Frequently Asked Questions

Atlas Tennis creates one-of-a-kind experiences for teenage tennis players to grow as competitors and people. We design trips that maximize opportunities for player development through competitive matches in tournament settings and daily training in new environments with first class coaching. At the same time, our trips are also centered on personal development and growth. We don’t just travel as tourists, but instead fully immerse ourselves in the local culture, using tennis as a common link that brings us closer to those we meet, compete against, and practice with along the way. Atlas Tennis is much more than a tennis summer camp.

Atlas Tennis is unique in a number of ways. Our leadership team has unparalleled experience in the tennis world. Atlas Tennis trips are designed and planned with the expertise and knowledge base of a group that has done just about everything you can think of in the world of tennis and travel. From competing in grand slam finals, running an agency representing top-10 players, organizing trips for fans to see the biggest tournaments in the world, and coaching NCAA championship teams, we have a wealth of experience and connections around the world, unlocking for us a number of opportunities that simply are not available anywhere else.

While there are many ways for teens to travel to new places and even play at different tennis summer camps, trips with Atlas Tennis are designed specifically for teenage tennis players to grow on and off the court through experiences that are not accessible elsewhere.

Director of Atlas Tennis:

Ben Shapiro

Partners:

Andrew Chmura: President, Grand Slam Tennis Tours
Sam Duvall: President, Topnotch Management
Megan Moulton-Levy: General Manager of Player Development, JTCC and USTA Board of Directors. Former Top-50 WTA Doubles
Eric Butorac: USTA Director, Pro Tennis Operations & US Open Player Relations. Former Top-20 ATP Doubles, 2014 Australian Open Finalist.

Read More in the About Page

Atlas Tennis is a combination of things that we are all passionate about: tennis, travel, and personal growth. We all jumped at the idea of creating something that allows us to share these things with others in an innovative way, and knew that all of our personal experiences traveling the world through tennis make us the right people to create something like this.

We also felt that the current landscape of tennis summer camps and tennis tournaments leaves a lot to be desired. We’ve all seen teens lose interest in tennis, not because they don’t enjoy playing the sport, but because so many of the opportunities to train and compete just aren’t as fun and unique as they could be. With Atlas, we are confident that our players are going to finish their trips loving tennis more than when they started—something that many tennis summer camps and tournaments may not be able to say. 

Fair question, and the answer is YES! It’s true that Atlas Tennis is brand new, but all of us have been in the world of tennis and travel for many years (decades, even). Our Director Ben has been traveling domestically and internationally with groups of high school and college tennis players for years, navigating different countries, languages, and plenty of the inevitable curveballs that come with travel. Our partner Andrew is the President of Grand Slam Tennis Tours, an amazing company that has been bringing groups of tennis fans to the most iconic professional tournaments for decades. On top of that, our decades of experience living and breathing tennis mean that our network of connections extends worldwide. All of our tour stops are organized through local experts that we personally know and trust. So while Atlas Tennis is just starting, it’s really the culmination of decades of experience in this world of tennis travel.

We hope so! But in order to make sure that our trips are as impactful and special as possible, it’s super important that our groups are made up of players ready and excited for the experience. Beyond just what kind of tennis player you are, we are looking for people that are ready to be challenged and embrace new, and sometimes uncomfortable, experiences.

You’ll be traveling to new places where the food, culture, language, accommodations, and customs might be different from what you are used to. But if all of that sounds exciting and you are looking for a new adventure, the opportunity to get a lot better at tennis in a short amount of time, the chance to make new friends, and the potential for the experience of a lifetime, then you are probably a great fit and we encourage you to apply now!

Definitely not! We welcome players from anywhere around the world.

Lots! There will be a lot going on with Atlas Tennis—travel, sightseeing, socializing, and more. But first and foremost, this is a tennis trip, and you will be playing a lot of tennis. Our goal is to give players as many opportunities for competitive matches as possible, through tournaments, club matches, and organized friendly matches. We’ll be working with local tournaments and clubs to put our players in multiple draws each week, either of different age groups, doubles, or tournaments with backdraw matches.

In addition to as many organized competitive matches as possible, our teams will have daily practices 6 days a week. These could be anything from a light 30 minute warm up on long match days, or could be two 2-hour sessions on days without tournament matches. In addition to the daily team practices, when our players want even more tennis, our coaches are happy to try and arrange extra hitting sessions when possible. Our goal is to make sure that we are never overdoing it and risking injury or burnout, but we also don’t want anyone to ever feel like they didn’t get enough tennis when on an Atlas Tennis trip.

The vast majority of our tennis will be played at local tennis clubs in the towns where we are staying. These clubs range from smaller, simple facilities (i.e. Club Tennis i Pádel Blanes in Spain) to bigger places with more amenities. One thing that is consistent across the board that we know our players will love—the atmosphere at these clubs is welcoming and friendly. The tennis culture in Europe tends to be a lot more social, and we know that in addition to playing lots of tennis at these clubs, they will be an amazing place for new friends and connections for our players as well as a chance to truly experience local culture.

