Competing Archives | SotoTennis Academy

CTC Podcast Live Show April 2024

Posted on: April 11, 2024 |

We’re so excited to announce that Control the Controllables is hosting it’s first ever Live Show!

On Friday the 19th April we’re coming to The Gallery in Tileyard Studios in London, where Dan will be joined by special guests to discuss one of the hottest topics in tennis right now: Is the New ‘Elite Tour’ Good for Tennis?

This is the Grand Slams’ proposed takeover of the top level of the tour, inviting the top 96 male and female players in the world to compete on a reduced schedule. This ‘Elite Tour’ would comprise of the four Grand Slams and another 15 Masters Series tournaments in order to give the worlds top players more rest time, and in turn a higher quality of tennis.

It has, however, been criticized as a corporate money grab by some, and an attempt to create ‘tennis elitism’ by others.

Join us live in London on April 19th to hear our panellists debate whether this will in fact be good for the sport, and what it means for those of us who work in the tennis industry.

We’ll also discuss other topics surrounding the future of our sport, including Saudi Arabian influence in tennis, proposed changes to doubles by the ATP and WTA, whether disruption is inevitable in tennis, and so much more!

You’ll also have the chance to ask your questions to Dan and the panel.

Our panellists for the night will be:

JOHN MORRIS

John is one of tennis’ super agents, finding himself right at the heart of the ‘Elite Tour’ discussions as he represents current Men’s World Number 5 Andrey Rublev and Women’s World Number 76 Elina Svitolina. John is also the former agent of some of the game’s biggest names, including Nick Kyrgios and Emma Raducanu. John also appeared in Episode 88 of Control the Controllables, discussing his insights and experiences on the tour.

GABY DABROWSKI

Gaby is one of the best Women’s Doubles players in the world, and is right at the top of her game having won both the US Open and the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023. She is currently a WTA Player Representative, giving her behind-the-scenes access to all of the discussions taking place in the halls of tennis. Gaby appeared in our 2023 US Open Doubles Champions episode alongside her partner Erin Routliffe, and has also featured in our most recent Grand Slam Preview and Review episodes. Gaby is currently being coached by CTC Host Dan Kiernan!

FREDDIE NIELSEN

Freddie is a tennis legend, winning the Wimbledon 2012 Men’s Doubles title alongside home favourite Jonny Marray, before taking up the mantle as Denmark’s Davis Cup captain. Freddie is an expert on the inner workings of tennis both at elite and at grassroots level, therefore is perfectly placed to explain how an ‘Elite Tour’ would disrupt the ecosystem of our sport. As a regular on CTC’s Grand Slam Preview and Review episodes, Freddie is a very recognizable face for regular listeners of our podcast.

CALVIN BETTON

Calvin is a coach on the ATP Doubles tour, and is the current coach of top 100 British doubles talent Henry Patten. Any regular listeners of CTC will know that Calvin always brings strong opinions to the show, and those who listened to our 2024 Australian Open Review will have heard a sneak preview of Calvin’s thoughts about the ‘Elite Tour’! Calvin is strongly opinionated, which promises to make this a blockbuster evening…

It’s going to be a fantastic evening! You can pick up your tickets for the Live Show below:

If you can’t make it to London, don’t worry! You can still join us by purchasing an online ticket and ask all of your questions as if you were in the room.

See you in London soon!

Control The Controllables Podcast Team

SotoTennis Academy 2024-2025 Placement Opportunities

Posted on: December 4, 2023 |

Calling all University Students!

Did you know SotoTennis Academy offers Student Placement Opportunities every year?

Starting in September 2024, we’re offering 4 Student Placement Roles in our Marketing, Communications, S&C and Podcast teams!

Going on a placement year is the perfect opportunity for university students to gain invaluable work experience before graduating.

Our goal at STA is to offer students the chance to not only work and connect with athletes and experts from different backgrounds and nationalities, but also become an integral part of our team.

In October 2022, STA also had the pleasure of accepting the Award for the University of Bath’s Humanities & Social Sciences International Placement of the Year.

If you want to know more about our current opportunities, including the job roles, requirements, remuneration and application details, please click the links below!

Equally, if you know somebody that might be interested in any of the opportunities, please do spread the word by sharing this blog.

