- Nov 29, 2017
- 330
- 1,274
It was a dream of mine to train there one day and experience what it’s like to train where Rafa did. Pity he’s retired and was not there when I visited.
I don’t play competitively but enjoy playing social doubles and having some good hits each week. The academy had a lot of amenities and felt like there was something for everyone.
You can sign up for a full week of training (check in on Sunday and check out on the following Sunday) or you can sign up for individual sessions or even just book a court to play at the academy on your own too.
I signed up for 3 days of group sessions (2 hours from 12.30-2.30pm and then 7-9pm). They make you assess yourself and state your level prior to arrival.
It was quite physically demanding (due to the heatwave across Europe) especially on the outdoor courts in Mallorca . My group sessions had a mix of indoor and outdoor courts each day and everyone was hoping to be on the indoor courts. They assign you on the day and you check the bulletin board for your court allocation prior to the session starting. The temperature only got cooler at around 7/7.30pm in the evening.
Before the morning sessions, you could join a warm up and conditioning session lasting around 45 mins in the studio where they run you through several stations to get you ready.
Each daily session had an objective (e.g. return +1 or 2) for participants to work on:
We relied on the academy’s mobile app for updates and also to check back on what was covered. You could also use the group chat feature to ask if anyone wanted to have an extra hit or to organize your activities together with others.
As summer time is peak season, many coaches are hired at the academy just for the summer months. There were Italian and French coaches present as well. The coaches varied daily and some were better at communicating or simply being more attentive when doing drills. They split us up into groups of 3-4 participants per court with a dedicated coach who would oversee the drills and instructions. During everyone’s first session, the coaches assess your abilities during warm up and then may potentially make you switch courts or change your group to match your level as best as possible. It’s not perfect but they do try their best.
4 participants are assigned to 1 coach per court and they stick together for the full session. Participants came from all over the world and everyone was enthusiastic and friendly. There were players who came to academy on their own, accompanied their kids or came with their partners.
During the drills, the assigned coach tries their best to correct on the spot or offer tips so that one can make adjustments. The head coach of the session also moves around to observe and offer advice to the participants. Everything was conducted in English but those that could speak Spanish would then clarify or check in with the coaches afterwards. Most drills involved 3 active players and 1 picking up balls in the meantime followed by rotations. It felt great to train with fellow tennis enthusiasts who were all trying to have some fun while training. Most took a day off here and there to go to the beach or to check out the ATP grass tournament that was being held there.
I shared a private session too on my first day and it was more intense than the group session but the coach will let you decide on the intensity. The private sessions outdoors during summer take some conditioning as you’re training under the intense sun - I was cooked after 20 minutes and had to rely on a lot of coconut water throughout my stay. My legs were not conditioned for this heat and it definitely took its toll on the other days. I believe private sessions on the covered clay courts can only be booked from 7pm onwards.
The pro shop is very well stocked with the latest tennis gear from Nike and other brands and also lets you get VAT refunds for purchases, unlike the official store in the academy.
The RNA museum is definitely a nightlight as well and will be a spectacular experience for any tennis fan. They recently revamped it and there’s plenty of amazing pieces of tennis history there.
Aside from that, the hotel rooms are adequate and the 3 onsite restaurants offer really decent food options at affordable prices. The Roland Garros restaurant has an excellent Spanish omelette dish while the US Open restaurant offers more common American fare like poke bowls, burgers etc. Families can enjoy training there and meeting up afterwards for meal. Those that don’t want to play can use the spa, gym or play padel too.
I’m planning to return again next year as I found the setup convenient and enjoyed my first experience here.
Feel free to ask any questions!
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