logo
Five tennis-themed holidays across Europe in time for Wimbledon from UK countryside clubs to Greek coastal resorts

Five tennis-themed holidays across Europe in time for Wimbledon from UK countryside clubs to Greek coastal resorts

The Irish Sun16-06-2025
TENNIS season is upon us and Wimbledon begins in less than two weeks' time.
But why leave all the fun to the pros?
Advertisement
6
The Pine Cliffs Resort in Portugal features programmes designed by former British No 1 Annabel Croft
Credit: Supplied
These tennis-themed holidays will get you volleying like
Sophie Swietochowski shares her five top picks for keen tennis players.
1. Puente Romano
MARBELLA, SPAIN
YOU won't need to worry about tiring yourself out on the tennis courts at Puente Romano
Advertisement
read more on tennis
Set on the city's Golden Mile, the plush hotel houses famous Japanese spot Nobu and a sophisticated Peruvian joint as well as a whopping 18 other restaurants.
6
Puente Romano Marbella is great for foodies as well as tennis fans
Credit: Supplied
Its well-known tennis club, which opened in 1979, has welcomed a whole host of sporting heroes through its doors, including Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and
And that's no surprise when you consider the range of facilities here.
Advertisement
There are ten tennis courts (eight clay and two plexipave) plus four padel courts, as well as massage rooms, a sauna and Turkish bath to soothe any aching muscles. All of this does come with a pretty hefty price tag, though.
Most read in News Travel
GO
: Private tennis coaching costs from €80 per hour. Four nights' B&B costs from £1,167pp including flights from Gatwick on October 31. See
Emma Raducanu reveals she keeps being BANNED from Italian Open grounds and was exposed by officials.mp4
2. Foxhills
CHERTSEY, SURREY
ANYONE wanting to stay a little closer to home should look no further than Foxhills Hotel & Country Club which is tucked away in 400 rolling acres of Surrey countryside.
However, it is still close enough to the capital if you want to get in on the Wimbledon action for real.
Advertisement
6
Foxhills Hotel & Country Club is tucked away in 400 rolling acres of Surrey countryside
Credit: Supplied
The resort features nine tennis courts in total (four acrylic, four artificial clay and one all-weather), plus you can try your hand at the increasingly popular racket sport of padel on one of three courts, or even pickleball – another fun racket pastime.
Little ones aspiring to make it into the big leagues should head down to the hotel on June 28 to see the juniors competing in the Road To Wimbledon tournament.
Tired of all the tennis?
Advertisement
Stretch your limbs in the on-site yoga cabin, kick back in the luxurious spa or grab a tipple on the terrace, overlooking the golfing green.
GO: A double room costs from £355, based on two sharing on June 29. See
3. Pine Cliffs Resort
ALGARVE, PORTUGAL
WHETHER you're a total beginner or a seriously experienced player, Pine Cliffs has a training programme to suit all skill levels.
Set on the coast in Portugal's Algarve region, the 5* resort isn't just a fly-and-flop spot – although there are plenty of sunloungers and ample balcony space for those who do want some chill time.
Advertisement
6
Pine Cliffs has a training programme to suit all skill levels
Credit: Supplied
It's also home to an excellent Tennis Academy, with programmes that have been designed by former British No 1
There are eight floodlit courts: two clay and two hard tennis courts as well as four for padel.
Guests can book on to group sessions or weekend tennis camps, while those taking their favourite sport a little more seriously can sign up for some private coaching to improve their game.
Advertisement
GO
: Adult Tennis or padel weekly coaching courses start from £300 per adult and £265 per child in off-peak season (Nov to March) and £326 per adult and £291 per child in peak season (April to Oct).
Seven nights' B&B is from £1183.20pp including flights from Luton and transfers on September 30. See
4. Grecotel Luxme Daphnila Bay Hotel
CORFU, GREECE
UP for a bit of friendly competition?
If you're travelling solo, you'll love this tennis-themed package at the 4* Grecotel Luxme Daphnila Bay Hotel on Corfu's eastern coast.
6
The 4* Grecotel Luxme Daphnila Bay Hotel is great for solo travellers
Credit: Facebook
Advertisement
Week-long packages booked through travel agent Solos Holidays come with five days of tennis camp and no single supplement, meaning each guest gets a room to themselves.
Anyone keen to put their new skills to the test can get stuck into the weekly mixed-doubles finale with prizes.
Just try not to get distracted by the jaw-dropping views from the quartz-sand hard courts – the Ionian Sea looks dazzling from up there.
When you're not unleashing a mean serve, there are watersports galore, or mountain biking in the surrounding hills.
Advertisement
GO
: A seven-night, all-inclusive Corfu Tennis trip costs £1,995pp including flights and transfers from the UK on October 6, as well as a welcome drink, a five-day tennis programme and an experienced Solos Tour Leader.
Call 020 8951 2900 or see
5. City Of Dreams Mediterranean
LIMASSOL, CYPRUS
WITH a Serve & Stay package at the City of Dreams Mediterranean, you'll be able to hone your skills and improve on your weaknesses under the eagle eye of skilled coaches.
Each stay includes several days of training at the Marcos Baghdatis Tennis Academy, all of which is overseen by the former world number eight himself.
6
The Serve & Stay package at the City of Dreams Mediterranean is great for honing your skills
Credit: Melco Resorts
Advertisement
Participants will receive personalised consultations and tailor-made programmes.
Outside of training, you're free to unwind in five-star luxury in the city of Limassol.
Music fans are in luck as the hotel puts on live performances in the evenings, while the days can be spent learning to surf on the resort's Waverider simulator.
Or guests can just take a cooling dip in one of three outdoor swimming pools.
Advertisement
GO
: A four-night Serve & Stay getaway costs €1,565pp (£1,330) on selected days in September and October and on a half-board basis.
The package includes three days of tennis training, unlimited soft drinks, water and coffee during dinner.
See
Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme -
Sun Club.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Kate O'Connor targets Irish heptathlon record while balancing media spotlight and Masters dissertation
Kate O'Connor targets Irish heptathlon record while balancing media spotlight and Masters dissertation

