With tennis academies, pickleball resorts and Grand Slam getaways booming, racket sports are now at the centre of luxury and lifestyle travel.
When Tanya Gonzalez wanted to escape Michigan’s winter last year, she didn’t book a beach holiday – she booked a tennis trip. Along with a group of girlfriends, she headed south to Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Florida, where they got structured court instruction all morning and had time to explore the city in the afternoon.
“Having a tennis schedule balanced with time for relaxation and adventure makes the trip even more fulfilling,” Gonzalez said. “We’re already planning to return next year.”
She’s one of a growing number of travellers building their holidays around racket sports, from padel in the Maldives to pickleball on a cruise ship and tennis retreats in New England.
The racket sport boom has been fast and far-reaching, with squash’s new Olympic status, padel tournaments featuring Tom Holland and record Grand Slam attendance reflecting a cultural shift. In the US, tennis participation has reached an acme at 23.8 million participants (one in 12 people). Now, the rise of sports-focused getaways – dubbed “sports tripping” – is accelerating. With sports tourism projected to be a $1.8tn industry by 2030, travellers are picking up their racquets and heading out.
“Sports travel is enjoying a sustained boom across the globe,” said Dave Guenther, president of Roadtrips, a company offering customised luxury travel packages to Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the Olympics and other major sporting events. “Increasingly, travellers are choosing to build their vacations around marquee events, seeking immersive and memorable experiences.”
Getty ImagesIt’s easy to see why the world has fallen in love with racket sports. They’re easy to pick up and mentally and physically stimulating. They’re also accessible to beginners but rewarding for all levels – and with so many styles of play, almost anyone can get good. Pickleball – a hybrid of tennis, badminton and ping pong – is now the fastest-growing sport in the US, with participation up 311% in recent years. In Europe, padel – a fast-paced, enclosed-court variant of tennis – is exploding too, especially in Spain.
“Pickleball is transforming how people plan their travel,” said Jose Moreno, chief marketing officer of USA Pickleball. “Whether it’s a tournament destination, a resort with top-tier courts or a weekend trip to play with friends, the sport is becoming a central part of vacation planning. It’s more than a sport – it’s a lifestyle that’s connecting players to new places and communities.”
Travel brands are responding to the boom. Sandals and Beaches resort in the Caribbean has joined forces with USA Pickleball to host games and clinics, pairing play with luxury and relaxation. Meanwhile Holland America Line now offers pickleball tutorials, tournaments and instruction on their cruises, following a partnership with the Professional Pickleball Association.
“Pickleball is one of the most popular activities on our ships, with beginner group lessons and tournaments often drawing widespread participation,” said Michael Smith, senior vice president of guest experience at Holland America Line.
Getty ImagesRacket sports have also captured the hearts of celebrities, from Leonardo DiCaprio to Ellen DeGeneres, while athletes including David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo are crossing over to pickleball and padel. That passion has paved the way for a proliferation in tennis, pickleball and padel-themed hotels, clubs and even adult summer camps – many now staffed by retired pro tennis players offering coaching.
Andy Murray is behind the tennis and padel programmes at Neilson Holidays beach clubs in Croatia, Greece and Sardinia, as well as Scotland’s regal Victorian-era Cromlix Hotel, where the tennis court is painted in Wimbledon’s signature green and purple. Rafa Nadal now offers padel at his Tennis Academy in Mallorca, Spain, and, for all levels of play with spa treatments, at the luxurious TRS Coral Hotel and Grand Palladium in Costa Mujeres, Mexico.
Meanwhile, tennis legend Andre Agassi, who competed in the US Open Professional Pickleball Championships in May, has invested in a new line of racket sport-focussed social clubs (appropriately dubbed Ballers) bringing padel, squash, golf and football to Philadelphia, Boston and other US cities.
And while casual play is on the rise, elite events remain a major draw, with exclusive VIP packages, behind-the-scenes access and high-end accommodations now part of the package. Guenther says Wimbledon broke his company’s booking records last month, attracting everyone from families to solo travellers. Some requested members-only access to Wimbledon’s All England Club, while others just wanted a guided grounds tour and strawberries and cream.
Getty Images“Fans aren’t just watching the sport – they want to live it,” said Andrew Chmura, president of tennis tour operator Grand Slam Tennis Tours. “These experiences have increased in value because they’re unforgettable.”
Take Wendy Johnson, a long-time fan who travelled from Maine to London for Wimbledon this year. “Wimbledon was a bucket list thing and it was a good way to see London,” she said. “Traveling for a Grand Slam tournament is appealing because you get the experience of a high-level match while exploring a great city or country.”
And after record attendance at the Grand Slam in Queens’ Flushing Meadows last year, hotels and operators are expanding their packages for the US Open, which kicks off on 24 August. Aman Resort in New York is offering premium courtside access along with athlete-level training and recovery programmes curated by Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova as part of their Season of Champions package; while Roadtrips packages can be customised with tennis sessions, tickets to Broadway shows and reservations at New York’s best restaurants.
So, whether you’re a casual player or life-time racket sport lover, there’s never been a better time to take your game on the road.
