Equelite Tennis Academy, for Junior Tennis Players with an Eye on Turning Pro
JC Ferrero Equelite Tennis Academy, Spain’s BEST academy for professional tennis
Do YOU have a junior player who dreams of playing professional tennis one day? Do you wanna know the odds if it’s even possible? Of course you do. I think for parents in the junior tennis world they’d LOVE a little transparency. Obviously they can’t promise you a rose garden but they’ll access your player where they’re at vs where you want to be and what that’ll realistically take from where you are. Then, the decision is yours. That’s what I love about Equelite Tennis Academy, they’ll tell you. They have NO shortage of advanced players in their annual program and they’re scouting you like you’re scouting them. Instead of marketing blowhards who’ll say anything to fill a spot. Equelite doesn’t have many spots to offer.
Juan Carlos Ferrero Equelite Tennis Academy is located in Villena Spain. An international junior training towards professional tennis. It’s Owned and run by Juan Carlos Ferrero, (former world #1 ATP player) with Antonio Martinez Cascales, Ferrero’s Coach. You can reach the academy in 45 minutes drive from Alicante airport, competition players come train here for short & annual tennis programs.
Parents want updates. Everything from; tennis, school, & life in general to injuries, travel schedules and player progress. Who can blame them? Annual tennis programs aren’t cheap. I’d want to know professionals are in charge and I’m comfortably kept in the loop, if it were my kid.
I mean, the tennis life is hard. There’s training, studies, competition & goodnight! On repeat.
Pro Tip:💡
Adult tennis camps Spain by playing level / Mallorca check here.
“If you build it they will come”
Without your player’s passion & drive, it can’t work. And Juan Carlos knows that. Kids training & playing at this level need to be with others sharing a similar experience.
Post his retirement, Juan Carlos designed his own slice of tennis heave in Villena, Spain for the purpose of focused training & being close to the players. The place thrives on humility, hard work & connection. If you don’t believe me, look at Carlos Alcaraz following in his footsteps. It’s really a special place.
Back in the 80's the biggest international training compound was Nick Bollettieri tennis academy in Bradenton, Florida. A simple barebone barracks packed with the world’s best juniors absorbed in this unique & rare world of junior tennis. Kids wanting to turn PRO. That’s how I’d describe this place, minus the number of American players. But this place is charming, quaint, somehow peaceful.
Equelite Tennis Academy: Home to Carlos Alcaraz
As the parent, you have the burden of needing to know where to go for guidance.
Full transparency. I’m a tennis coach who loves teaching adult tennis holidays . Adults who enjoy recreational competition tennis. Each year I freshen my own curriculum using one of the places on my junior page. Equelite always impresses me with how personal the tennis experience is. I didn’t say warm & fuzzy. No it’s serious for sure. Maybe it loosens up for annual players who spend real time there. But it’s a place that holds my attention. I have great respect somehow for this place.
Equelite Tennis Training: What’s the cost?
Equelite Annual Tennis Cost
4.025€/month
Annual program.
2.750€/annual school enrollment
Spanish and British school, at any level.
Equelite tennis prices for short term weekly programs
High season 2022 {Of course the sweet spot is always 3 weeks }
1 week / 1.450€
2 weeks / 2.450€
3 weeks / 3.320€
4 weeks / 4.245€
Juniors play itf & UTR tournaments year round throughout Spain & internationally. Equelite, also hosts a number of ITF junior tournaments on site.
At times court ratios during the year are 1:2 or 1:3 players per coach. The British Council School System & language classes happen on site with simple & minimal accommodations, steps from the facilities 20 tennis courts.
The only thing underwhelming I saw for the kids was the food. Adults eat separately from a menu in the main dining. The food’s always hit or miss at boarding academies, depending on who’s doing the cooking.
And as you cruise the grounds you’ll likely recognizable visiting tour players training here for upcoming playing seasons.
I LOVE THIS for aspiring juniors envisioning their own future in the game using first hand experience from players they emulate on the court next to them.
Equelite Tennis Academy: Down to the business of player development
The academy is driven by the watchful eye and daily guidance of Juan Carlos Ferrero, former world ATP #1 in 2003. Also runner-up at the 2002 French Open and the 2003 US Open.