The Irish Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Irish Sun

Kate O'Connor targets Irish heptathlon record while balancing media spotlight and Masters dissertation

KATE O'CONNOR'S Masters dissertation is on how to boost audiences for major championships. When it comes to Ireland at least, she may well be the answer as well as the one posing the question. Advertisement 2 Irish pentathlete Kate O'Connor is gearing up for the world outdoors 2 The Irish pentathlete Kate O'Connor with her 2025 European Indoors Pentathlon Bronze and 2025 World Indoors Pentathlon Silver medals With a Now she is gearing up to do likewise outdoors in heptathlon and almost casually mentions she expects to break her own national record of 6,297 points at the World University Games in Germany this month. O'Connor - speaking from her training camp in Portugal - said: 'At the start of the year, I gave myself a couple of goals. 'And I broke them multiple times during indoors, but my obvious goal at World University's is to break the national record. Advertisement READ MORE ON SPORT 'If I finish, that should definitely happen. I'm not really putting a limit on the score I could do, just go out and have a bit of fun, see where I am. 'My first barrier is to break 6500, I'd like to do that at World University Games and then build on it. 'I think I will put together a pretty big score, but I obviously have to go out and do it.' It will be her last such championship with her dissertation for her post-grad course in Communications and Public Relations due in September. Advertisement Most read in Athletics she said: 'It 's actually an athletics based dissertation. I'm looking at visibility of the world champs in 2023 and how to kind of boost the audience for other championships in the future. 'It's been very interesting, looking at it from a different perspective but I can't wait to get it done to be honest. I've it about half done.' Inside Wimbledon star's home for tournament with gym and wine cellar as she reveals bizarre way she unwinds Her exploits, along with others such as Rhasidat Adeleke, Sarah Healy and Mark English, have gone some way to raising the profile of track and field here. And she admitted she was underprepared for the fallout for her two podium finishes earlier in the year. Advertisement She said: 'I was probably very naive. I took like three weeks off after World Indoors - 'I'll just deal with all the media stuff then, I'll get all that stuff out of the way and then I'll just go back into training'. 'And it hasn't really been like that. It's kind of like now every week there's something where people are kind of wanting me to do different things. 'So it's been busy and I've had to change things around a little bit and trying to work out when to say yes to stuff and no to other stuff.' In the absence of an agent, her father, and coach, Michael has assumed additional responsibilities to deal with the extra demands on her time. Advertisement But the impact of her achievements has largely been positive, attracting increased sponsorship to deal with the significant outlay that comes with being a multi-disciplinary athlete. BIG DEAL She recently signed a contract with Adidas and the plan is to be a full-time athlete for at least a few years, although she is honest enough to admit that her studies were in a distant second place of late. After the World University Games, she plans to compete in some individual events, including at the National Championships in a month's time as she gears up for the World Championships in Tokyo in September. Javelin is earmarked for improvement, with her personal best dating back to 2025. And world silver medalist Anna Hall's 800m time of 2:01.23 - a heptathlon world record - as part of a PB of 7032 in Austria last month served as a reminder of how standards are rising. Advertisement She said: 'Her performance was amazing to watch. I think what she's done in the 800m has changed everyone's perspective on what multi-eventers should be running. 'It used to be that if you were running a sub 2:10, you were a great 800m runner. Now it's going to shift towards having to run 2:05 to be at the races. 'I think that it'll take another couple of years to be challenging for the top spot. And that's ultimately my goal.' O'Connor was speaking as it was announced was extending its partnership with Athletics Ireland to 2030 in a multi-annual six figure deal. Advertisement

