How DOES Spain Stay on Top in Tennis?
Tennis in spain is back in the spotlight thanks to Carlos Alcaraz. But has spanish tennis ever really slowed since the late 80’s? Growing up playing juniors back then, players went to 1 academy - Bolletteri’s in Florida. It was THE place for tough, intense - dynamic tennis training. Not IMG. I’m talking about Nick Bolletteri’s in Bradenton, Florida. You knew if a player went there they had Professional tennis on their radar. It seemed like any player who came out of there had a story to tell. OR became a pro player. It wasn’t just American kids either. It was the junior tennis academy known around the world where top players could reliably find the best sparring partners, period. If you know anything about junior tennis, you know a junior tennis academy is only as good as the lead coaches & players training there. As Bolleteri’s became a distant memory, so did American tennis. In came an avalanche of spanish super hero’s that dominated the Pro tour, certainly the men’s game. Tennis in spain got a huge marketing boom known as the “spanish system” in early 2000’s. It wasn’t true, but it sounded good. As it stands in late 2022, 6 men sit in the top 50 ATP. The top 2 players are spanish. With Nadal coming in behind Carlos Alcaraz. The spanish continue to excel in tennis training & competition making it the smartest place to test yourself anytime of year (including, Winter or preseason). Not to mention it’s a gorgeous country with terrific beaches, welcoming people and fair prices.
Tennis in spain continues to thrive as the best in the world for it’s education, intensity, coaching staff, red clay courts, number of national tournaments and professional events. It’s history in the sport is long and the number of champions contiues to grow. Spain is easy to reach from colder European countries year round for winter and preseason training.
Why is Spain so Good at Tennis?
I’ve been coaching adults in spain since 2012. It’s a common question why the spanish are so good at producing players. There’s no sexy answer. No special elixir. And no spanish system. I’ve visited many junior tennis academies here in spain. And there’s isn’t even a uniform way coaches train players that I see. At least not in Spain’s notorious hot spots for tennis training (Mallorca, Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia). Jofre Porta confirmed this for me in 2012, when I was naive enough to believe in a spanish system.
Pro Tip:🌅
Adult tennis camps by playing level and destination for Summer 2023 check here.
Junior tennis camps in Spain check here.
The truth is they hit a pot of gold with star players in an ideal location. There’s always been great players coming out of spain. Think; Sergi Brugera, Conchita Martinez, Emilio Sanchez, Manuel Santana (1960’s), Juan Carlos Ferrero, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and maybe your #1, Rafa Nadal. It’s a country of incredibly dedicated & passionate sportsmen & women with a pay itit forward mentality. Who better to educate & train juniors coming up than coaches who’ve experieced 1st hand the depth of mental focus, inner belief & stamina. Notice I go right to the mental game because we both know the game at the top comes down to the head space.
No one looks at Rafa Nadal’s technical style and thinks he’s a natural phenom like Federer’s effortless technique. No, Rafa gets it done no matter what it looks like. Same went for David Ferrer. Kids love Rafa’s “lasso” forehand but most don’t look to him or spain for their technical perfection. We love the spanish for their grit, their PASSION and their staying power. I think Spain feels relatable to junior players & their parents as a place they see a pathway for themselves. A place where players with technical imperfections have the chance to train & be guided alongside great coaches, playing conditions & other international players including the Spaniards.
There’s NO question spain excells at sports. Tennis isn’t the most popular sport in spain. Hard work is an anthem here not the goal. Work ethic comes natural to Spanish players. So much comes down to attitude in tennis and the spanish are taught to fight like bulls.
Juan Carlos Ferrero talks Carlos Alcaraz
Spain’s a beautiful country but not a rich country. For juniors to reach the big stage they must give absolutely everything to succeed. And here’s the thing, they do the work. Players build long standing relationships early on with coaches and remain steadfast for years with said coach or junior academy.
Juan Carlos Ferrero’s a great example. Antonio Martinez Cascales groomed Juan Carlos Ferrero to #1 in 2003. When Juan Carlos retired he returned to Antonio & his little academy and together they expanded & re-designed JC Ferrero Equelite Academy. A dream of theirs was to develop players to be professional tennis players. And as we can see they’re winning. Right now it’s near impossible to get a training spot at Equelite without a video and the right playing level. Sergi Brugera did the same with his Academy until it finally closed.
The Spanish Create the Game
What else makes spain so good at tennis? They’re excellent tennis developers. They don’t simply develop a big serve & a bigger forehand to finish a point. They develop junior players with an all-court game style. They can stay in points as long as they need to exploit an opponent’s weakness and close it out. Don’t forget that while the best academies have hard courts in spain they develop them early on - on clay courts. The slowest surface in tennis. A great surface to learn the game. As you advance, it’s a surface that tests your patience, cleverness & skill-set.
You learn to be a tennis player on the red clay courts more so than the hard courts. On hard courts everything happens very quickly. You have very little time with no need to be patient. On clay courts you need to create the game with long rallies, thinking through the point and being resourceful with your opponent’s weakness. This makes you learn to play points better, naturally.
