Mark Petchey

Who is Mark Petchey?

Mark Petchey is one of the UK’s most successful and influential tennis players, both on and off the court. He’s achieved acclaim as a player and a coach to British tennis star Andy Murray and now works with us on our holidays to bring you a professional tennis experience.

Mark Petchey playing tennis at Neilson Messini Beacchclub in Greece

Neilson Beach Clubs for tennis pros

Whether you want a holiday to practice, relax, recuperate and/or take your tennis game to new places, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s the low down on what our tennis holidays have to offer.

Neilson tennis coach showing how to perform a tennis serve

Tennis serve :top tips and techniques

Serving is such a vital part of tennis at the top level, and it’s probably the part that most part-time players struggle to master. Here's a handy video from former GB player Mark Petchey, to help improve your serve.

Mark Petchey playing tennis at Messini Beachclub in Greece

Tennis backhand: top tips and techniques

If you want to step out onto the court with confidence, it’s best to master the art of the backhand.Here are our top backhand tips to complete your tennisgame.

tennis balls on a tennis court

Grand Slam tennis tournaments

There are justfour Grand Slam tennis tournaments – “the Majors”. These being the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. They were established at the top of the international tennis tree in the 1920s.

woman playing tennis

Tennis Forehand: top tips and techniques

What’s your forehand like? If you’re not returning balls with a precise, bullet-like shot, then read on.

Woman playing tennis

Where can I play tennis on holiday?

To most, a summer of tennis means sitting in front of the TV watching Wimbledon. And whilst there’s nothing wrong with that, if you’re wanting to go beyond the screen and start serving and volleying yourself, there’s nothing better than playing tennis on holiday.

aerial view of tennis courts

How to get into tennis

A tennis holiday is the perfect way to see if tennis is the right activity for you, have loads of fun in the sun and start your love affair with the sport.

two people playing tennis

Getting fit for a tennis holiday

Getting just a little fitter will help you get the most from your tennis, so we’ve come up with some easy tennis exercises that will get you mentally and physically prepped for your next time on the courts.

woman playing tennis

Top kit needed for a tennis holiday

Are you ready to emulate the Williams sisters or the Murray brothers? Your holiday is a great time to work on – or pick up – a tennis game,you’ll look, feel, and perform like a Wimbledon champ if you shop wisely and pack well for the first serve of the season.

people playing tennis

Tennis scoring explained

Tennis is fantastic fun and fantastically simple at heart. When you start though, the scoring system can feel like it was designed by malicious surrealists. It was probably medieval French courtiers in reality. This guide will help you through from first serve to match point as sweetly and smoothly as strawberries and cream.

Man playing tennis

Warm up exercises to get you tennis court ready

It's important to hydrate when you play tennis, equally important as your fuelling routine is a good tennis warm-up drill.

tennis rackets

Picking a tennis racket

Tennis is a great sport for any age, something to think about when starting out is the racket you will be using. Choosing the right racket is important as it will affectyour progress and enjoyment of tennis.

close up of tennis court and net

Types of tennis courts

Tennis is a sport that can be played on many different surfaces. Each surface has different playing characteristics which will affect the style of play and a players natural playing ability.

Mark Petchey coaching tennis at a Neilson Beach Club

Play tennis like a pro with Mark Petchey

Former GB tennis player and Andy Murray coach Mark Petchey is the official tennis ambassador for Neilson holidays. We caught up with him to share some of his top tips.

Tennis balls on a tennis court

Tennis terminology explained

Tennis terminology can seem complicated and unfamiliar but you’ll soon get the hang of it, whether you’re playing, or simply enjoying a good match from the comfort of your sofa.

People playing tennis

What tennis level are you?

This guide will help you work out your tennis level so that you can make the most of our tennis programme.

people playing tennis

Five ways tennis can keep you fit

Have you been inspired by the likes of Andy Murray and Serena Williams to pick up a racket but not sure how to get stuck into training?

Tennis racket

Private tennis coaching on holiday

We offer private coaching at all our beachclubs with tennis courts, helping you to improve your game.

Woman having tennis lesson

Tennis holidays for beginners

Find out how our beachclub holidays introduce you to tennis and help you master the basics of the game.

2 girls holding tennis balls

Tennis holidays for kids

Tennis is just one of the huge range of fun activities we offer for kids aged between 2and 17 years old in our children's club.

people on tennis court

Tennis holidays for Groups

Our beachclub tennis holidays are great for groups looking to play together, with courts available at most of our beachclubs.