# Tennis Camp in Hawaii: A Slice of Paradise > Inside a tennis camp in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii: training by the ocean, downtime and a full reset. A getaway that makes you want to play. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/tenisnyy-tabir-na-havayakh-rayskyy-kutochok/ - Language: en - Published: 2023-04-03 - Categories: Sport, Leisure, USA, Sports Events, Events --- Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. People travel for all kinds of reasons. Maybe it is work or family, a honeymoon or a bachelor weekend, discovery or rest, or maybe it is simply the urge to get away, catch your breath and recharge. Some love to lounge by the pool or swim in the ocean; to eat something spectacular or, perhaps, a bug; to see nature; to hike, cycle, dance, kayak, pitch a tent, laugh, cry, sleep. For me, it is tennis. I will admit that is an overstatement. I travel constantly, and mostly for some, if not all, of the reasons above. Let me be clear: it does not mean I would skip a destination just because it has no tennis courts or lessons. Let me put it this way: I am absolutely, 100 percent, completely and utterly in love with this sport. T.S. Eliot once wrote, "I have measured out my life with coffee spoons." Sorry, T.S. For me, it is Grand Slams. I had never really thought about attending a fantasy camp before. But since I am obsessed with tennis, my eyes are always open for events of any kind. What I love most about tennis, apart from the outfits, is that it is a truly global sport, with millions of fans and players from nearly every corner of the world. Women and men play the same slams. Players differ in technique and mental toughness. I love the drive and the tirelessness of the boys and girls chasing that ball, and the sportsmanship too, so many hugs and so many kind words about each other's game after a match. Many players speak several languages, including my favorite, Roger Federer. What a world. My travel list includes a year spent attending all four major Grand Slam tournaments: the Australian Open in Melbourne, the French Open in Paris, Wimbledon in London and, finally, the US Open in New York. (In case you are wondering, I would round out that same bucket list by attending every Northwestern University football game in a chauffeured car.) And then, out of nowhere, I heard about the Tennis Insider Camp at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the Island of Hawaii. I might not make it to all the slams, but come what may, I was going to this camp. I bought my plane ticket before I had even confirmed my assignment. I sent a note to the Four Seasons asking whether I might take part in the camp for at least part of a day. I will spare you the suspense. They said yes. ## Playing with the Pros ![Tennis court by the ocean at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Hawaii](/storage/image/prev/hawaii-tennis2-1024x684.jpg) As if Hawaii's breathtaking natural beauty, the charm of a five-star resort and that aloha atmosphere were not reason enough to go, the lineup of instructors and experts for the inaugural program certainly was. It included: Michael Chang, French Open champion and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Todd Martin, who reached No. 4 on the ATP World Tour in the 1990s and is now CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Jose "Pepe" Higueras, a former pro and renowned coach of Federer, Pete Sampras, Jennifer Capriati, Mary Joe Fernandez and others. Higueras coached a 17-year-old Chang when he beat Ivan Lendl and won the 1989 French Open. Chang remains the youngest man ever to win a Grand Slam title. Thomas Ross, who helped coordinate the camp's lineup, chose the tennis talent "not only on the basis of their outstanding resumes, but for the ease with which they draw guests in with their engaging personalities, humility and warmth." Ross is co-director of the China Open and a former senior executive at the sports agency Octagon. This is where I should mention how badly I play tennis, even though I love it. I have zero mental toughness, terrible technique, hit-or-miss success at simply getting the ball over the net, and a whole list of bad habits I have never managed to break. I take the occasional lesson, but so irregularly that whenever I step onto a court I always feel like I am 10 years old. Swallowing my ego was, without question, the easiest part of the experience. I was assured that this camp was for people who want to play. I tried not to be talked into it by the pros. That strategy did not work. The five-day camp, held from Aug. 7 to 11, cost 5,000 dollars, not counting a stay at the pricey resort. An incredible sum, so I had to beg to have it covered just to spend a little time on the court and interview the coaches, players and experts who spent the entire week at Hualalai. Besides two hours of instruction a day, there was an hour-long warm-up with Mark Kovacs, an exercise physiologist who specializes in tennis and has worked with John Isner and Sloane Stephens. Kovacs runs the camp's players through a series of movements and drills. Lunges, planks, footwork, balance work, lateral movement, ankle strengthening, whatever it takes. Beyond the tennis, the week included several special lunches, evening cocktails and talks for the campers, along with consultations with nutrition expert Keri Glassman. ## Demanding and Uplifting ![Coach giving a lesson to a camper at the Hawaii tennis camp](/storage/image/prev/hawaii-tennis3-1024x767.jpg) I did what I could, but with a bad back and bad knees, I mostly marveled at the variety of the campers. There were young kids, teenagers, young and not-so-young adults, men and women. Every camper was locked in on Kovacs, asking about the tour players, their bodies and how they train. He cheerfully passed along so much good, clever (in the best sense) tennis knowledge. Once we had warmed up, we headed onto the court. I was paired with a woman about my age who has a home at Hualalai. She had come to camp for one reason and one reason only: to improve her game. As a participant, observer and reporter all at once, I did not work as hard as she did, and coach Pepe (as Higueras is known) was cheerful, funny and patient. We worked on groundstrokes, and as we hit, Pepe offered tips on form, and I noticed my partner steadily improving in just 30 minutes of play. I was envious. We moved on to serves and volleys with Todd Martin. Martin is tall. He stands 6 feet 6 inches. Even before he noticed how pitiful my ball toss was, he told us we wanted our toss to be taller than he is. He said the ball should reach the height of John Isner, who is 6 feet 10 inches. That simple visualization, along with tosses and serves into the net all over the court about 100 times, improved my serve right away. In coaching style, Martin was the opposite of Pepe, who was more loving than firm. I found Martin's demanding method just as effective as Pepe's cheerful encouragement. After the drills were over (fine, I was over, I just could not keep going), I walked to a court where Chang was rallying with one of the younger campers. Now that was the kind of tennis you are supposed to play. Chang kept pulling off difficult shots, and this kid was simply strong. I was captivated, and envious of the obvious ease with which the boy played. ## Inside the Game Later that evening, a reception was set up on a grassy hill overlooking the pool and the ocean. As drinks were poured and hors d'oeuvres passed around (I know, a tough job), Chang, Martin, Higueras and Jon Wertheim, a tennis expert and executive editor at Sports Illustrated, sat down together to talk tennis with the campers. Much of what was discussed is off the record, but it all started with this remark from Wertheim, who moderated one of the cocktail-hour talks: not every athlete becomes a good coach, with the exception of the three gentlemen sitting beside him. Martin coached Novak Djokovic, Pepe coached Federer, and Michael Chang coaches Kei Nishikori (currently ranked No. 10). They went on to talk about the young players on tour, the strengths and weaknesses of the top players, the relentlessness of life on tour, the constant travel, the role of intelligence in the game and much more. When the conversation wrapped up, the real campers and the rest of the crew drifted off, leaving me alone and a little depressed. I never imagined I would love a fantasy camp as much as I loved this one, and I hope to do it again someday. "Judging by the feedback, including the campers' enjoyment and inspiration (and talent!), as well as the friendships that formed among everyone, I think we will be back to do it again next year," Ross said by email. While the Four Seasons Hualalai team expects to repeat the camp in 2018, there are no details yet. But throughout the year, camps and clinics with pros are held all over the world. Before he went off to get ready for dinner, I grabbed Wertheim and asked him about the most stunning setting for any tour event: "You know, I think Hualalai needs to host a Grand Slam. Tennis fans would be blown away by this place."