gates Tennis Center, 3300 E. Bayaud Ave., which has courts you can rent for $8 an hour, in addition to top-notch programming that includes co-ed doubles leagues, group classes, private lessons and cardio tennis classes. Gates also has singles ladders that rank and match players based on skill levels, and it hosts USTA leagues.
Tennis: A Sport For Longevity
Pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in the United States for the past four years, according to industry reports, including one from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. And padel, which blends elements of tennis and squash, has become the new darling of racquet sports, with courts popping up across Colorado.
But for many, tennis remains a mainstay.
“Even with the growth of pickleball and padel, we’re seeing renewed interest in tennis as racquet sports overall continue to grow,” said Yaz Tavatli, the national pickleball and tennis lead at the Life Time health club chain. “Tennis remains a cornerstone sport because it’s athletic, strategic, social and truly lifelong.”
At Life Time Centennial’s location, which has 10 indoor and 10 outdoor courts, the 10-and-under junior programs are thriving, and the junior development pathway and academy include more than 100 kids participating monthly. On the adult side, Life Time offers clinics, drills, private lessons, and leagues for all levels and ages.
For new players at Life Time, beginner clinics, introductory programs, and private lessons provide a structured and welcoming entry point. For more experienced players, the fitness center offers advanced clinics, high-level drills, competitive leagues, tournaments, academy-style training, and USTA opportunities.
The Benefits of Playing Tennis
Tennis is absolutely a lifetime sport and one of the best activities for long-term health and longevity, Tavatli said. “It combines cardiovascular fitness, strength, balance, coordination, and mental engagement, and it’s incredibly social. Players build lasting friendships through leagues, doubles, and club play.”
In fact, The New York Times recently reported on a Danish study that tennis may offer unique longevity benefits: People who play tennis, the study said, lived nearly 10 years longer than sedentary adults and outlived soccer players and swimmers.
For Palmer, “wanting to be better at the sport inspired me to get in better shape, and that’s remained true for the past 20-plus years,” he said. He also appreciates that his 83-year-old father-in-law can still play. “I don’t know a lot of 50-year-old guys who play football every week, but I play tennis just about every week of the year.”
While Denver’s gay tennis group was defunct for a few years, it’s been revamped recently as Denver Tennis Family. Palmer said he’d love to see the group get big enough to begin hosting a GLTA tournament in Denver again. The last tournament took place in 2017, when Gallagher won his division, and Palmer did the same in his — meaning they left with matching trophies.
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