Pickleball cruises to tennis retreats: Why everyone's travelling to hit a ball

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.

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