Beginning July 1, the Sunnyvale Tennis Center will implement a slight modification to the court reservation process to create a fairer and more balanced reservation experience for all players.
Currently, reservations open at 12:00 p.m., and due to various conditions beyond personal control, some patrons are more successful than others in securing courts. While this works well for many reservation times, we recognize that certain high-demand periods can become highly competitive and occasionally frustrating for players.
To help address this, the new Reservation Lottery system will provide all users with an equal opportunity to reserve courts during the initial reservation release period.
How the Reservation Lottery Works
At 12:00 p.m. each day, reservations will open for the applicable advance booking window.
- Players may submit reservation requests online and on the Lifetime Acitivities app during a 60-second lottery window from 12:00 – 12:01 p.m.
- Reservation requests will be temporarily held by the system and will not be immediately confirmed. Players should keep their browser or Lifetime Activities app open.
- Once the lottery window closes, the system will randomize all submitted requests.
- Based on the randomized order, reservation requests will then be confirmed by the system if the requested time and court type are available.
- After the lottery period concludes each day (after 12:01 p.m.), court reservations will return to the standard first-come, first-served process as they operate today. The lottery system only applies during the initial reservation release period at 12:00 p.m.
The goal of this process is to provide a more equitable reservation experience while continuing to offer convenient and efficient court access for the Sunnyvale tennis and pickleball community.
It’s as simple as that. If you would like additional details or assistance, please read on or contact the Sunnyvale Tennis Center front desk.
USER PERSPECTIVE
From the player’s perspective, the reservation process will remain largely unchanged.
When a player submits a reservation request between 12:00 – 12:01 p.m. during the lottery window, the request will automatically be entered into the Reservation Lottery. During this time, players may see a message indicating that their request is being processed and that they should keep the reservation window open until results are finalized.
If the reservation request is successful, the booking will appear in My Bookings section as normal
If the reservation request is not successful, the player will be returned to the standard reservation screen and may reserve other available courts as usual.
The lottery only occurs once each day during the initial reservation release window. Outside of that brief period, court reservations continue to operate through the standard first-come, first-served reservation process.
FAQ – Reservation Lottery
What happens if two players submit a reservation request at the exact same time?
All reservation requests submitted during the lottery window are randomized after the window closes, regardless of the order in which they were received. This means there is no advantage to clicking faster — every participant has an equal opportunity to secure a court reservation.
Can a player submit more than one reservation request during the lottery?
No. Each player may only submit one reservation request per lottery window.
What happens if a player closes their browser window or app before the lottery results are finalized?
A player may still successfully obtain a reservation even if the browser window is closed early; however, they may not see the real-time confirmation or result notification. If successful, the reservation will still appear in the player’s account.
Does the Reservation Lottery apply to all courts?
Yes. All publicly available courts follow the same lottery process from 12:00 – 12:01 p.m. each day. After 12:01 p.m., court reservations return to the standard first-come, first-served reservation process.
Please note that courts already blocked for scheduled programming, league matches, classes, tournaments, maintenance, or other pre-scheduled activities are not included in the lottery process.
Will players be notified if their reservation request is unsuccessful?
No. Players who do not receive a reservation during the lottery process will simply return to the standard reservation screen once the lottery allocation has concluded. At that point, they may continue reserving any remaining available courts as normal.
Can members cancel or edit a reservation request during the lottery window?
No. Once a request is submitted, it’s unavailable for changes during that lottery window and cannot be edited or withdrawn until after results are finalized.
Can I still make my reservation in person or over the phone?
During the lottery window of 12:00 – 12:01 p.m., all reservations must be processed through a web browser or the app. In person and phone reservations will not be accepted during this time. Once the lottery window has concluded, normal reservation bookings resume.
Who should I contact if I have questions regarding the new reservation procedure?
If you have questions regarding the Reservation Lottery system, please contact the Sunnyvale Tennis Center front desk for assistance.
Sunnyvale Tennis Center
755 S Mathilda Ave.
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
T 408-735-7285