In addition to tennis clubs, some of our trips may spend time at larger tennis academies. These spots will be an awesome mix of the warm European tennis culture with an environment where player development and training are prioritized.

Without question there are plenty of different tennis summer camps, academies, and other options to play a lot of tennis and get better. But Atlas Tennis is unique—no other program out there combines this much tennis training and competition with the chance to travel to new places and immerse yourself in different cultures.

Atlas Tennis is designed to simultaneously help players develop as tennis players and people through real life experiences on and off the court. And with our personal experience having lived it, we know that our trips are the best way to facilitate that growth and development.

Atlas Tennis is a perfect stepping stone for prospective college tennis players. Our practices are run college-style with mainly live-ball drilling, and many of our coaches are former college players or current college coaches themselves. Our leadership team and many of our coaches have years of experience in the world of college tennis recruiting and can help players understand the landscape and potentially help connect players with college coaches. Our Director Ben is even an NCAA Champion coach and worked to recruit some of the top Division III men’s and women’s classes in the country as recently as 2020.

Atlas Tennis also gives players the chance to be a part of a tennis team, something that doesn’t happen so often in an individual sport like tennis. In general, college coaches look favorably on potential players that have experience being a part of a team, especially a tennis team that travels together—a huge part of the college tennis experience. This replication of a big aspect of college tennis is something that very few tennis summer camps can offer.

Additionally, most, if not all, of the competitive matches we play on Atlas Tennis will count for UTR or WTN, the metrics most commonly used by college coaches when recruiting.

Our goal is to build teams of players of similar levels so that our players can push each other in practices. We also will work with our connections at each tournament to enter players in tournaments that will be the best fit possible for them to get competitive matches.

Of course, there’s never a guarantee that every match will be a competitive three-setter, but we will do everything we can to make sure players are training and competing at the right level despite this always being an imperfect science.

As far as what level of player is the right fit for Atlas Tennis, we are looking for players ranging from high school varsity (or high-level JV) all the way up to nationally ranked players playing a full tournament schedule. Different trips may be at slightly different levels in order to make sure everyone fits in, tennis wise.

At a minimum, players must have some competitive experience in tournaments or high school tennis, while for some of our trips we plan to build groups of highly ranked sectional and national players. For more info on the level of tennis and if you or your child is the right fit, reach out to Ben directly.

Since we are traveling so far, we want to get as full of an experience as possible everywhere we go. This means when we’re not on court, we’ll be keeping busy, too. We’ll dedicate a day in each location for sightseeing, visiting some of the most iconic landmarks in some of the most beautiful cities in the world (think the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Big Ben in London, the canals of Amsterdam). On practice days, we’ll also try and find time for smaller half-day excursions like beach visits, shopping trips, strolls through the towns we are in, and plenty of other activities based on where we are.

On tournament days, we’ll likely be spending time at the clubs we are playing at, watching each other’s matches and sports on TV (Euro 2024 should create some spirited atmospheres!) and socializing with fellow tennis players at the clubs. This time will also allow our coaches to spend extra time one on one with each player discussing their tennis, breaking down their prior matches, and strategizing about how to prepare for their upcoming ones.

Our trips will begin and end in New York, which allows for easy connections for players coming in from other parts of the US and offers the most options for flights to Europe.

Our accommodations in Europe will vary from hotels to apartments to dorms to Airbnbs. It will vary based on whether we’re in a big city or smaller town, but all lodging will be selected based on cleanliness, safety, and location. Players will only share rooms with the same gender, will never share rooms with coaches, and will always have their own bed.

Just like with our accommodations, our transportation will vary based on where we are. For tournament weeks, we will usually rent vans or cars to get around between the tennis clubs, practices, and where we are staying. When we’re in cities, in addition to a healthy amount of walking (the best way to see a city!) we’ll usually take advantage of the excellent public transportation options available in Europe, and when traveling longer distances between countries, we will likely fly or use trains.

Safety is our #1 priority!

We want everyone to have an incredible, life-changing experience with Atlas Tennis, and that only happens if everyone’s safety is always top-of-mind. We only have locations on our itineraries that are generally regarded as being very safe for visitors, and we are in constant communication with locals who keep us up to date and are there in case we ever need them. And even though we only travel to safe locations, we still never allow players to go off on their own anywhere.

While all our coaches are experts when it comes to tennis, they are actually all hired first and foremost based on being extremely responsible, communicative, and their ability to keep players safe at all times. They are a presence on each trip 24/7 to stay on top of any potential issue, and are there to step in in case any problems arise.

As much as we hope to avoid these situations, we also plan for them so that in case they arise, we can be as helpful and supportive as possible right away. The standard of healthcare in the places we will visit is excellent, and if necessary, we won’t hesitate to bring players to a doctor or hospital for treatment of any issue and will of course stay with them for the entire duration of the visit, bringing a local translator as well if needed.

