"Get a good night's sleep," teaching pro Mike Hinkle counseled when we met the day before I was to start this renowned tennis-camp program at Saddlebrook Resort. Having attended before, I knew what to expect. For five hours a day, Saddlebrook Tennis serves up a grueling regimen designed at once to improve technique and push the envelope of your stamina and endurance. The format owes everything to the training techniques of the legendary Australian Davis Cup coach Harry Hopman. Partly for that reason it draws current touring pros—think James Blake, Bob and Mike Bryan, Mardy Fish, John Isner, Justine Henin—aspiring juniors, and committed adults with its blend of rigorous workouts and full resort amenities, the latter furnished by the resort community of Saddlebrook, where the tennis academy is headquartered.

Overview

Saddlebrook Resort garnered awards for its design when it opened in 1982. The 480-acre layout, 25 miles north of Tampa, places the hotel, restaurants, shops, a lakesize swimming pool, tennis courts, spa, golf clubhouse, and meeting rooms at the center of a halo of golf fairways, condos, and residential neighborhoods. Centralizing all of the major amenities creates what they call a "Walking Village."

This is hardly the setting you'd expect for the mother of all hard-core tennis camps, but having all those amenities provides relief from the rigors of the daily regimen while its guard gate provides privacy and security. Its juniors, both live-in and short term, hope the

The very philosophy of the program is to push you to the point that your game breaks down, find what is salvageable in the rubble, and rebuild from there. That said, after my last visit I came away thinking that this approach has mellowed somewhat in recent years. In my early participation in the Hopman program, as it was known then, I remember being chastised for ignoring a feed too wide for me to reach, only to have the next fed wider until I learned that it was crucial to make an attempt even when you thought you had no chance of reaching the balls. I remember, too, the so-called "bucket of ball" drills and "kamikaze" drills that had you scampering right and left and back again until you pleaded exhaustion or the pro was convinced you'd had enough.

My sense is that while the regimen remains demanding the boot-camp approach has been abandoned. Hinkle was a taskmaster, and barked his displeasure when we made the same error over and over, but I suspect that now that Howard Moore is overseeing the adult curriculum there's been a stylistic change—less in your face while still pushing campers to their limits. The syllabus stresses the so-called "modern game": open stances, shorter backswings, aggressive putaways, swinging volleys.

In general you stay with the same pro throughout your stay (barring his or her days off), so they oversee your progress first-hand. They tailor the work to the abilities of the campers they oversee. Rather than stand in one place and hit picture-perfect strokes, you pretty much have to run for every ball. Like the pros, you'll do a lot of two-on-one drills, and if your skills permit it live-ball drills with the other campers on your court. The process can be exhilarating, demoralizing, or both, but you will come away from this program knowing where you stand with respect to your aerobic conditioning and what you really need to do to take your game to the next level.

Tennis Features

Pro Shop: 800-729-8383

If courts alone were the measure of a great tennis resort, then Saddlebrook would rank near the top. It has 45 courts altogether, including hard, clay, red clay, Rebound Ace (the surface formerly used at the Australian Open) and grass, all of which—the grass included—are available to guests. The major complex is near the center of the resort, which is also where the pro shop and Hopman office are located. There is a secondary complex a 10-minute walk (or free shuttle ride) away in Lakeside Village, which is also the site of the 3,000-square-foot fitness center and Etcheberry Performance complex. All of the courts are laid out in clusters of two to five separated by an awning-covered patio furnished with chairs and a refrigerated water fountain.

