With Wimbledon now in full swing, it’s only natural to feel a sudden urge to do something about your own backhand. Happily, some of the world’s loveliest hotels are ready to oblige, pairing serious racquet credentials with pools, spas and post-match cocktails.
Cromlix
Cromlix is the ideal starting point if you want your tennis with real British sporting pedigree. Set among 34 acres of Perthshire countryside and owned by Andy and Kim Murray, the hotel makes the sport part of its character rather than an added extra. You can sharpen your serve on the outdoor court, book coaching or simply enjoy a game with a distinctly country-estate vibe, complete with fireside charm once the final point is played.
Zel Punta Cana
For a sunnier spin, ZEL Punta Cana gives high-performance training a more relaxed Caribbean rhythm. The Rafa Nadal Tennis Center offers tennis, padel and pickleball courts, plus expert coaching, but the wider resort keeps things firmly in holiday mode, with Mediterranean-style suites, beach-club lounging and Dominican sunshine softening any competitive edges.
Baha Mar
Over in the Bahamas, Baha Mar serves up grand-slam attitude at the John McEnroe Tennis Center, equipped with no fewer than six hard courts, two Har-Tru clay courts and six pickleball courts. But the appeal here is just as much about the atmosphere: ocean air, resort glamour and the sense that a morning drill can quite naturally lead into a lazy afternoon by the water’s edge.
High Hampton
In North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, High Hampton takes a gentler approach. Its racquet programme, developed under Andy Roddick’s direction, gives keen players plenty to work with, while the historic resort setting, mountain air and easy-going pace keep the experience closer to a chic house-party weekend than a formal tennis academy.
Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa
Finally, Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in California remains a favourite for tennis purists with impeccable taste. With its private casitas and destination spa, it feels less like a hotel that happens to have courts and more like a sun-drenched shrine to the good life, where every rally can be followed by a massage, a swim or something chilled by the pool.
