by Mark Hodson , The Sunday Times

Tuscan Tennis Holidays(0141 576 7205, tuscanytennis.com) offers hosted coaching weeks in Lucca, Florence and Sardinia. The courses include 10 hours of group tuition, video analysis, social Tennis, tournaments and local excursions - ideal if you want to meet like-minded people, improve your game and savour some ofla dolce vita. A week in Lucca in September, based on two people sharing a self-catering apartment, starts at ?518pp, including coaching.

Lucca is 20 miles from Pisa, which is served from 14 UK airports, as well as Dublin. Airlines include British Airways (0844 493 0787, ba.com), Ryanair (0871 246 0000, ryanair.com) and Jet2 (0871 226 1737, jet2.com).

La Manga Club (00 34 968 175577, lamangaclub.com), in Spain, is the LTA's official winter training base - but don't let that put you off. It has 28 courts - clay, hard and artificial grass - and the coaching is of a high standard, although the size of the resort means the atmosphere is not so intimate. This summer, you can get a free five-day Tennis academy course (10 hours of lessons, worth ?208) if you spend a week at the Hotel La Manga Club Principe Felipe, where rooms start at ?81pp per night, B& B. La Manga is 40 miles from Murcia city. There are flights there from 16 UK airports, as well as Dublin and Shannon. Airlines include Ryanair (0871 246 0000, ryanair. com), Fly Monarch (08700 405040, monarch.co.uk), and EasyJet (easyjet.com). Or book a package, with Barwell Leisure (0333 444 3000, lamanga.com).

On the Algarve, theVale do Lobo Tennis Academy(00 351 289 353333, valedolobo.com) has top-notch training facilities, with 14 courts - 10 hard, four synthetic grass - mini Tennis for children and a clubhouse with an outdoor pool. It's heavily booked this summer, but there's good availability in September and October, when a week's self-catering, with 10 hours of group coaching, costs ?576pp based on two sharing and including car hire. It'sociable and popular with families. The nearest airport is Faro, served from more than 20 UK airports, as well as Dublin, Cork, and Shannon. Airlines include EasyJet (easyjet.com), Flybe (0871 700 2000, flybe.com), and Aer Lingus (0818 365000, aerlingus.com).

If you're travelling alone and just want to meet new partners - as opposed to get coaching - you can join a Tennis week for singles in Corfu, Mallorca, Tunisia, Turkey or Lake Garda with Solo's (0844 815 0005, www.solosholidays.co.uk). A week's half-board at Port El Kantaoui, Tunisia, starts at ?539pp, flying from Gatwick or Manchester on November 15 and including five days of friendly games and competitive matches.

For the cash-rich, time-poor, La Residencia(00 34 971 639011, hotellaresidencia.com), on Mallorca, has three nights, B& B, with two dinners, three hours of private coaching, an hour's video analysis and a sports massage, from ?1,327pp. There are flights to Palma from more than 20 UK airports, as well as Dublin and Shannon. Airlines include Flybe (0871 700 2000, flybe.com), BMI Baby (bmibaby. com), or Aer Lingus (0818 365000, aerlingus.com).

BEST FOR SERIOUS PLAYERS

Jonathan Markson(020 7603 2422, marksontennis.com) has run Tennis camps since 1981, including intensive weeks in Oxford, London and Yorkshire, with group courses in the Algarve, Mallorca and Tunisia throughout the year. The Oxford camp is the most demanding, with 30 hours of structured group coaching and video analysis. A week starts at ?795pp, including full-board accommodation in Oxford University halls, or ?360 for non-residents. There is still availability in August this year. Alternatively, a week in the Algarve, with 15 hours of coaching, starts at ?560pp in September, based on two sharing a self-catering studio apartment in Praia da Luz. See above for flights to Faro.

The European Tennis Academy (00 43 5559 221,Tennis- academy.com) teaches Mental Match Play at its bases in Austria, Switzerland, Greece and Spain: a three-day course with six hours of coaching starts at ?142. Pure Alpine Holidays (01273 778006, purealpine holidays.co. uk) has the course and four nights at the four-star Hotel Valavier, in Brand, Austria, from ?399, half-board. Flights are extra: Friedrichshafen, 60 miles away, is served by Ryanair (0871 246 0000, ryanair.com) from Stansted; Zurich, 95 miles away, is served by Swiss (0845 601 0956, swiss.com) from Heathrow, London City, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin. Or try BA (0844 493 0787, ba.com). Roy Emerson, who won a record 28 Grand Slams (in singles and doubles) and is now in his seventies, takes up residence each summer at the spectacular Gstaad Palace Hotel (00 41 33 748 5000, www.palace.ch) in Switzerland. Six nights in July or September, cost ?2,000pp, full-board, including 25 hours of coaching, a welcome cocktail party and a sports massage. For more details of the courses, visit royemersontennisweeks.com. There are flights to Geneva from 20 UK airports, as well as Dublin and Cork. Airlines include BA (0844 493 0787, ba.com), EasyJet (easyjet.com), and Aer Lingus (0818 365000, aerlingus.com).

The Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy (00 1 941 755 1000, imgacademies.com), in Florida, is where Andre Agassi, Maria Sharapova and the Williams sisters honed their skills, and their borderline-psychotic never-say-die determination. This is no easy ride. A three-day accelerated training course starts at ?715, which gets you six hours of training, three half-hour private lessons, matchplay video analysis, two sports massages, three meals at the clubhouse and - if you have any energy left after all that - unlimited use of the courts.

If you're training with Bollettieri, you can stay nearby on Longboat Key, at the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort (00 1 941 383 6464, colonybeachresort. com), which has 21 courts and a choice of Tennis packages. A one-bedroom suite for up to four people starts at ?134 a night, room-only, until October 4. The only direct flights from the UK or Ireland to Tampa are with BA (0844 493 0787, ba.com) from Heathrow; from ?380.

BEST FOR JUNIORS

Kids who've caught the Tennis bug can be packed off to summer camp on the north Norfolk coast. Camp Beaumont (01603 660333, campbeaumont. co.uk) offers seven days of training for boys and girls aged 10-17, with all ability levels welcome. Half the week is spent on court, with the rest divided between activities such as zip-wiring, quad-biking and go-karting. The camps are run in July and August; prices start at ?508, full-board.

For serious hot-housing, head to Australia, and the Pat Cash Tennis Academy (00 61 7 5530 9000, hir.com.au/Tennis), at Hope Island Resort, on Queensland's Gold Coast. For ?275 per week, kids can join a full-time Tennis camp that combines group lessons, fitness training and private tuition. Air New Zealand (0800 028 4149, www.airnewzealand.co.uk) flies from Heathrow to the Gold Coast via Auckland; from ?791.

Other tour operators with excellent Tennis facilities and coaching for adults and children include Club Med (0845 367 6767, clubmed.co.uk), Mark Warner (0871 703 3887, markwarner. co.uk) and Powder Byrne (020 8246 5300, powderbyrne.com).

"La Manga is the LTA's winter training base - but don't let that put you off"

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