Trip Style

Beach Tennis, the sport the world fell in love with

A blend of traditional tennis with beach volleyball and badminton rules has captured the interest of outdoor sports enthusiasts.

By Sut-Mie Guibert

Beach Tennis is a sport that is gaining more and more space in the world and in Brazil. With roots in Italy, where it was created in the 1980s, the sport consists of a mixture of traditional tennis and beach volleyball. The goal is to make the ball fall within the opponent’s court, without them being able to return it.

The success of Beach Tennis is partly due to its ease of learning and the fact that it can be played by people of all ages and abilities (including wheelchair users). The sport is played in doubles and can be played on any type of surface, as long as there is a net, rackets, and a ball. But of course, as its name suggests, sand is always welcome, as it makes chasing the ball more challenging.

A Sport that suits Brazil

In Brazil, Beach Tennis began in the 1990s, but it was only in recent years that it started gaining popularity. The country has hosted several international tournaments and boasts over 1.1 million players, according to the Brazilian Tennis Confederation, especially in coastal regions.

But even in cities without beaches, the sport is growing, as seen in São Paulo, for example, with the construction of clubs and sand tennis courts. The trend has caught on so much that according to Decathlon’s sellers, a lovemark of Family Trip Magazine, this is the sport that has been most successful in sales worldwide.

In Brazil, it simply exploded! Evidence of this can be seen in the equipment, rackets ranging from R$300 per unit to R$2,000, with fiberglass or top-of-the-line ones with carbon. It’s a beautiful, colorful material that excites. There are even insulated backpacks to protect the rackets from the sun and eliminate sand from their interior. Modern, isn’t it?!

A sport that combines with friends and family

Besides being a fun and challenging physical activity, Beach Tennis can be a great way to bond parents and children. The sport is easy to practice as a family since it doesn’t require great technical skill and can be played anywhere with a net and a ball. It can be played outdoors, on beaches, parks, and public courts. This means that practicing the sport can be combined with a day of family fun, complete with a picnic and a swim in the sea. Furthermore, the sport helps children and teenagers develop motor skills and coordination and can be a great opportunity to build emotional bonds and strengthen the relationship between parents and children.

The success is such that it’s now possible to find Beach Tennis courts everywhere, including resorts, condominiums, and even cruise ship itineraries, such as the Cruise’n’Play Beach Tennis event that took place in 2022 on the Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. All to combine vacations, sport, and families.