Tennis players from Repton School recently attended a performance training camp at the Ferrer Tennis Academy (FTA) in Spain. The group of 20 pupils travelled to La Nucia in early April 2024 for a week of intensive training. With three hard courts and six clay courts, including a central court with a large spectator area, the FTA offers top-notch tennis training facilities.
Repton School is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading tennis schools, appearing in the Independent School Parent’s “The Best UK Schools for Tennis” and Which School Advisor’s “Six Top UK Schools for Tennis” lists. Repton’s performance tennis programme offers talented young players superb athletic and academic support.
Repton School Pupils Experience Top-Level Tennis at the FTA
Founded by Javier Ferrer, the brother and coach of former world number three player David Ferrer, the FTA is one of Spain’s best tennis academies. The FTA offers various training programmes, including high performance training and the KIDS Academy.
During their week at the FTA, the Repton pupils received a mixture of clay court training, matchplay, and strength and conditioning. They also got to experience Padel tennis, a racket sport played on an enclosed court approximately a third the size of a tennis court.
The group received training sessions with the Repton coaching team and Andrew Richardson, the FTA’s head coach. Richardson coached British player Emma Radacanu to her success at the 2021 U.S. Open. He has led the FTA programme since 2022.
Additionally, the Repton players got to spar with full-time academy players. This valuable experience gave the Reptonians a taste of rigorous training in a professional setting.
The week ended with a matchplay afternoon. A team competition involving singles and doubles matches helped Repton’s players prepare for the upcoming season.
Repton Tennis: Cultivating Excellence On and Off the Court
James Rushby, Repton’s director of tennis, said the pupils “benefited hugely from the week’s experience and made improvements in various areas.” While individual players advanced in their skills, the most notable development was the cultivation of a strong team ethos.
Rushby, who is a former world-ranked player and a Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)-accredited coach, emphasised that overseas tours can offer pupils an “invaluable life experience.”
The group comprised 20 of Repton’s strongest tennis players; these pupils take part in the School’s performance tennis programme. This programme has flourished in recent years with the establishment of Repton Tennis & Rackets Club. The LTA-accredited club offers pupils additional year-round competition opportunities.
Repton’s elite tennis squad trains daily and includes players with international rankings who compete on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Tennis Europe (TE) circuits. Repton also has a performance squad, consisting of players with the potential to achieve county, regional, or national standards.
Additionally, Repton has a development squad open to players of all ages and skill levels. Recreational players have regular opportunities to represent the School in external fixtures.
Continuing Repton’s Legacy of Tennis Success
Repton has a history of consistently producing great tennis players who compete at county and national levels. Amongst these players is Herbert Lawford, who became the Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Singles Champion in 1887. Henry “Bunny” Austin, another Old Reptonian (OR) tennis player, reached the Wimbledon final twice in the 1930s.
In recent years, Repton has won the:
- Independent Schools Championship 15 times.
- Boys’ National Schools Championship 11 times.
- Girls’ National Schools Championship four times.
The involvement of 20 Repton pupils in the FTA performance training camp bodes well for Repton’s future tennis achievements.
