Who is Mark Petchey?

Born in Essex in 1970, Mark’s passion for the game began at an early age, learning tennis with his dad. After turning professional in 1988, he won over 35 matches, and his world ranking as a singles player peaked at number 80. 

It was after Mark stepped away from playing professionally that he became a more familiar name in the world of tennis. In 2017, he commented that his move into coaching was more from luck than judgment – his own playing career came to an end after an injury, and he began coaching Silvija Talaja, a Croatian player who was ranked 90 in the world. With Mark’s help, Silvija reached number 17, and went on to reach even greater heights. Mark said of the move, ‘’I thought it was a good idea and it turned out it was.’’ 

After establishing himself as a great coach, Mark's next student was the relatively unknown Andy Murray, who at the time was ranked 351 in the world. After 10 months of work and dedication under Mark’s watchful eye, Andy Murray was propelled into the top 50 and won his first ATP tournament.

Andy and Mark publicly parted ways after what the Scottish tennis star called a ‘difference of opinion’ with regards to certain aspects of the game. Murray said at the time that “It was a very difficult decision and based solely on the development of my tennis." Mark was quoted as saying "I have no doubt that Andy will make the top 10 and be a grand slam winner in the future and wish him every success". Andy, famously, would later go on to win both Wimbledon and gold (twice) at the London 2012 Olympics.

Commentating for both the ITV, BBC and Sky Sports is another one of Mark’s many talents. He remarked that passion is as important as the technical details. “I could be on air at 6 am in the morning or 1 am at night depending on where the tournaments are being played. You always need to bring the same energy no matter the time of day.”

For Mark’s latest foray into the world of coaching, he’s teamed up with us to refine and enhance our tennis programmes. Working with our local teams, Mark has helped to create daily group training sessions for both beginners and the more experienced. Mark also joins our in-resort pro-tennis weeks, where he is on hand to offer first-hand advice as well as recount some of his most interesting anecdotes from years in the tennis business. 

Despite his accomplishments as a top-level player, coach and reporter, Mark’s work with us is all about nurturing people’s love for the game and the benefits of being involved in the tennis community, as well as teaching people to play tennis like a pro. The tennis programmes Mark has helped to create are more than just about developing your skills on the court - there’s also a strong emphasis on staying fit and the social aspects of the game, to ensure that adults and kids alike are engaged in sports.