I’ve never been a fan of sporting events, baseball, soccer, or football, because I didn’t play those sports, and I wasn’t passionate about them. But I love watching tennis, whether in person or on TV, and after playing league tennis for five years, I started planning girls’ trips with my tennis ladies.
In 2016, I got the chance to take my tennis ladies to a team tennis tournament, The Cowgirl Challenge, in New Braunfels, TX. I can’t tell you the amount of fun we had… no, really, I shouldn’t 😉
We played well and made it to the finals in our division, but that was inconsequential to the amount of fun and shenanigans we had. This was the beginning of our annual “girls” trips to tournaments all around the U.S. — Indian Wells, US Open, and John Newcombe’s “Newks” Ranch.
Unfortunately, like the rest of the world, Covid put all tournaments on hold, but by 2021, I was itching to travel and play with my ladies again.
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We were introduced to Racquet War tournaments, an organization that organizes and runs competitive tennis tournaments for adults at different locations throughout the year.
Our first “war” was hosted in Amelia Island, Florida, and let me tell you… it was the best! All tournament players know how messy and backed-up scheduling can get, but that’s not the case with Racquet War. It is the most well-run “rec” players tournament. They use a Waterfall Bracket format, so you play 4-5 different teams and are sorted into divisions. They don’t go solely by your USTA Ranking, and you can play with someone more than 1.0 away from you.
Just imagine getting a text for the match time and court number you will be playing on — and then actually playing on time! You play during the day and are usually done by 4 pm with plenty of time to enjoy the city you are in. It was the perfect amount of tennis and free time to explore the beautiful island.
Since then, I have played in three more Racquet Wars (Kiawah Island, SC; Memphis, TN; and Las Vegas, NV), making a total of 4 Racquet War tournaments in a year. Once my shoulder heals, I plan on attending more. I have my eye on their Bahamas destination.
I know what you’re thinking, and now, they aren’t that expensive. You can go with the tournament entry fee or include the 3-4 nights’ accommodation at gorgeous resorts. Don’t overthink it, ladies. Grab your doubles or mixed partner and check them out!
Do you love traveling for tennis? Where have you been? Where do you want to go? Please share it with us in the comments below!