Applications close in April 2024, but we strongly encourage earlier applications, as we might offer the roles to exceptional students before then.

We look forward to welcoming some excellent Placement Students in September 2024!

STA Director Dan Kiernan guides players to two US Open Trophies!

Posted on: September 14, 2023 |

Grand Slam Champions

It’s been an incredible fortnight at the US Open for STA Director Dan Kiernan, as his players won not one, but two doubles titles!

First Denmark’s Harri Heliövaara and Anna Danilina from Kazakhstan became Grand Slam Champions for the first time, winning the 2023 Mixed Doubles title without dropping a set.

Harri and Anna only met for the first time at the sign-in desk the previous week, before beating top seeds Jessica Pegula and Austin Krajicek 6-3 6-4 in the final.

Dan has been working with Hari Heliovaara and former STA Full Time player Lloyd Glasspool since January.

"Good things happen to good people. Harri and Anna deserve this for their ability to stay courageous in the key moments throughout their 5 matches beating some fantastic pairs. They performed to such a high level against the current world no. 1 doubles players in both the Men's (Krajicek) and Women's (Pegula) games to win the trophy. It is a real pleasure to be a small part of this amazing achievement and I have no doubt this experience will have a positive effect on their Men's/Women's doubles careers."

Dan Kiernan

STA Academy Director

Women's Doubles Triumph

Harri and Anna were followed by Canada’s Gaby Dabrowski & Erin Routliffe from New Zealand, who triumphed in the Women’s Doubles Final.

Gaby is a regular on Dan’s podcast Control the Controllables as a panelist who previews and reviews the Grand Slams. Dan and Gaby started working together at the US Open, and what a start they’ve made!

Gaby and Erin swept past No.12 seeds Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva 7-6(9), 6-3 in Sunday’s final. It’s Gaby’s 14th career doubles title, and Erin’s 4th, and their first together after only their fourth tournament as a team.

"This victory is a true example of sticking together unconditionally - something we don't do enough in 2023! The girls stayed in 'their moment' regardless of the situation, and their commitment to this has reaped the biggest of awards. I am very proud of them both, and this is only the start of what their partnership can achieve together."

Dan Kiernan

STA Academy Director

Team Soto Family in NYC

It was so special having some of our Team Soto family there to support Dan and the players court-side at Flushing Meadows.

A massive congratulations to all 4 US Open Champions on an unforgettable Grand Slam! And of course to Dan for guiding both pairs to victory!

Victory in Italy

Congratulations must also to Team Soto Pro Tamara Zidanšek on an amazing run at the Open Delle Puglie tournament in Bari last week – WTA 125 Winner! We are very proud of Tamara and her team, including STA Performance Coach Mike Digby.

Good luck to Tamara competing this week at her home event, WTA Zavarovalnoca Sava Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Let’s go Tamara!

Magic Moments

What an inspiration these magic moments have been to our Full Time Players here at SotoTennis Academy, who are all just starting the new year back at base.

You can hear Dan and Gaby chat all about the final Grand Slam of the year in the US Open 2023 Review episode of Control the Controllables, released later today!

Join SotoTennis Academy’s Pro Team

Posted on: August 16, 2023 |

SotoTennis Academy has a history of working with both professional tennis players and aspiring young high performance players as they start their journey on the ATP/WTA Tour.

We have limited spaces available in our Pro Team from September 2023!

Read on for more information about STA’s Pro Player Programme.

Success Stories

Over the years STA has seen many success stories including –

Lloyd Glasspool, who as part of STA went from unranked to #280 ATP Singles in one year, and is now a top ATP Doubles player (career high of #7) still working with our team.

Evan Hoyt, who went from unranked to #319 ATP Singles, as well as making the Mixed Doubles Quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2019.

Peter Bothwell went from an unranked ITF Junior to being #602 ATP, winning a 25k ITF Pro title, and becoming Ireland’s number 1 Davis Cup player.

Valeria Savinykh broke into the world’s top 100 WTA, and Panna Udvardy reached the top 10 juniors during her time at STA. Panna went on to enter the top 300 WTA in her first year on the tour supported by STA, and is now top 100 WTA.

