Up walked Gerry Bruskin, 76, from London, wearing a worn T-shirt with the words, “Two Beer, or not Two Beer.” Bruskin bantered in a gentle cockney accent. Another regular, Larry Levine, pulled off Bruskin’s hat and teased him for his newly shaved head. “Where’d your hair go?” he said.

Levine was a dead ringer for Iggy Pop. He had straight hair down to his shoulders and kept it out of his face with a bandanna. His hair was a washed out blond, much like the faded coat of an old golden retriever, but he was still proud of what color he had left and attributed its hue to his daily time on the courts.

There was then a debate among several afternoon regulars in the shade off the courts. Faye Bruger, 72, from Jamaica, objected to the grunts from players, particularly women, when they hit the ball. Bruger and a young man from Vietnam named Charlie agreed that grunting should be banned from competition and held in contempt in recreational play. They argued that the grunts were actually a tactical maneuver to distract one’s opponent — first employed by the former world No. 1 player Monica Seles. Not only does grunting distract the opponent, Bruger said that tennis players used sound to determine what kind of spin and velocity they could expect from a volley.

The conversation reminded Bruger of another tennis custom at the C.P.T.C. She explained that, according to park rules, men were not allowed to take off their shirts on the premises. Bruger playfully grieved the absence of shirtless young men. Required attire is not the only bureaucratic stipulation at the Central Park courts.

Over the P.A., the attendant yelled, “Court 21, you have too many balls. You only need three, guys.”

The Central Park tennis family navigates some of the park’s bureaucratic hurdles to their benefit. Corallo reserved a court for herself at six o’clock, but decided early on that she was going to give the slot to Diarra. “I already went on a jog this morning around the park,” she said. “I love to watch Yaya hit; he is so elegant.”

Bob Benjamin looked on and said, “There are a lot of people who ought to be buried here.” Corallo’s ears perked up, and she said, “I want my son to spread my ashes here.”

She moved her chair closer to the court where Diarra played with another young, talented player. “Good volley,” she said.