The post below comes from the family of Alexander Roth from New Jersey, one of our 2026 summer players who traveled to Spain, the Netherlands, and Switzerland on the Signature Summer trip.
Our son’s dream last summer was to merge tennis with a European adventure. After a couple of clicks, we found Atlas Tennis, and realized he could combine his desire to travel and to improve his tennis game.
Working on clay court tennis in Spain!
From our initial consultations Ben made us feel comfortable and assured us that our son’s skills would improve on the court. He was always available, responsive and enthusiastic with his responses to our questions…and we had many! He even came to one of our son’s Varsity matches to see him play and speak with his coaches. We felt confident that our son was in good hands with Atlas.
The tour started at the airport where Ben and the coaches, Ruby and Gary, greeted the teens and parents. They did a great job of making everyone feel comfortable and friendships started forming immediately. Then, the team was off to Spain where they trained on red clay with a local club for two different tournaments near Barcelona. Our son got to work with the coaches who helped him all the way to a victory in one of the tournaments!
Alexander with his championship trophy in Spain!
When he wasn’t playing he was experiencing the local culture, hanging out with kids from the local tennis club, speaking Spanish and going to the beach, all under the supervision of the Atlas coaches. They toured Barcelona and sent us stunning photos of the Sagrada Familia Basilica on the day the Tour de France started! The experience in Spain reached its pinnacle when they got to experience the excitement of Spain winning a knockout match in the World Cup. Our son says it was one of the greatest nights of his life!
Watching the World Cup in Spain was unforgettable!
Next, the tour took them to Amsterdam, where the training, competing in a doubles tournament and overall experience were very different in such interesting ways. The Dutch culture of sportsmanship really stood out and taught him a lesson in fair play where the winner of the match buys the loser a drink. He was inspired by the way his opponents made fair line calls and how everyone was treated with respect and kindness. A highlight from Amsterdam was getting to sample stroopwafels with local players, and they are now among his favorite treats.
The tour culminated in Switzerland, where the team trained in altitude surrounded by the stunning scenery and breathtaking views of the Alps. They sat front row for a Stefanos Tsitsipas match at the Gstaad Open and met with Casper Ruud in a special meeting arranged by Atlas. How wonderful for the team to hear about the experience of competing on the global stage from one of the world’s best players, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, and a very nice guy!
Meeting with Casper Ruud in Gstaad, Switzerland
The Atlas experience taught our son valuable lessons about sportsmanship, teamwork, and personal growth. The coaches of his trip, Ruby, Gary and Charlotte, made all the kids feel like they were part of an elite traveling tennis team and their coaching helped our son’s game and confidence improve immensely. He forged special friendships with a diverse group of teens from across the US, many of whom he will undoubtedly keep in touch with.
Thank you Atlas for an experience that exceeded all our expectations and gave our son the best summer of his life!
-The Roth Family