Familiar Faces at Base

We have also loved welcoming multiple Pros and their teams to STA for training blocks in their personal programmes.

Players have included the likes of current WTA World Number 1 Iga Świątek, GB’s Dan Evans, WTA Player Shelby Rogers, and multiple Wheelchair Grand Slam Champion, Gordon Reid.

It’s been awesome to welcome them into our team environment, and many of them have been kind enough to spend time with our aspiring young performance players.

Team Soto Pros

Currently our Coaching Team supports 2021 French Open Singles Semi-finalist, Tamara Zidanšek (with a career high WTA Singles ranking of #22), and top 5 ATP Doubles Team Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliövaara.

Join our Team

Excitingly we are opening up 4 more spots in our Pro Team for September 2023.

To apply for a spot, please send us:

Your tennis CV – showcasing your journey to date
A cover letter explaining your reasons for wanting to join Team Soto and what your goals and ambitions are
Please also detail what you can bring to the Academy, as our Pro Players have always been our cultural leaders – this is as important to us as winning trophies and titles

As an STA Pro Player, you will have access to the following:

Bespoke programming with experienced ATP and WTA Tennis Coaches & Hitting Partners
Strength & Conditioning support, including personalised fitness screening and tracking
Hard and clay court year-round training base in highly-accessible location
Travelling Coach available
Remote tennis/S&C support when travelling
Accommodation if required
A chance to play for more than just yourself, with a whole community behind you

For more information about opportunities for current and aspiring Pro Players, please contact:

Dan Kiernan, STA Director – dan@sototennis.com

Mike Digby, STA Performance Coach – michael.digby@sototennis.com

Lloyd Glasspool moves into the World’s Top 10 ATP Doubles

Posted on: May 22, 2023 |

Tennis is a relentless sport: multiple tournaments every week, the striving for the next event, the next feeling, and for many, the pressure of the next dollar, the next compliment, and justification for why we play. Anyone who stays in the game beyond the age of 18 deserves a massive pat on the back. You have shown persistence, perseverance and, in turn, learned a hell of a lot in terms of life lessons.

But do we really understand the challenges of the sport? Unless we have been close to a player’s journey, it is sometimes hard to truly understand the magnitude of the challenge. Yet, when we ‘achieve’, we often don’t stop and positively reflect on what we have accomplished, as we are off again on our next pursuit…

So, this blog post is about stopping and reflecting on a 20+ year journey for Lloyd Glasspool, and all the amazing people who have helped him on that journey. None more so than his parents, Sian and Neil, and the Warwickshire coach that started it all for him, Claire Williamson. We also have to mention STA Director Dan Kiernan, who has been a big part of Lloyd’s journey for almost 20 years, including when Lloyd was a Full Time Player at SotoTennis Academy.

But most importantly, this is for Lloyd, who today moved into the World’s Top 10 ATP Doubles Players after his win in Bordeaux last week. An astonishing achievement, and yes, as current coach Dan says, “it’s only the start…”

Lloyd – keep striving, keep growing – but we want to take this moment to say a massive congratulations on this achievement from all of us at SotoTennis Academy.

And of course, even though he is an old hand at this now, a big well done to Harri Heliövaara on regaining his place back in the Top 10.

All the best to Lloyd, Harri and Dan at Roland Garros!

Keep building boys, but don’t forget how far you have come.

Listen to Lloyd and Harri’s Control The Controllables podcast episode here!

CTC wins Best Tennis Podcast at the 2023 Sports Podcast Awards!

Posted on: May 5, 2023 |

Best Tennis Podcast

Wow – we can’t believe it! Our podcast, Control The Controllables, has been awarded Best Tennis Podcast for the second year in a row at the 2023 Sports Podcast Awards!

We are so excited and proud of this achievement, and our Podcast Team, who all work so hard behind the scenes.

Thank You!

A massive thank you must go to YOU, for listening to and supporting Control the Controllables. If you took the time to vote for us, we are so grateful! 🙏

The Sports Podcast Awards are voted for by listeners, so this is extra special to us.