Taoiseach to attend Expo 25 following talks with Japan PM
Taoiseach to attend Expo 25 following talks with Japan PM

RTÉ News​

time2 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

Taoiseach to attend Expo 25 following talks with Japan PM

Taoiseach Micheál Martin is attending Expo 25 in Osaka, Japan - a global exhibition of cutting-edge technology and industry which is expected to attract 28 million visitors over six months. 150 countries are participating in the Expo - with Ireland's multi-million euro pavilion focused on the theme that "Creativity Connects People." It comes as the Taoiseach and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held talks in Tokyo to discuss deepening trade links, bilateral relations and cybersecurity. Mr Martin said the Prime Minister was also aware of the challenges facing the Irish Government regarding its coastline, a reference to the fact that that around 75% of 550+ international subsea cables pass through or close to Irish waters. The overall theme for Expo 25 is 'Designing Future Society for Our Lives'. World exhibitions date back to 1851, have hosted the first demonstration of a telephone, the first live TV broadcast and produced such iconic buildings such as the Eiffel Tower. Expo 25 is being held on a dedicated 155-hectare site on Yumeshima, an artificial island in Osaka Bay. The entire exhibition is surrounded by an elevated circular walkway, the Grand Roof, with three districts inside it. Ireland's pavilion is located in the Empowering Lives section, and the multiple exhibits seek to demonstrate the potential that creativity has to empower people to solve global challenges. Irish participation in Expo 25 has cost more than €16 million over the past three years, with the pavilion itself accounting for nearly €7 million of that total. Tánaiste Simon Harris told the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs recently that joining Expo 25 provides "an excellent platform for public diplomacy for Ireland, because Ireland remains relatively unknown among the wider Japanese public." The design of the Irish pavilion, which is located near the main entrance, combines Irish timber with Japanese building materials in the form of an abstracted Celtic spiral, or triskele, the ancient Irish motif dating back to Neolithic times, and used at sacred sites, such as Newgrange. The pavilion is clad in Irish-grown Douglas fir timber, provided by Coillte, which the architects from the Office of Public Works say echoes the wood of the nearby Grand Roof, and evokes a connection between Irish and Japanese craft. Outside the pavilion is located a monumental sculpture conceptualised by Joseph Walsh and sits in a landscape designed by Hiroyuki Tsujii, the custodian of the Karasaki Pine Tree. On the walls of the pavilion VIP space, located on the first floor, are specially framed 'Kwaidan Project' prints. These are an Irish-Japanese cultural collaboration of prints & photographs by 40 Japanese and Irish artists, inspired by Lafcadio Hearn's masterpiece 'Kwaidan'.

