Tennis Tour to Barcelona, Spain
Eleven of our Boys’ College Tennis players, including Connor Doig, Matthew Bezuidenhout, Kulana Shipalana, Quentin Nakano, Declan Halsey, Cameron Corbett, Shay Beeka, Sekani Vara, James Handley, Hancko Cloete, and Adrian Amm, accompanied by Mr Basie Viljoen and Marius Masencamp, had the opportunity to go on tour to Barcelona, Spain and the Emilio Sanchez Tennis Academy in Spain.
The main aim of the tour was to provide the players with the opportunity to witness professional tennis live and play on red clay while receiving valuable input from international coaches. The team departed from OR Tambo on 17 April and landed in Barcelona via Dubai the next day. They spent the first few days in Barcelona, where they visited the La Boqueria food market.
The following two days were spent at the Barcelona ATP Masters 500 tournament, where they watched top players like Jannick Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Karen Khachanov, and Cameron Norrie play. The players were privileged to watch the world's number one player, Carlos Alcaraz, who eventually won the tournament. They also had the opportunity to receive autographs from the top players in the world. This experience inspired everyone, and they could not wait to start playing at the academy.
On Friday, the team went on a city tour on the "Hop on Hop off" bus and visited major sights in the city, including the famous unfinished church of La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's Park Guell, and the Jean Miro Foundation exhibit. This cultural experience enriched the players with cultural elements outside of sport.
On Saturday, the team visited Camp Nou, FC Barcelona's main soccer stadium, which can seat 100,000 spectators. They also did some shopping in the Las Ramblas area and tried delicious Spanish tapas and paella.
The last seven days of the tour were spent at the renowned Emilio Sanchez Tennis Academy. The academy boasts 38 courts, a school, a performance training center, excellent accommodation, and nutritious food. The players' program included two hours of training in the morning, with power breaks in between, followed by various gym sessions. After the lunch break, they played for another two hours, followed by intense cardio sessions and rest. The players received valuable advice from Spanish coaches and playing on red clay instilled hard work and discipline in them. All the players requested to return the next year, which shows the immense value they received from the experience.
In conclusion, the tennis tour to Barcelona and the Emilio Sanchez Tennis Academy provided the players with a unique experience. Witnessing live professional tennis, cultural exposure, and valuable coaching from international coaches made this tour a worthwhile experience for the players.
