Where can I play tennis on holiday?

Croatia’s Marin Čilić was perhaps a surprising Wimbledon finalist in 2017, but he’s been at the top of the game for nearly a decade. His home country is sports mad - as a first-ever World Cup Final in Moscow has confirmed. 

How about an early tennis session before an afternoon sailing on the Adriatic at our Alana Beachclub? 

This beach club location really showcases Croatia’s beauty – think superb beaches with dramatic cliffs, excellent water sports facilities, and the rugged landscapes of Paklenica National Park, where you can add climbing and mountain biking to your activity itinerary. 

There are six tennis courts at Alana, and you can book yourself onto our premium tennis programme. After a set or two, you can check out if the famed spa treatments really are all they’re cracked up to be (spoiler: they are), before enjoying food and drink that is so local it actually includes classic Croat wines from the hotel’s own vineyard.  

Greece certainly has the weather for tennis, and the southern Peloponnese’s propensity for cloudless, sunny days and long, warm evenings is so predictable, being a Greek weatherman must be incredibly boring. 

Neilson has two beachclubs on this fantastic holiday coast: Messini and Buca Beachclubs. Both enjoy a lovely location in an area that’s one of the most historically and culturally important places in Europe. That’s something you can easily explore when you’re not fully engaged at the net – or at the bar, buffet, pool, gym, or beach….

Both Messini and Buca Beachclubs host Neilson’s full premium tennis programme on the seven courts that they share. Messini is family friendly, while Buca Beachclub is an adults-only resort.

The world-class coastline, unrivalled Mediterranean produce, and the opportunity to relax as hard as you like can be relied upon as much as the sunshine – in other words, a lot.

You’ll forget that Italy has never quite become the top-level tennis power it should be as soon as you see the Airone Beachclub in Calabria. The region - the “arch” of Italy’s boot - is as underestimated as the nation’s tennis stars, and remains something of a hidden gem to overseas visitors. 

You’ll no doubt enjoy spending a lot of time in and around the sea here, which is reached by heading down a pine-vaulted walk to a golden beach that’s the perfect launch pad for a watersports adventure.

Four new tennis courts are at the centre of the club’s premium tennis package, with private coaching on hand to iron out the kinks in your backhand or perfect a persistent slice in your second serve. 

Calabria is a wonderful place to explore: its history, heritage, art and architecture are as rich as anywhere in Italy; its cuisine just as distinctive and delicious; while hikers and cyclists will love the relatively empty roads and deserted mountain landscapes just inland from this beautifully-sited beachclub. 

Sardinia is also Italian, but this island has a very distinct culture and can feel like a different country. It’s closer to North Africa than the motherland, and has forged its own enviable way of life as an ocean-going crossroad.

Neilson’s Baia dei Mori Beachclub is in Budoni on the north-east coast, and it offers everything that has made Sardinia the destination for luxury travel – keep your eyes peeled for power-brokers, plutocrats and premier league footballers when you’re out and about. 

Four excellent courts will be the focus for tennis players. When you want a break from racket sports, a shallow, warm sea with consistent breezes have made Sardinia a sailing and windsurfing favourite, and a great place for beginners to build confidence in the water. 

Inland from its perfect beaches, Baia dei Mori has the best road cycling in the Neilson family, with relatively flat, open roads to enjoy at speed. 

Sardinia is an island of contrasts. A very traditional island lifestyle is lived inland. But just north of Budoni is the Costa Smeralda, where you’ll find yachts galore and the very appropriately named Billionaires club in the purpose-built resort of Porto Cervo.

Whatever the location you choose, you can be sure that you’ll enjoy the best equipment, surroundings and company - and while we can’t quite guarantee the perfect drop shot yet, that’s something we can work on together.   

We’ll see you soon.