Where is the best place to book a tennis holiday? Your complete guide to the best hot-spot
Have you been caught by the tennis bug after the excitement of a brilliant Wimbledon fortnight?
Watching Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alex Eala and Arthur Fery serve up moments of magic on the Centre Court may just have fuelled your ambition to get on court.
With the school holidays just around the corner in the UK, the getaway season is upon us and you may be tempted to combine your passion for tennis with a holiday in the sunshine.
Tennis holidays are always easy to find as regular travel operators do not tend to offer packages specific to the sport, but there are some cracking options out there.
And one location that has jumped to the top of the must-visit lists for tennis lovers is the magnificently revamped Rackets Club at Aphrodite Hills in Cyprus.
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The club features nine professional standard courts, five plexi-cushon hard courts and four European red clay courts, which are very similar to the courts used by the professionals for the French Open at Roland Garros.
In addition, there are three Padel Courts which offer players of all standards a surface that is of the highest quality, and a team of dedicated professionals are on hand for coaching and assistance.
Respected Racket Club’s coach Kyle Kleyn spoke to Tennis365 about the challenge of coaching on the newly refurbished clay courts compared to the more traditional hard courts that are similar to those used at the US Open.
“You don’t get too many clay courts in the UK, so it’s always fun for people to come down to our club and experience what it is like to play on a surface they may only have seen on TV,” he told us.
“We would change the drills and the tactics we teach people when they are working on the clay court compared to the hard court.
“You have more time on a hard court and have more time to build up the points. Power is not quite so important on clay, as it’s more about court coverage, how you slide into the ball and the different bounce is a big factor.
“The reason why Rafael Nadal was the king of clay was due to the spin he could generate on the ball and no one has ever come close to what he did on the surface.
“I can’t promise to make you as good as Nadal if you come to play tennis at Aphrodite Hills, but you will have fun trying.”
Aphrodite Hills offer a range of packages from group lessons to private lessons and you have the option to stay in luxury villas near the tennis courts or the 5-star all-inclusive hotel that is a short walk away.
Other tennis holidays to consider:
Mouratoglou Tennis Centre Costa Navarino – Tucked inside The Westin Resort Costa Navarino, a 5-star sanctuary by the sea in Greece, this resort blends luxury, nature, and high-level sport. The resort offers eight high quality clay courts and four hard courts, as well as three padel courts.
The Racquets Club at La Manga – One of the most established tennis holiday locations, this club has 26 immaculate courts. The Academies offer adults and children of all ages the opportunity to develop their game and form friendships in the sunshine. The quality of coaching is second to none and you might even see a famous face or two, with Carlos Alcaraz among the star names training at La Manga in recent years.
Rafael Nadal Academy – The tennis hub set-up by 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal is a home for elite players to train and also welcomes non-professionals for coaching camps. Accommodation and high-quality coaching sessions are on offer to players of all ages and standards.
Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in Nice – You can visit a tennis centre used by plenty top professionals make use of in Nice, France at an Academy set up by Serena Williams’ former coach. Adult academies are on offer for players of all ages.