Tennis Staff. Although Harry Hopman, the legendary Australian Davis Cup coach, died in 1985, the organization he built survives. It is administered now by one of his former staff, Howard Moore, who was a camper himself at New York's Port Washington Academy during the era when Hopman ran that program and aspiring juniors like John McEnroe and Peter Fleming were there. Moore is very much a hands-on director, greeting everyone possible, handling the morning and afternoon warm-up exercises, participating in demos, and sometimes teaching. The junior and professional programs are overseen by Alvaro Betancur. A Columbia native, Betancur has over 30 years of elite tennis experience, including 11 years on the ATP pro tour. He's been with the Hopman organization for more than two decades.
Saddlebrook puts its new instructors through an apprenticeship program. Among the most important skills they have to learn is the ability to work four people very hard while giving each individual attention. The nature of the program means that instructors must have not only solid tennis skills but enthusiasm as well.
Tennis Programs. Although the resort itself offers some perfunctory stroke-of-the-day clinics (run by tennis-academy staff), the real reason a tennis player would come here is the Hopman-inspired camps.
The program begins with an excellent series of stretching exercises conducted by Howard Moore himself. That is followed by a 3-hour session, a break for lunch, and then a 2-hour afternoon session. Campers are divided into groups of no more than 4 (and often fewer) and assigned a pro, who works with them throughout their stay (barring his days off, of course). There are breaks for fruit, bottled water, or Gatorade. Moore and his staff devote a lot of effort to ensuring not only at getting the on-court groupings right—not just their playing levels but even their personalities and work ethics—but also matching the players to the pro. The premise is that the pro acts as your coach, knows what you're working on and what kind of progress you're making, and thus provides continuity.
Once the drills end, at 3 or 3:30 p.m., there is sometimes a group gathering, which could be anything from drinks with the pros at TD's Sports Bar or a serve contest or, in high season, quick clinic on the grass and red-clay so you can experience how different those two surfaces are.
If you're here on your own and looking for company at dinner, those after-drill sessions are your best shot at hooking up with other campers in the same situation. Unlike some other dedicated facilities and college-campus programs, Hopman's does not include any meals other than breakfast in the package, so for other dining you're left to fend for yourself at the quite good but pricey restaurants at the resort itself or pile into cars for trips beyond the resort.
Courts Fees. $14/hour for singles,$18/hour for doubles, but complimentary to those in the Hopman program or on tennis packages.
Caveat: The Saddlebrook program is among the most physically demanding of all the camps, so start a workout regimen weeks before you come down. Bring two pairs of tennis shoes, several changes of clothes (washers and dryers are available in each lodging cluster), a hat, sunblock, two racquets if you have them (broken strings are commonplace), and overgrip.

Your Call

Here's what others have had to say about Saddlebrook Resort and Saddlebrook Tennis (Hopman).

• "We just returned from 5 days at Saddlebrook. The Hopman program is fantastic. The instructors work you hard but allow you to have fun at the same time and teach you a ton. The morning warm ups with Matt got the blood flowing with some humor. Steve was a great instructor. Would recommend him to anyone planning to go. John expertise on technique and form was really useful. Nona coordinated the program flawlessly and responds to each campers needs as they arise.
  The program does a great job at making sure each student gets individual attention -- pulled people out for short private lessons which was really nice. This was our first trip and we definitely plan to return next year!"—K.C., Low Int., May 2008

• "This was my first time attending the Saddlebrook tennis camp. Not only do they offer 5 hours of tennis per day, but for a very reasonable price as well.
  The staff was very responsive to comments and feedback in ensuring that you are placed in the right skill level. All the coaches that I trained with were very, very good. I even had the opportunity to play/train with two 5.0 juniors - that was an amazing opportunity for me. Training with Howard Moore, Program Director of Saddlebrook Tennis, was the highlight of my trip. His enthusiasm and love for the game shows as he is able to help you with your tennis game in just a few hours.
  Accomodations at Saddlebrook Resort was great. The rooms are big. The views are great. Saddlebrook feels like an escape from reality."—R.G., Int., April 2008

• "Just completed the 5 day/5 hour per day camp. Our pro, Vlad, did a great job working us very hard, with lots of individual attention. Great drills, instruction and skill matching. Players on court ranged from 4 to 2, which meant getting to hit lots of balls. Staff were outgoing and helpful. Will return for another session."—T.B., Adv., April 2008

