Acquisition of Fort Wayne tennis club ‘serendipitous’ for new owner
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A more than 40-year-old indoor tennis club in Fort Wayne has a new owner, who calls the deal a full-circle moment for him. Josh Rifkin, owner of Synergistic Body, a holistic fitness and performance training facility, has acquired Wildwood Racquet Club, though financial terms are not being disclosed.
Rifkin, a former professional tennis player, at one time was an instructor at Wildwood and says he has plans for capital investments in the club to fuel growth.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Rifkin said the opportunity has been a long time coming for him.
“I’ve been thinking about something like this for well over a decade, not necessarily tennis club oriented, but a way to kind of bring tennis and community, among other components that have been my passion over the past, many, many years, together,” Rifkin said. “So it is kind of serendipitous. The opportunity was there to make things kind of full circle for myself.”
Wildwood, located at 508 North Hadley Road, was founded in 1972 and includes 12 indoor courts, four outdoor courts and eight pickleball courts. It also features a pro shop, fitness center, courtside bar and restaurant, and child care services.
While in grade school, Rifkin was involved in Wildwood’s junior development program. After his stint in the pros, he returned to the club as a teaching professional focusing on youth instruction and advanced training for high school athletes.
Rikin then went to The Austin Tennis Academy in Texas as an instructor and leader of the academy’s fitness program. He returned to Fort Wayne in 2020 to establish Synergistic Body, which has a concentration on tennis, sport and performance enhancement training.
With the acquisition, Rifkin said he plans to fold Synergistic Body into Wildwood, “which also gives Wildwood a functional gym and fitness component as well.”
Rifkin told IIB he is continuing to evaluate the needs of the facility to prioritize capital investments and facility improvements.
“With the building being as old as it is, there’s going to be just some general interior or exterior facility improvements. That could be from design to updated spaces, then the updated gym,” he said. “I just think things from a design and internal environment perspective can be updated, and then some repairs might need to take place as well.”
Wildwood currently has 29 employees, all of whom will be retained, and Rifkin expects to add more jobs as more services and amenities are added over time, but an exact number is not yet known.
Rifkin noted that fitness hasn’t been much of a priority at the club in the past, and his plans for enhancing the fitness component will help bolster the club’s growth potential.
“There’s an amenity and a component that can be added, which has growth potential there to integrate into more tennis more pickleball and fitness,” he said. “Then there’s also the social aspect with the bar, which could be as creative as you would want to be to combine all of those pieces. And I think that can be also maximized, not only improving those areas but integrating them all and having that whole club experience. I think there’s some exciting growth to come.”
In a Jan. 1 post on the club’s Facebook page, former partners Lee Ann Berning and Will Cleveland announced the sale.
“We want to take this opportunity to say thank you to our members, past and present. We have a profound sense of gratitude for your support of Wildwood and of us. We are appreciative of the relationships we’ve made over the years and the 24 years as Wildwood owners. To our staff we say thank you. Their dedication to the club and to us is humbling and we will always be grateful.”
Rifkin said members can expect a seamless transition following the acquisition.