Tour grandad Stuart McCloskey still adding strings to his bow
Tour grandad Stuart McCloskey still adding strings to his bow

Irish Examiner

time4 hours ago

  • Irish Examiner

Tour grandad Stuart McCloskey still adding strings to his bow

Whichever end of the age spectrum in a rugby squad a player may find themselves, the reminders of said fact are constant. Just ask Henry Pollock, tour baby with the British & Irish Lions and designated custodian of the stuffed big cat for the duration of the trip to Australia. For Stuart McCloskey, the grandad of the Ireland squad newly arrived in Tbilisi ahead of Saturday's Test against Georgia, there is the good-natured barracking he receives from interim head coach Paul O'Connell, who is expected to name the 32-year-old at inside centre on Thursday. It was not meant to be the Ulster midfielder's role on this two-Test tour which will move onto Portugal after Saturday's one-off Test, yet the withdrawal of Scotland tighthead Zander Fagerson from the Lions squad due to injury meant a promotion for Ireland's Finlay Bealham, 33, which left McCloskey as the senior man in an inexperienced Irish squad. 'Finlay Bealham absolutely did me in going to the Lions,' a vexed McCloskey said ahead of Ireland's departure from Dublin. 'I messaged him straightaway being like 'you've completely mugged me here, I'm the oldest now'. 'He (O'Connell) gets a dig in most days about how old I am, but I'm still faster than all those young lads anyway, I've got a few more years left in me. I keep telling Jacob (Stockdale) and Nick Timoney I'll outlast them, so I'll get them at some stage.' Being reminded his last trip to Georgia as an Emerging Ireland squad member at the Tbilisi Cup a decade ago was not a helpful reminder of McCloskey's status and the Ulsterman said: 'You're ageing me here, I already feel old among these lads, Paulie did it to me the other day as well. Do I remember much of it? No, I remember the zoo, it was the time the animals escaped from the zoo. 'Yeah, I was pretty naive to what professional rugby was 10 years ago. I didn't really know what I was up to, but a few years under the belt, a few more grey hairs and I think I know what I'm about these days.' With Robbie Henshaw injured and both Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose on Lions duty, McCloskey seems sure to add to his 19 caps over the next two weeks, with Jamie Osborne his likely midfield partner at 13 and his experience tells him every cap is a downpayment on future recognition. Asked what his mindset for this tour was, he replied: 'First of all, play well. I still think I've got a bit of rugby to go in my career, I think I have a few years left. 'So this Lions period the last time, when we played America and Japan (in 2021), sort of springboarded me on to get a lot more caps and be a lot more involved. I think I've been involved in two Six Nations wins in that time and a World Cup. 'Hopefully I'll put a good foot forward for any games coming up over the next few years and keep my head around the place and push into the next World Cup. 'I don't think I'm doing a lot wrong. I think when I've played I've went well, it's just there's four very good centres in the lads, two of them are away (with the Lions) and you could argue Robbie would've been away as well if he wasn't injured, so I don't think I'm too far off it. 'What can I do better? Keep improving on a few things, probably a bit more physicality in defence, I think I've got most things in attack. Add a few more strings to my bow, whether that's breakdown or poach threat, but overall I don't think there's a lot in it. A few decisions go my way, I'm sitting here with a few more caps.' For now, his chief problem is the boss's chirping, but McCloskey revealed he has an ace up his sleeve to deal to O'Connell, though he admitted the former Munster and Ireland captain used to terrify him as an opponent. 'I think I was in one training camp with him. I think I'm the only one in the squad to have played a game against him as well. We won down at Thomond that day (in May 2014) for Ulster, I'll not mention that to him, hopefully that comes up and he sees that. 'No, as a player, incredibly intimidating, you see some of the clips of him from back in the day and he'd (be) red carded basically every week (currently) for what he did but I think he knows that himself now. It was a different time. 'Intimidating as a player, as a coach he has that intimidation factor but I think he's very personable. He lets the young guys come out of their shell, a bit like what Faz is like. He's watched Faz over the past three, four years and learned a lot from that. How has he put his own stamp on it? There hasn't been a great deal different. He's seemed quite laidback to me, but with me being the oldest in the group it's easy to feel a bit more laidback when you're 32, not 20.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store