Juan Carlos Ferrero lives at his home on the compound with his family. When he ́s not traveling he's on court monitoring annual players daily. He trains and creates his annual program alongside academy partner & former junior pro to Ferrero, Antonio Martinez Cascales.
Equelite´s coaching staff maintains the highest degree of global coaching certifications and have remained at Equelite for close to a decade.
That's a big deal because often times, coaches settle into a teaching academy to learn the program & its drills and move on to start their own academy. I’m always impressed how long Equelite’s coaches stay with the academy. Many also living at the academy, happily.
JC Ferrero Equelite Tennis : Annual players
There are approximately 55 year round students attending Equelite Tennis Academy. Players clock in between 33 - 38 training hrs per week.
Including on court training, gym, mental conditioning and daily school. Boarding facilities for annual players typically have their own room depending on availability.
Madrid has always been a top tennis training ground for juniors. So when I found Spain's #15 ranked (15 yr old) player from Madrid at Equelite, I had to know why he left Madrid for Equelite. {Madrid has a great reputation for intensive & smart tennis training in Spain}
He confidently replied; “I came here to improve my tennis and lifestyle “.
He felt the training here at Equelite was more professional. The training plan tougher and living among other top competitors he found, helpful.
He started like most annual players. Coming to Equelite for short chunks of time. 3 weeks here turned into 6 weeks which turned into 3 months and last stop - annual program! Taking advantage of JC Ferrero ́s Competition program is a smart way to start at Equelite. Test it to prepare for individual tournaments. And train alongside Equelite’s annual players. You get to know the annual players and how they like it. How it’s changed their game, or how life changes when you dedicate your life to your craft on this level. The INSIDE SCOOP!
This kid was certain he wanted to turn pro. He knew this was the place that could help him.
He likes how practices are laid out to simulate match play. How his physical conditioning has transformed entirely and what he can now withstand on court is light years ahead of where he was.
He feels good here because of the family environment at Equelite. Living among other players, sharing similar life experiences makes his day to day life easier. Not feeling lonely living at home with friends around having the life like he has. He just felt he couldn’t relate to anyone his age because of the path he chose to take. Here he has socialization on campus, traveling to tournaments, taking in a movie at the local movie theatre in Villena. It’s slim pickings in this area for sure but they’re in it together.
When annual players aren't traveling for itf tournaments & futures tournaments they relish the quiet the academy offers.
Equelite tennis: Summer weekly program
The Summer program at JC Ferrero Equelite offers kids 8 - 16 with love for the game, a taste of professional tennis training during June, July & August.
Players board 2 players to a room in simple accommodations and a ceiling fan. Swimming pools, language classes, ping pong, on-site games & activities happen after dinner.
Summer beds max out at 180 players total.
While those numbers sound big there's nothing commercial about Equelite.
There's a small rural basic hotel - 14 quaint cabins to be exact for families & visiting Tour professionals that’s useful if you’re visiting your player. These 4 star rural rooms have AC, hair dryer, good wifi and are set around the adult pool.
Juan Carlos Ferrero has designed a healthy green environment. It’s luscious with greenery and oxygen rich plants.
I tell you, only a man obsessed with great design detail and conscious thought around a tennis player could have developed such a space.
Equelite Tennis Academy: Competition program
Throughout the year international players come for specific 2-4 week time periods to join annual players. They use it for preseason training & intensive training for tournaments & train on specific court surfaces.
JC Ferrero Equelite Tennis Academy has everything a professional tennis player needs on site.
excellent tennis trainers
tough physical trainers
physiotherapy
doctors
extensive gym equipment
lush green gardens built to maintain perfect air quality
playsight video analysis used on hard and clay courts
20 courts (all court surfaces)
language classes
school for annual international players
From a coaching perspective they´ve certainly guided me to a deeper foundation and necessary coaching tools. I only hope that if your player is hard pressed to turn professional your family finds this spanish tennis academy as helpful as I have.
Equelite’s environment is a total standout training experience for a player wanting to experience the lifestyle of professional tennis.
If you want to know if your player is the right fit for Equelite tennis, a free quick call for serious inquires will give you the confidence you need in either direction.
contact Rhonda@indietenis.com