While we only have places on our itineraries that are safe and stable, the world is ever-changing and we are always keeping tabs on what is happening  and considering how it may affect our trips. If we deem a trip location to be no longer appropriate due to current events, adjustments may be made to the itinerary. While this is extremely unlikely, we won’t hesitate to act if warranted due to any safety concerns from current events, whether that be a political situation, natural disaster, or other unforeseen circumstance.

When paying for an Atlas Tennis trip, we encourage you to purchase our trip protection, which allows for trip cancellation for any reason up to one month before the departure date for a full refund, minus any non-changeable flights. Trip insurance through an insurance broker is optional, but we do recommend it for protection against last minute cancellations, unexpected early departures, or other travel related headaches. 

Fortunately, most US cell carriers make it pretty easy these days to use your plan overseas for a reasonable extra cost. WiFi will also be readily available at the clubs, accommodations, restaurants, and pretty much anywhere else we go. And our coaches and director will always be reachable on their cell phones as well should the need arise.

Parents should always feel free to contact our director Ben at any time. Depending on the question, the coaches from each trip may be better suited to answer, but either way, our team will connect you with the right person.

Our coaches are all selected based on a number of factors, with the absolute top priority being their level of responsibility and ability to chaperone our groups.

On top of that, our coaches will all be highly experienced tennis coaches that have worked with junior and college players and have traveled with tennis teams previously. Our belief is that the coaches are one of the most important keys to a successful trip, and our hiring process reflects this focus.

Once we are closer to our departure date, detailed bios of the coaches on each trip will be shared with team members and the coaches will be reaching out for an intro call with the team.

At Atlas Tennis, the safety and well-being of our participants are paramount. Our tennis staff undergoes rigorous training that encompasses various aspects to ensure a secure and enjoyable experience.

This includes USTA Safe Play training, emphasizing the importance of creating a safe environment for all participants.

Additionally, our staff is trained in First Aid and CPR, equipped to respond effectively in case of any unforeseen situations.

We prioritize continuous training to stay updated with the latest safety standards, enabling our team to provide a secure and supportive atmosphere for everyone involved in our tennis programs.

Safety is our top priority, and our trained staff is committed to maintaining the highest standards throughout the tennis journey with us.

Our trips are open to boys and girls from 13 to 18. In terms of tennis level, we welcome players with competitive experience in regional or national USTA tournaments, UTR tournaments, or at the high school varsity (or high-JV) level. While we don’t have an exact ranking or rating guideline as they vary widely based on where you are from, as a general rule, at a minimum players should be comfortable and have experience playing competitive matches and be playing tennis year round.

Our trips will be organized to group players together based on their playing level in order to make practices and tournament play as competitive as possible. So while there will be a wide range of players joining us on Atlas Tennis, regardless of your level, we will ensure you are competing and training with players at a similar level.

In addition to tennis level, our trips are designed for teens that want to grow not just as players, but as people, and have an experience somewhat different from most other tennis summer camps. We’ll be going to new places and encouraging everyone to step out of their comfort zones and really immerse themselves wherever we are. Having the right attitude and being excited for the challenge are prerequisites for anyone on the trip—so while we would love to welcome just anyone, Atlas Tennis is designed specifically for those that are ready for a new, unique, and not-always-easy adventure. 

If you have any questions or uncertainty about whether Atlas Tennis is the right fit, reach out to Ben to discuss 1 on 1.

You can apply on our website here.

We want to make sure everyone on Atlas Tennis has the right mindset and growth mentality—references are a great way for us to learn a bit more about every applicant to determine if they are the right fit. Each trip will be so much more impactful if we get this right, which is why we ask for tennis and character references and have a relatively detailed and extensive application process.

The cost of the trip includes everything from accommodations, daily breakfasts and dinners, court fees, tournament and national tennis federation registration fees, staff, pre-planned sightseeing, and transportation within Europe including flights, trains, and vans.

Not included is lunch, additional optional sightseeing or excursions that are not pre-planned, souvenirs, passport/visa fees, overweight baggage fees, laundry, and medical expenses.

Flights to and from Europe are also not included in the trip cost. We encourage everyone to fly to Europe on the same flight from New York, which we will book at the lowest possible cost. For players that prefer to fly directly to Europe from a different city, this is likely possible for an additional fee. Please speak with Ben for more information on this.

Atlas Tennis offers trip protection as an add-on to any trip, which allows for a full refund for any reason up to one month before the departure date, with the exception of any non-changeable airline tickets. Trips purchased without trip protection are non-refundable, but can be transferred to another person (subject to their application approval) with the exception of any flights where the name on the reservation can’t be changed per airline rules.

We accept ACH, check, or credit card. Credit card payments will be subject to a small convenience fee.

Yes, we do offer financial assistance. You can apply on our Financial Assistance Page