Serve With A View: These Racquet Retreats Come With A Stunning Backdrop

Hammer it into your head: sport and wellness have become inseparable! Don’t believe it? You only have to look at how luxury hospitality has begun to fold the two into the modern travel experience. The United Nations’ sport-for-health philosophy puts it rather beautifully: “Sports and health go hand in hand, offering people all over the world, of different abilities and ages, the chance for happier, healthier and more productive lives.”

Luxury hospitality, unsurprisingly, has picked up on the idea and run with it. These new-age escapes are turning the traditional resort stay on its head, bringing together play, adventure, creativity and wellness under one roof. European red-clay courts, padel courts and pickleball courts are cropping up within lush gardens and fragrant orange groves, giving guests the chance to work on their game while soaking up an altogether more indulgent sense of place.

And it goes well beyond simply stepping onto a court.

Players of every age and ability can take up a friendly match, join in a doubles game or team up with seasoned professionals for one-on-one coaching, called ‘Tennis Clinics’, and group instruction across a range of racquet sports. Increasingly, resorts are also bringing in celebrated academies and coaches, folding serious sporting programmes into the leisure calendar. At a luxury resort in California, for instance, the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy returns each year with programmes for both juniors and adults. Cardio tennis can also be arranged on request. But what truly sets these courts apart is their location. A tennis court overlooking the Pacific. Another tucked into a vineyard. One lying open on forest grounds. At the most extraordinary luxury properties, the court becomes part of the landscape and the landscape becomes part of the game.

Which got us thinking, where exactly do you go when tennis is part of the holiday but not necessarily the reason for it? Suppose your idea of an African dream holiday involves the Serengeti. After a morning spent tracking wildlife, could you pick up a racquet and work on your backhand before sunset? Or perhaps you have travelled to Arizona with your tennis partner and want to stay somewhere that lets you carve out time for proper sets, rather than settle for the obligatory hotel gym and spa therapies. 

Who, after all, travels to Africa or Arizona for tennis? That, perhaps, is the beauty of it as travel is changing and so are we. We set out to find the places where an exceptional tennis experience meets an exceptional sense of place and discovered that some of the world’s most remarkable courts are tucked away in destinations you might never associate with the sport.

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1. Château de La Messardière – Riviera Luxury With Tennis By The Bay 

Perched above Saint-Tropez within a 32-acre park of umbrella pines and cypress trees, Château de la Messardière unfolds with the grandeur of a Riviera estate. As the light shifts across the gardens, the Bay of Pampelonne glimmers in the distance, offering a constant reminder of just how coveted this corner of the French Riviera is. The 19th-century château has its own romantic history. It was once given as a wedding gift to officer Henry Brisson de La Messardière and his wife, and today, its storied past lives on across 86 rooms and suites, many overlooking the pool, sea or manicured gardens.

Dining is equally transportive. Restaurant Matsuhisa brings Chef Nobu’s Japanese-Peruvian cuisine to the château, while Jardin Tropezina places you right on the sands of Pampelonne, pairing the beachside setting with the Provençal cuisine by Jean-François Piège. At Spa Airelles, the mood shifts from Riviera glamour to deep restoration, with treatments by prestigious brands including LBA and Valmont. For the ultimate reset, head to the Louise Suite for a private hammam and sauna followed by a cold plunge, or wind down in the Iyashi Dome, a Japanese infrared sauna designed to purify and revitalise. At Château de La Messardière, the Saint-Tropez Sporting Club brings together wellness, movement and the effortless glamour of the Riviera. Days begin in the Technogym-equipped fitness studio or with a Pilates Reformer session before drifting toward the Airelles Spa by LBA & Valmont for restorative treatments. Outdoors, guests can ease into yoga or take to the tennis and padel courts.

What Tennis Players Should Expect 

For those who want to play tennis on professional grounds, hop aboard a golf cart and wind through the château’s gardens to the two courts tucked discreetly below the estate. Surrounded by parasols and lush greenery, they make an elegant setting for a game. Professional coaches are available on request, while comfortable changing rooms and post-match refreshments ensure every detail is beautifully taken care of. All that remains is to slip into your best tennis whites, pick up a racket and play the Riviera way.

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2. Serengeti House – A Tennis Court In Tanzania Around The Wild Denizens 

Set deep within northern Tanzania’s Grumeti Reserve, Serengeti House offers a fully staffed, private retreat with access to pristine wilderness along the annual wildebeest migration route. Expansive yet intimate, the house has just four suites, each with generous bathrooms, outdoor showers and private terraces, all sharing a central living space designed for gathering, lingering and unwinding.

The interiors strike a thoughtful balance between homely comfort and contemporary African design, creating a sense of place without compromising on ease. For wine lovers, the experience extends beyond the game drive, with a carefully curated program centred around tasting, learning about and discovering South Africa’s finest wines, including exclusive releases, private reserves and limited single-vineyard selections. A dedicated wellness space offers a restorative pause after a day in the bush, with treatments designed to ease the body and quiet the mind. And on days when the safari vehicle can wait, the tennis court becomes the playground, perhaps the only place where you can work up a sweat while the African wilderness provides the backdrop.

What Tennis Players Should Expect 

At Serengeti House, the space feels entirely your own. The team creates opportunities to experience Africa’s wilderness in unexpected and memorable ways—from private game drives to the simple pleasure of a family tennis match. The court sits amid the sweeping plains, offering a wonderfully surreal setting for some spirited competition, with the wilderness as your backdrop. Rackets and balls are provided, so there’s nothing to pack but your game.

3. Enchantment Arizona: Pickleball Court Resort Pinned To The Peaks

Out among Sedona’s red rocks, between groves of pinyon and ponderosa pines, under endless blue skies and blankets of stars, sits Enchantment Resort—an escape into Arizona’s great outdoors. Tucked at the base of Boynton Canyon, the resort has 218 casita guestrooms and suites, each designed in a Southwestern style that draws inspiration from Sedona’s iconic landscape. Private decks and patios open onto canyon views, while fireplaces, elegant furnishings and authentic Southwestern details make the interiors feel warm and rooted in place.

Adventure is woven into the stay. At the Artist Cottage, guests can try their hand at pottery, clay and wood-burning art while meeting local artists. The Trail House serves as headquarters for the outdoors, with guided hiking and mountain-biking excursions, professional equipment rentals and an edit of adventure apparel and accessories. Then there is Mii amo, the celebrated destination spa just steps from the resort, where days can slow down with Crystal Grotto rituals, restorative treatments, a visit to the Juice Bar or a browse through the boutique.

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What Tennis Players Should Expect 

For those who prefer their holiday with a little friendly competition, the resort has another ace up its sleeve: pickleball. Six courts invite guests to pick up a paddle and play against the dramatic Sedona landscape. Families can join a casual game, while players looking to sharpen their skills can sign up for camps, private lessons and clinics led by certified professionals, with instruction available from beginner to advanced levels for adults and children over five.

Court access and paddles are included in the resort fee, making it an easy addition to the stay. And if you’re visiting in September, keep an eye on the calendar for the resort’s Autumn pickleball festival—because in Sedona, even a game of pickleball comes with a spectacular view.