The Australian Open doesn’t just open the pro tennis season it also sparks a wave of tennis envy across the world. The first Grand Slam of the year arrives in January with sun-drenched courts, neon outfits, and the particular kind of slow-mo athletic drama that makes even casual viewers wonder, “Wait…should we pick up tennis again?”

Apparently, many travelers are doing just that. Tennis tourism once relegated to European clay academies and junior camps is having a luxury renaissance. High-end resorts from Mexico to the Bahamas to Bermuda are installing tournament-level courts, hiring coaches with ATP/WTA pedigrees, and offering experiences that feel closer to the practice courts at Melbourne Park than to your neighborhood HOA court.

If Wimbledon is strawberries and tradition and the US Open is energy drinks and New York swagger, the Australian Open is sunshine and optimism and these resorts capture that same mood, with courts built for warm-weather rallies and playful competitiveness.

Here are three destinations where travelers can serve, rally and recover like the pros, no stadium credentials required.

One&Only Mandarina — Riviera Nayarit, Mexico

For the player who likes their forehand with a side of jungle

Just north of Punta Mita, a mile of pristine coastline brushes up against the Sierra de Vallejo mountain range and in between those two worlds sits Mandarina, a 636-acre playground for architecture lovers, resort romantics and people who don’t believe nature should be observed from a distance.

Residents at One&Only Mandarina Private Homes, plus guests of One&Only and the forthcoming Rosewood Mandarina, have access to one of the most atmospheric tennis settings in North America. The courts sit in the Flatlands, a lush, green valley between mountain peaks where the air is soft, the temperatures are gentle, and the distraction level is dangerously high.

The partnership with LUX Tennis brings ATP/WTA-style programming to Riviera Nayarit: private lessons, junior clinics, strategy sessions, and occasionally even match play with visiting pros. Club Mandarina programming (exclusive to homeowners) adds events, hitting sessions, and tennis socials that would feel perfectly normal at the practice courts in Melbourne the week before a Slam.

What makes Mandarina compelling is that it treats tennis not as an amenity, but as a lifestyle. Morning clinics, afternoon ocean swims, sunset cocktails, jungle hikes, horseback rides and long dinners under lantern light. It's a tennis vacation for people who appreciate architecture as much as their serve percentage.

Baha Mar — Nassau, Bahamas

For the player who grew up yelling “You cannot be serious!”

If tennis had a clubhouse on a tropical island, it would look a lot like the John McEnroe Tennis Center at Baha Mar. The six professional hard courts mirror the acrylic hard surfaces of Melbourne Park meaning players can experience the same fast bounce and clean pace that defines the Australian Open.

But the center doesn’t stop at mimicry. The facility includes Har-Tru clay, plus padel and pickleball courts, creating a hybrid racquet ecosystem that feels very 2026. The setting? Palm trees, bougainvillea, warm Bahamian breeze and the stylish backdrop of Rosewood Baha Mar, the resort brand famous for making luxury look restrained and easy.

For tennis purists, the appeal is real: you get pro-grade clinics, technical tuning, hitting sessions, and conditioning in an environment that feels more vacation than bootcamp. For everyone else, there are ocean swims, spa recoveries, golf rounds, restaurant hopping, and the kind of poolside people-watching that would make even McEnroe grin.

Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa — Bermuda

For the player who calls it “tennis,” not “pickleball,” but politely plays both

On a 23-acre peninsula surrounded by turquoise water, Cambridge Beaches is a lesson in Bermuda charm, pink cottages, ocean breezes and sunny weather that never seems to take itself too seriously.

The resort’s courts are low-key but scenic, surrounded by the pastel architecture that gives Bermuda its distinct travel personality. Tennis shares the spotlight with pickleball (because it’s 2026), basketball, bocce, and a full fitness center with indoor pool, sauna and steam room for post-match recovery.

What makes Cambridge Beaches intriguing is that it serves the multi-sport couple: the one who wants a hitting partner in the morning, a swim in the afternoon, and a spa treatment before dinner. It’s the opposite of a tennis academy. It’s tennis as a lifestyle with ocean views between points.

Why Tennis Travel Makes Sense Right Now

Part of the tennis boom comes from the sport itself: it’s social, competitive, outdoors, and genuinely fun at every level from beginner to obsessed. But it also satisfies something psychological: the idea that you can go on vacation and return home better at something.

Pickleball may have stolen the spotlight, but tennis has captured the imagination of travelers who want improvement mixed with indulgence. And the resorts have evolved accordingly — fewer basic resort courts, more:

✓ private lessons

✓ visiting pros

✓ performance analysis

✓ court-side amenities

✓ recovery options

✓ social play events

✓ multi-racquet crossover (tennis + padel + pickleball)

It’s Melbourne mood meets leisure travel and frankly, it’s a great match.

If you’re watching the Australian Open from bed in January wondering when your forehand got so rusty, there’s a growing list of places where sunshine, technique and five-star hospitality align beautifully.

Tennis travel isn’t just a niche anymore it’s a global romance between performance and pleasure. And for once, you don’t have to choose.

Here are some other articles related to your search:

• Naomi Osaka, a Picture of Athleticism and Mental Fortitude
• Apart from the Siren Heroes Revealing Hidden Strengths
• Golf Fashion Trends That Will Have You Swinging in Style