In 1923, a group of tennis enthusiasts, reacting to the fact that the "community lacked an outdoor interest or amusement," formed "a tennis club for tennis players." After a series of planning meetings, commissioners of the Cook Country Forest Preserve District agreed to develop the Cummings tract for tennis use and committed to maintain the property for recreational purposes. The original plans called for the development of 14 courts, a clubhouse, an open-air swimming pool, and a stadium.

Courts 1 to 5, completed in September, 1924, opened with an afternoon of exhibition play that featured Pat O'Hara Wood, the Australian Davis Cup player. The clubhouse and four additional courts were completed in 1925 at a reported cost of $22,000. There were approximately 100 club members at that time.

OPTC was designated as the West Side Tennis Center where juniors 15-18 years of age could compete for an entry into national tournaments. From 1945 to the mid-1960s, the Club hosted Chicago District Open Championships, the Chicago Metropolitan Championships, and Junior Davis Cup Inter-City matches. (The first Western Junior Davis Cup Round-Robin was held at OPTC in 1949.)

Since 1990, OPTC has hosted the Senior Men's Divisions of the USTA/Midwest Section Clay Court Championships.

Today the club has more than 200 members, a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and a rather competitive annual rivalry with the River Forest Tennis Club.

The Oak Park Tennis Club is proud of its long history and continually strives to improve its tennis programs and its relationships with members of the surrounding community.