• "very intense 4 days of tennis at the clinic. very personal instruction given by very caring and knowledgeable tennis instructors. I had between 2 and 4 people per court/session. My game improved markedly over the 4 days. Extremely organized.
  Plenty of restaurants on site as well as off site.
  Not for out of shape players."—B.B., Adv. Int., April 2008

• "Excellent instruction, individual attention. Constant monitoring of teaching to insure best experience."—L.N., Adv., April 2008

• "This was my second year at Saddlebrook. I found the atmosphere to be very welcoming and all the staff were helpful. I participated in the week long tennis camp and had Steve as a coach. He was very informative and quickly picked up on ways to improve my game. I was able to incorporate his strategies during play and feel much more confident about my abilities. What a great place to enjoy the game and meet mew people with common interests."—R.M., Int., April 2008

• "This was our second year at Saddlebrook for a week of tennis camp. Starting with the great buffet breakfast and on court warm-up stretch with Larry, the day continues with stroke demos with Howard and crew, and your day on the court with your pro doing drills and game scenarios. The after court time can be spent with more matches, relaxing by the pool, or at the wonderful spa. We have had get instruction both years seeing improvement in our game and going home with definite enhancement in our game. Steve and Beau were great coaches! Next year is already planned."—K.R., Int., April 2008

• "I recently visited Saddlebrook in April 2008. I had the experience of a lifetime! I improved my tennis game overnight. The group clinics are small and allow for one-on-one instruction. I was lucky enough to have Alexander as my tennis pro. He improved my game immediately! The pros really understand tennis and know how to make minor changes in order to make your tennis game better.
  I was so impressed with my experience at Saddlebrook that I game back a second time! I visited Saddlebrook twice in April and I plan on going back at the end of May! Again, Alexander is OUTSTANDING I highly recommend taking a lesson with him. I took private lessons with Alexander after the clinics and he made adjustments to my game. He has the ability to see what you’re doing wrong and make simple suggestions that will make you play much better!
  The staff at Saddlebrook is friendly and helpful. While I was at Saddlebrook you could feel that the staff enjoys the game of Tennis and they really like working with us to help us play tennis. I am looking forward to playing my next tennis match so that I can implement what I learned from Alexander. Howard Moore is the USTA Pro at Saddlebrook and he was so friendly and encouraging. He welcomes everyone in the morning and talks about what you’re going to focus on during the clinics. He makes everyone feel like they are at home.
  Saddlebrook is the BEST tennis resort and I plan on making monthly visits to see them. If you go to Saddlebrook take a private lesson with Alexander, he will make your game better over night!"—A.V., Int., April 2008

• "I went to Saddlebrook/Hopman tennis camp three times already because I wanted more than the usual 2-3 hours of tennis per day (ie group clinics/instruction) offered by most tennis camps/resorts. Saddlebrook offers 5 hours of tennis instruction/clinics per day in addition to the occasional doubles match play, serving contest, etc. I found that the staff was very responsive to clients comments/feedback in ensuring that they are grouped with the appropriate level (ie players are grouped according to their level of skills, ie USTA rating) of players to ensure the right level and intensity of play among the players in each group (there is a max of 4 players to 1 pro, but sometimes even 2 players to one pro).
  Some of the tennis pros were very enthusiastic and upbeat which in my view is essential to bring up the energy level and sprits of the players in the group. I was also in a group where the tennis pro did some intensive tennis drils which gave me a lot of aerobic workout. Most importantly, Howard Moore, Program Director of Saddlebrook Tennis was very hands on with the different groups of players, offering excellent instructions to the players.
  Accomodations at Saddlebrook resort was great--rooms were big. There are washers/dryers in each of the cluster of buildings. The Spa is excellent. I found an excellent deep tissue massage therapist who massaged out all my tightness/soreness from the tennis. There is a poolside cafe by the big pool, as well as 2 hot tubs.
  A weakness of the saddlebrook resort is that there is a lack of restaurants on site. There are only 2 on site restaurants (they are excellent) so if you stay for longer than 4/5 days, u may need to rent car or reserve a taxi to explore various restaurants nearby."—W.C., Adv., April 2008

