Mark Petchey has carved out a remarkable career in British tennis, making an impact both as a player and as the coach who helped guide Andy Murray to success. He’s teamed up with us to bring you an authentic pro experience on holiday. Mark’s tennis programme runs daily at most beach clubs, where our coaches that he has trained, lead sessions to share his passion and skill. From learning the finer points of your serve to picking up insider tips from one of the UK’s most respected names in the game, there’s no better way to step up your tennis on holiday. Here, we explore Mark’s incredible background and why you should dive into his tailored programme on your next beach club holiday.
Mark is an Essex boy, born and bred. His passion for the game started at an early age, when he learned from his tennis-playing dad. Turning professional in 1988, he notched up 35 wins and boosted his world ranking as a singles player to a lofty number 80.
After stepping away from his professional playing career, he quickly became a well known figure in the wider tennis world. In 2017, he joked that his transition to coaching was more luck than judgment. After an injury cut his career short, he jumped in to coach Croatian player Silvija Talaja, then ranked 90 in the world. With Mark’s guidance, she climbed all the way to number 17 and kept pushing her game even further. Looking back on the move, Mark said, “I thought it was a good idea, and it turned out it was!”
Once he had made his 'mark' as a top coach, his next protégé was a young, relatively unknown Andy Murray, ranked 351 in the world. After just ten months of dedication and training under Mark, Andy had cracked the top 50 and clinched his first ATP tournament win. Pretty impressive for this rising star.
Eventually, Andy and Mark parted ways, with Murray chalking it up to a ‘difference of opinion’ on some finer points of the game. "It was a tough call, focused entirely on my tennis development," Andy said at the time. Mark backed his former student to go all the way, saying, "I have no doubt that Andy will make the top 10 and be a grand slam winner in the future and wish him every success" And, of course, he was right—Andy went on to win Wimbledon, not once but twice, plus a couple of Olympic golds for good measure.
Adding commentator to his list of talents, Mark has voiced his passion and insights on ITV, BBC, and Sky Sports. As he puts it, passion is as important as the technical details, “I could be on air at 6am in the morning or 1am at night depending on where the tournaments are being played. You always need to bring the same energy no matter the time of day.”
So what is Mark up to now! He’s partnered with us to enhance our tennis programmes, offering a fresh new spin and help you play tennis like a pro. Together with our club coaches, he’s crafted daily group sessions tailored for everyone, from first-timers to seasoned players. You can catch him at Levante Beach Club, Alana Beach Club and Messini Beach club, during our exclusive pro-tennis weeks, where he’s on hand to share his anecdotes, pro tips and tales from a life spent courtside (and trust us, he’s got stories!).
The programmes that he has helped to create are more than just about developing your skills, Mark’s all about spreading the joy of the game. Whether you're aiming to perfect that backhand, get into shape or just have a laugh on court, Mark is keen for every player, young and young-at-heart, to feel the excitement of the game. It's all about having a good time, fitness fun, and friendly competition all rolled into one. These weeks are the perfect way to improve your tennis, so join us for some superb coaching from Mark Petchey and the Neilson team. Why not train with the man himself on our tennis weeks with Mark Petchey. These run from 10-17 May 2025 at Levante Beach Club, Greece, 6-12 July 2025 at Alana Beach Club in Croatia, and 7-14 September 2025 at Messini Beach Club in Greece.
To most, a summer of tennis means sitting in front of the TV watching Wimbledon. And whilst there’s nothing wrong with that, if you’re wanting to go beyond the screen and start serving and volleying yourself, there’s nothing better than playing tennis on holiday.
Are you ready to emulate the Williams sisters or the Murray brothers? Your holiday is a great time to work on – or pick up – a tennis game,you’ll look, feel, and perform like a Wimbledon champ if you shop wisely and pack well for the first serve of the season.
What’s your forehand like? If you’re not returning balls with a precise, bullet-like shot, then read on.
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