There’s great weather in spain with easy access to Europe. It’s why you see so many Europeans training at spanish tennis academies from cold countries like; Germany, Czech Republic, Russia, Ireland, etc. They train outdoors in the elements all year long with no need for indoor courts, court scheduling & costs associated with playing inside. There’s also no need for a Winter break. It’s important to keep this in mind when coming to spain for a training week/period or tennis holiday. Training here happens in all conditions, including the incredible heat, wind, rain & colder temps. But keep in mind it’s a country that receives typically more than 300 days of sun per year.
There’s many formal tournament offerings here year round. Players are able to reach tournaments via a short, inexpensive flight or rail ticket. So competition opportunities are endless making this another BIG advantage for spanish tennis. Lots of people playing means many opportunities to increase your ranking, mental chops and experience using a wider base against top high performance players.
Even the national tourneys are very high level with many Pro’s entering them after losing in a main ATP tournament. They’ll use national tourneys as practice. This positions Spain as a highly competitive nation.
Why is Mallorca a Top Tennis Destination?
Where do I begin with Mallorca? The island’s a tennis travel destination and an active island for kids and adults. With a backdrop like the Traumnuntana mountains, crystal blue waters, constant sun & renowned beaches, Mallorca’s dynamic light is perfect for playing and a magnificent backdrop of island perfection. Working here with Jofre Porta since 2012 I’ve watched Mallorca grow it’s international tennis community by leaps & bounds.
Mallorca is the most visited Balaeric Island with an estimated 900,000 residents year round & more than 9 million visitors each year from around the world coming to enjoy the place Rafa Nadal calls home. It’s no wonder tennis players rely on Mallorca for great tennis coaching + proximity to tennis events. Not to mention the numerous ones hosted on Mallorca. With an increasing number of tennis players now enjoying the popular padel tennis it’s now found itself with competition in the world of racket sports.
Tennis in Mallorca had a great start. Both Rafa Nadal and Carlos Moya are Mallorquin. They were both groomed as kids by Porta & Uncle Toni to world #1 tennis ATP. It’s always been a delicious tennis holiday/camp location for adults with tournament offerings & professional sightseeing events. Both the Mallorca Open + the Legends Cup offer great social spectating & excitement for everyone around the game.
And of course the Rafa Nadal Academy which launched in 2016 starting out with 26 courts, now 50+ continues to thrive with its lead coaches on-site, clay & hard courts, modern facility, medical suite, spa, pools, padel, tennis & muti-sport programs for everyone. A 100% sensory experience with serious tennis programming to back it up. The annual program is a highlight for high performance players, training, traveling and going to school here while parents can easily visit players & stay enjoying the adult hotel and take advantage of the facility & it’s leisure programs for their own. The Rafa Nadal Academy is pricey but it’s also worth the training experience for the level of players it attracts.
Promo code: indietenis {Rafa Nadal Academy}
Tennis Tournaments in Spain for Adults & Junior Players
Those of you looking for the chance to compete while you’re visiting the country there’s tournaments year round in spain. Both adults and juniors have the opportunity to package a training season or week with a coaching staff and prepare for a event. Have a look at any of the opportunities below.
Juniors can follow the most important organizations and Tours here:
ITF World Tennis Tours (bridging the junior to pro level)
Adults follow these guides for your best events
Professional Tennis Events in Spain
Any player or spectator who enjoys professional tennis events will have a great time people watching at any of the following events. You’ll find intimate and large scale sponsored events with a swanky atmosphere and chill vibe among other international tennis lovers around the world.
Madrid Open 2023 ATP 1000 (April 27 - May 7, 2023)
Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell ATP 500 (April 15 - 23, 2023)
Mallorca Open Championships ATP 250 (June 25 - July 1, 2023)
Tennis in spain isn’t for the faint of heart. This is a serious tennis destination. If you’re hellbent on improving your game this is the place to come. Spain has a reptuation for a reason. Come here with the right goal and attitude and you’re off to a great start. The experience alone is worth the trip. That said, you want to find the right spot for you.
Quick feel good story! An 83 yr. old American man came to me years back who wanted the chance to train as a professional at one of the toughest junior training academies in spain. We decided on Global Tennis Team. This was bucketlisted as his biggest fascination. He had me set him up for 3 mths in Palma de Mallorca back in 2015. He succeeded beyond measure, was adored by the staff and coaches and prepared to return the following Summer. Unfortunately after beating a skin cancer years prior he believed he had mentally trained and prepared to beat it again when it returned a couple months before his trip.
4 mths later his son called to tell me he had succumbed to the cancer. He also went on to thank me for fulfilling his dream of training as a professional in Spain. His tennis had been taken seriously, he loved being on court with the junior players, being pushed and respected the way he expected to be treated. Not once was he laughed at or treated with kid gloves. In fact he had learned so much & grew as a person more so than even the success his personal business had instilled in him. His dream was complete. He left a personal letter behind explaining how honored he was for this life particular experience. And that’s exactly what it is when you love tennis and you play it in Spain. A life experience.
Are you considering taking your tennis game & improvement to the red clay courts of spain?
If you’re looking for deeper information on tennis in Mallorca read this post here. It’ll guide you to the THE best tennis courts to rent on the island if you decide to visit and play on your own.
Remember, spain isn’t a rich country. There are no free public courts here. But they’re also not expensive to rent. That said, the quality of the clay is important to your experience so follow this guide!
With love from Mallorca~