• "This was an OUTSTANDING experience and TREMENDOUS Tennis Camp! I just started playing tennis and, because of my experience at Saddlebrook/Hopman, I now have a true love for the game and will continue playing in earnest (over and above golf, which I also have a passion for)!
  My instructor, Stoyan, was superb and really taught solid fundamentals. I was there for a 5- day tennis camp and he was able to work on a different aspect of my game, each day. He made the drills fun, educational, and provided the proper amount of encouragement/coaching to help me improve my game and truly enjoy the process along the way.
  The only downside was, in effect, a plus: playing 5 hours of tennis a day requires some pre-conditioning before you come to this Camp (you can also sign up for less- they are very flexible with days/time on the court). The better you are conditioned, the more you will get out of the tennis instruction/experience (it is a "marathon", not a "sprint" to be sure!).
  My wife is a very experienced player and she, too thoroughly enjoyed the instruction. She had a few different coaches throughout the 5-day stay (and worked with Howard Moore, the head coach/program manager- he is very "hands on" with everyone at the Camp). All, in her opinion, were superb and worked on various aspects of her game in a constructive and helpful manner. They also paired her with similar players, which really helped keep the pace of the game/instruction at the proper level.
  I would HIGHLY recommend this Camp for Experts (there were several there), Beginners, and everyone in-between. We also loved the resort, spa, pools, restaurants, etc. (it's also very economical- both lodging and tennis camp costs).
  We didn't take our family or play golf, but from talking with other guests, those two areas are also strong-suits at Saddlebrook.
  We plan on making this a yearly trip! I have traveled all over the world, been to many resorts, and went on several "adventure" vacations. This rates right up there as one of the BEST!"—V.T., Beg., April 2008

• "This was my second time at Saddlebrook in less than 5 months, I couldn't wait any longer to go back. Both times I went solo, and both staff and campers went out of their way to make me feel welcome. The instructors were all very knowledgable, and the facilites were top notch.
  If groups were mismatched, it was rearranged either immediately or by the afternoon session. If you wanted to play more than 5 hours, there was always some contest or match play going on later, and staff was happy to arrange extra court time for groups that wanted it. The vibe is very supportive and can-do.
  Very easy to get to from the airport. It is a little pricy, but you get what you pay for. I would not think of going anywhere else, and have already made plans for my 3rd trip."—S.P., Int., April 2008

• "Strenghts: Instruction was excellent. There were enough participants for the staff to group players of similar levels together. The tennis facilities were well maintained and groomed. If your vacation is about your tennis game, this is the place for you.
  Weaknesses: The food was prepared well, but they were not overly ambitious with the menu. I was too tired to leave the resort for dinner and the restaurants on site were adequate. The rooms were clean and comfortable but not extravagant."—P.N., Adv. Int., April 2008

Other Recreation

Golf Courses. Saddlebrook has two 18-hole courses, both designed by Arnold Palmer, and an Arnold Palmer Golf Academy. Tee times for any of the following courses can be reserved by calling 813-973-1111, ext. 4653.

Palmer Course: This course is characterized by open, undulating fairways, and an abundance of lakes, streams and ponds. Par: 71. Length: 5,212-6,469 yards.
Saddlebrook Course: Though flatter than the Palmer course, this one is also tighter, with tree-lined fairways and water on most of its holes. Par: 70. Length: 5,183-6,603 yards.

Spa & Fitness Center.The 7,000-square-foot Spa in the walking village has 12 treatment rooms offering massages, hydrotherapy treatments, and some beauty services. Campers who can still walk at the end of the day are welcome to use the 3,300-square-foot, state-of-the-art fitness center in Lakeside Village, a 10-minute walk from the Superpool. It has a full line of Cybex equipment plus treadmills, stair steppers, recumbent bicycles, elliptical trainers, and rubber-encased freeweights all in rooms with views of a swimming pool or volley ball pit.
The renowned trainer Pat Etcheberry runs his Etcheberry Sport Performance operation at Saddlebrook, where he works with many of the players who live there as well as with others who come there to train. If you're really serious about setting up a conditioning program Etcheberry and his staff can both provide a fitness assessment and then design a program to help you meet your goals.

