2024 has been an incredible year for Atlas Tennis. It’s truly impossible to sum up the last 12 months in one article, but to put a bow on things, let’s look back at 10 of the best moments of our tennis, travel, connections, and more. Want to be a part of an even more special 2025? Get started and learn more now.
1. Building an incredible group of players for our 2024 summer tennis trip
Starting quite early in 2024, we began having conversations with families from all over the US and Canada about the possibility of an Atlas Tennis summer trip. Each conversation and family was a bit different, of course, but there was always a consistent theme—the search for a summer tennis program that was truly unique and could create once in a lifetime opportunities without sacrificing quality coaching and providing plenty of competitive playing opportunities.
As our group came together, I sensed very early on we were going to have some really special people. Each player was excited about trying something different and leaned into the idea of stepping out of their comfort zone in the pursuit of growth. Furthermore, it was so clear that everyone on the trip truly wanted to be there! Whether it was working after school jobs to raise money for the trip, or seeing if I could set up a hit in NYC the day before we met at the airport to depart, the positive energy in the lead-up was incredible, and truly set us off on the right foot!
2. Pre-trip Zoom call to get everyone ready!
A few weeks before the trip in early June, we always hold a video call for the players, their families, and the coaches to meet and connect. While I’ve been in touch with everyone individually for a while at that point, it’s the first time many of our players meet each other, and it tends to be very reassuring for everyone to learn how much they have in common with their co-travelers right off the bat. Despite coming from different places, everyone is connected through a passion for tennis, a curiosity about travel, and a bit of typical nervousness in the lead up to a new adventure!
My most vivid memory was undoubtedly when everyone shared what they were most looking forward to about the trip, and at least half of our players said they were excited to get to play tournaments in a different environment than the typical high stress intensity that unfortunately plagues many events back home. And as it turned out, the friendly, welcoming atmospheres of our European tournaments definitely delivered!
3. Meeting at the Airport
This is the moment when everything becomes 100x more real! I could sense the anticipation and pre-trip jitters as everyone arrived, but it’s remarkable how quickly it disappeared as everyone realizes they are in the same boat! Even though the start of this incredible adventure feels almost monumental in hindsight, in the moment, it ends up being memorable for the busyness of the usual travel stuff: checking bags (and making sure no one’s bag is overweight!), getting through security, making sure everyone has their passports, and getting onto the plane to head off to Europe.
4. Our first practice
The excitement of the first practice of the trip is comparable to how professional tennis players describe the Australian Open: it’s like the first day of school. Everyone is happy to be there, energized, and feeling fresh physically and mentally. I think if our first practice had been four hours, everyone would’ve been more than happy to keep playing!
Despite the endless energy on day one, we kept our first practice relatively compact, hitting lots of balls and doing footwork drills to get adjusted to the red clay. As we finished up our first hit as the sun started to set over the Mediterranean in Spain, there was almost a surreal feeling amongst us—”yes, we’re actually here in Spain getting ready for our first tournament!”
5. Taking home hardware
One of the best parts of our trips is playing tournaments in other countries. These are incredible opportunities to meet new players and practice competing in new environments on different surfaces, but they’re also a ton of fun because they give our players the chance to win some matches! Success on an Atlas trip is not measured by wins and losses in tournaments, but that’s not to say that we don’t absolutely love it when our players do well!
While I can easily think of matches from each player that were fantastic and memorable, there’s something a little extra special about winning an event. In both Spain and Holland, we had multiple tournament winners in singles, doubles, and mixed—made all the more special by the fact that the rest of our group was there to cheer each other on!
There’s something very cool about winning a tennis tournament in another country!
6. Our visit to Gstaad
Attending the ATP 250 Swiss Open Gstaad was always circled on my calendar as the thing I was most excited about on our 2024 trip, but our day in the Swiss Alps exceeded even my expectations. We set out from Geneva in the morning for a two-hour drive through absolutely stunning scenery—lakes, mountains, idyllic towns, winding roads, wildflowers, and more—before we had seen a tennis ball being hit, it was already a memorable day!
Many of our players had never seen pro tennis before—and after two weeks of playing everyday on red clay, it was the perfect time to see the world’s best up close. And for those who had been to pro events before like the US Open, Wimbledon, or Cincinnati, it was remarkable how laid back and approachable the event was by comparison. You could simply walk right up from the main street in town, watch a set, walk back down the street for a bite to eat, and come back. And the ability to get up close with top players was unparalleled, which leads me to our next moment…
7. Meeting Pro Players
Thanks to our connections in the world of pro tennis among our co-founders and the laid back nature of the event, we were able to easily set up some meetings with top players including Matteo Berrettini and Jamie Murray.
Getting to connect our group with these players for a conversation, Q&A, and photos was so special—it was amazing to see everyone’s excitement and to see how friendly, open, and approachable the players were!
This is something we’re excited to do more of in 2025! We plan to connect our players with the pros like this as much as we can!
8. A day in Verbier and the best meal of the trip
As the trip reached its final days, we mixed things up with a day in the famous Swiss skiing town of Verbier. Despite being better known for its winter activities, Verbier features five clay courts in the center of town overlooking the Alps in all directions. These courts are also home to Advanced Tennis Camp, which is run by Yves Allegro, a friend of one of Atlas’s co-founders Eric Butorac, and a former doubles partner of another Swiss player, Roger Federer (maybe you’ve heard of him?).
We were welcomed for an afternoon of matches and then an incredible dinner with their players and coaches at a restaurant in the center of town, right next to the base of the gondola.
Between the authentic Swiss cuisine, super-friendly hosts, and jaw dropping scenery, it was one of the best experiences of the trip and a perfect way to cap off our adventure!
9. Planning Spring Break 2025 Trips
Looking beyond our 2024 summer trip, getting to start planning our 2025 spring break trips has been a major point of excitement! There is so much we can do when working with high schools to create trips for their teams based on what the school, coaches, and players are looking for. Through our conversations thus far, we have crafted two different trips for March, one in Barcelona for Brunswick School, focused on tennis training and experiencing a new culture, and another in Miami for Greenwich Country Day School, centered around competing against some of the best high school teams in the country and also getting an exclusive day at the Miami Open!
We love team tennis in all its forms, so to be able to work with schools to create custom trips for their teams has been a highlight of the year and the source of a ton of anticipation as we look towards next year!
10. Making so many incredible connections in the tennis world
It is almost unthinkable how many amazing people have come into the Atlas Tennis orbit over the last twelve months. In some ways, it makes the cliche about the tennis world being very small ring true. But on the other hand, when I stop to think about how many people from all over the world have taken an interest in Atlas Tennis and what we are doing, it doesn’t actually feel like such a small community.
In addition to all of the new connections Atlas Tennis has brought us, it’s also served as a way for the co-founders and partners to connect with each other. While all five of us knew each other and had worked together before, joining forces on a project as personal and meaningful as Atlas has been special—particularly when we all gathered in Stowe, Vermont for a couple days of meetings, brainstorming, and planning (with a little padel, too!).
Reflecting on all that 2024 has brought us and all that is to come in 2025 leaves us both humbled and grateful. When we started Atlas Tennis, connecting people through tennis and travel was the mission. Nothing has changed in that regard—and it’s a good feeling to know that in 2024 we were able to do just that. What a year!
Want to be a part of Atlas Tennis in 2025? Fill out our interest form to learn more, reach out directly to Ben at ben@atlas.tennis, or schedule an intro call now. And through January 15, we’re offering $300 off any trip!
