Pre-season Tennis in Cyprus

On Friday 28 March 2025, a group of 22 students and four staff members departed the College at 04:00, heading to Gatwick Airport for a flight to Paphos, Cyprus. This marked the beginning of a five-day pre-season tennis tour.

The students, ranging from Third Form to Upper Sixth, included both seasoned team players and those newer to the game. Accompanying us were three LTA qualified coaches, all of whom have previously worked with students at Lancing as part of our Serviceline tennis team.

Upon arriving in Paphos, we were collected by two minibuses that transported us to our accommodation at the five-star Aphrodite Hills Resort. We were immediately impressed by our luxurious apartments and private swimming pool, all located next door to one another. After unpacking and enjoying lunch at the golf clubhouse, we changed and prepared for our first training session from 17.00–19.00. The students were divided into two groups, each assigned a coach for the week.

Every morning, we gathered for breakfast at the golf clubhouse, overlooking the pitching green and driving range. Alongside pastries, fruit, and meat platters, we had a choice of full English breakfast, Cypriot cooked breakfast, pancakes, healthy yogurt and granola bowls, or omelettes, which set us up perfectly for the day ahead. By 09.30, we were on court for group fitness before tennis and continued until about 12.30
when we broke for lunch.

Afternoons provided a few hours for rest and relaxation, often involving a quick dip in the pool or a visit to the ice cream parlour. We resumed training at 14.30, focusing on tactical drills and match play for another two hours. By 17.00, we were free to stay on the courts at the tennis academy, book a padel court, swim in the apartment pool, or even practice at the driving range next to the tennis academy.

We dined at different restaurants each evening. Highlights included Anoi, an American-style sports bar with the best burgers and calamari, Zimi Trattoria, an Italian restaurant that treated our group to a tasting menu featuring an assortment of salads, pizzas, fresh pasta, and traditional homemade Italian dishes, and another favourite was Fig & Olive in the main hotel, offering a buffet-style dinner and dessert which did not disappoint.

On our penultimate day of training, we were split into two teams for a Davis Cup/Billie Jean King Cup-style tournament:
Team Bullen vs Team Sunderland. Everyone played multiple singles and doubles matches, with each point contributing to their team’s score. This was a fantastic opportunity to play competitive matches and support one another.

In the evening, after dinner, the coaches held a prizegiving ceremony, announcing Team Sunderland as the winners and awarding several individual prizes to players. On our final day before flying back to London, we squeezed in a final two hours of training before showering and preparing to depart the resort at 12.30.

Overall, the trip was a resounding success. The standard of tennis improved day by day, and the work ethic of players was top-notch throughout. We thoroughly look forward to returning to Cyprus and Aphrodite Hills in 2027 for our fifth biennial tour.