And ... The centerpiece of the resort is its half-million-gallon, amoeba-shaped Superpool, said to be the largest in Florida. At 270 feet long, it is vast enough to contain a 25-meter lap pool, water volleyball and water basketball courts, and a diving area. Around it are children's wading pools and two heated whirlpools. There is another swimming pool near the Sports Village & Fitness Center. Otherwise, recreation run to bike trails around the property and bass fishing in the privately stocked lakes.

Children's Programs

The S'Kids Club operates year round providing supervised activities for kids ages 4-12. Cost is $25/day.

Lodging

There are a total of 790 rooms and suites at Saddlebrook, most of them in 50-unit clusters variously arrayed near the main clubhouse and pool, or out along the golf fairways. Each cluster has an ice machine and washer/dryer. The most basic accommodation is a hotel room with two double beds and a private balcony or patio. The alternatives are one- and two-bedroom suites (which anywhere else would be called condos). These have full kitchens (with coffee makers and dishwashers but not microwaves), separate living and dining areas, and one or two bedrooms, each with a full bath. The living areas have televisions and so do the bedrooms. All of this lodging has recently been refurbished with new furniture, drapes, and bedding. High-speed internet access is available throughout the resort (for a fee).

Restaurants

The Cypress Restaurant in the hotel serves Pacific Rim-influenced Continental cuisine, while the more casual Dempsey's Steak House offers up both steaks and fresh seafood and pasta as well as burgers, chicken wings, and pizza.

See Also

Assuming you've chosen Saddlebrook for its Hopman clinics, you also ought to look at the following dedicated camps for comparison's sake:

• Bollettieri Tennis Academy, Florida, the other so-called "boot camp"
• Academia Sanchez-Casal Adult Camp at Naples Tennis Club & Resort, Florida
• John Newcombe Tennis Ranch, Texas
• Total Tennis, New York
• Van der Meer Shipyard Racquet Club, South Carolina

As an alternative, especially during Florida's hot, humid summers, take a look at these programs:

• Nike Amherst Adult Camp, Massachusetts
• New England Tennis Holidays, New Hampshire
• Swarthmore Tennis Camps, Pennsylvania

Travel Essentials

Seasons. The resort and its Hopman tennis programs operate year-round; however, given the grueling nature of these clinics, you should think twice about coming in summer—unless, of course, you want to work out in hot, humid conditions. Principally for that reason, the camps are generally two to three times larger during the fall, winter, and spring than in summer.

Rates.

The room rates quoted below are special discounts for those who also enroll in a Saddlebrook International Tennis Academy (at least one guest must be taking the tennis-instruction series). By booking tennis and lodging together, you get a deluxe guest room, 5 hours/day of intensive tennis, complimentary court time, daily breakfast, and access to the fitness center and spa. One- and two-bedroom suites with full kitchens are also available (call for rates). Mention Tennis Resorts Online when you book and you'll receive an upgrade to a one-bedroom suite (subject to availability) and a complimentary Saddlebrook Amenity Basket. Other packages and room rates are available.

Reservations:

Saddlebrook Resort/Hopman Tennis Program
5700 Saddlebrook Way
Wesley Chapel, FL 33543-4499
813-973-1111
Toll-free: 800-729-8383
Fax: 813-973-2936
Web Link: Saddlebrook Resort

Travel Instructions. By Air: Saddlebrook is 25 miles north of Tampa International Airport. Shuttles and rental cars are available. By Car: Take I-75 to the SR 54 exit and continue east 1 mile. The entrance is on the right.

General Tourist Information. Visit the Tampa Bay Convention & Visitors Association web site or contact them at 400 N. Tampa St., Suite 2800, Tampa, FL 33602. Phone 813-223-2752 or 800-368-2672.

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