Here’s a little message from STA Director Dan Kiernan…

A Message from our Host

“You guys are the best! Not only listening in your thousands, but also taking the time to vote for us – it wasn’t an easy process, so thank you! We love podcasts and we love tennis, so we feel very lucky to have the opportunity to speak to so many amazing personalities in the sport and dig deeper into so many interesting subjects.

I also want to take this opportunity to say thank you for your messages of support or for sharing your stories when you get in touch. This is your podcast, so please keep sharing and reaching out, as we love to connect with you!”

What's next for CTC?

We’ve got some exciting plans in the pipeline for Control The Controllables, including a “rocking” upcoming episode, so watch this space!

Episode #188 clue: widely regarded as one of the greatest serve-and-volley players of all time, this guest was the first player to climb into the Wimbledon stands to celebrate with his loved ones… any guesses?

In the meantime, you can also catch up on all the latest episodes of the show here!

We hugely appreciate all of your continued support.

Vote for Control The Controllables at the Sports Podcast Awards 2023

Posted on: March 30, 2023 |

We have some exciting news to share with you!

Our Podcast Control the Controllables has been nominated for the “Best Tennis Podcast” at the Sports Podcast Awards for the second consecutive year, and we could not be more proud!

As a Podcast Team, our ultimate aim is to give those in the wider tennis community access to the most experienced people in the sport.

We feel the recognition from the Sports Podcast Awards would help us reach more aspiring young players, parents, coaches and tennis fans who can benefit from the incredible stories, learnings and advice that our guests give, which is at the heart of what makes our podcast tick.

The amazing support from the Control the Controllables community helped us win Best Tennis Podcast last year, and we´d love it if you could spare some time to vote for us again!

If you would like to support us, please click the button below and vote for CTC!

Voting closes on April 6th! 🙏

We hugely appreciate all of your support.

Control the Controllables

Behind the Scenes at SotoTennis Academy

Posted on: |

Building relationships is very important to us here at STA. We love meeting players and their families who choose to come and train with us from all over the world. Sometimes, however, the friends we make are not from a pre-planned training week or visit and are more spontaneous. Our guest blogger Elise is one of our unplanned visitors-turned-friends!

Meeting Team Soto

Hi! My name is Elise, I’m a 19-year-old student, and I’m currently on my gap year – I have accepted a deferred place at Cardiff Metropolitan University to study Sport Media, which I am incredibly excited about. In my gap year so far, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to live in Sotogrande for 3 months as an au pair.

During my time here, I’ve not only been able to significantly improve my tennis level, but also gain some invaluable work experience in Sports Media and Marketing, all through meeting Team Soto… I have loved my time at SotoTennis Academy (STA), and I wanted to share some highlights with those who might be interested in visiting the Academy from both a player and work experience student perspective.

Accessing STA

My experience as an Access Player at STA has been instrumental for the development of my tennis, both my technique and mindset. Team Soto was incredibly welcoming from the start, and communicated with me daily to ensure I was having the best experience possible and getting the most out of my time here.

My first training session was with Carl Maes, STA’s Performance Director. The session contained a mix of drills, point play and video analysis, something that really helped me to recognise the areas of my tennis that I needed to develop in ways I had never considered before. The coaches’ level of expertise was second to none in each STA training session I did, and I was consistently fed new ideas to improve my game, which I was excited to immediately put into practice.

I especially valued the coaches’ time when meeting before a match to discuss my game plan, and then reflecting on the match after they had watched me throughout, when they were able to give me honest and constructive feedback. I felt that the coaches were genuinely invested in helping me to improve my tennis – this was a particular highlight, as it’s something I’ve not experienced that often in my training over the years.

Get Involved!

In addition to the quality of coaching, I had never before been surrounded by such high level players, and I enjoyed being challenged by the Full Time Academy Players in both sessions and matches. I was particularly impressed by the coach to player ratio, as most of my STA training sessions had one coach to every two players, which I had never experienced before.

From a player perspective, my advice to anyone considering training at STA would be to do as much as you can! Every session is valuable, and you will learn so much each time you talk to any of the coaches. A huge thank you from me to each and every one of them!

Podcast Planning

Alongside training, I was also able to shadow and work with STA’s ‘Off-Court’ Team. I initially carried out some market research for the Academy’s podcast, Control the Controllables. I found the podcast really informative, and the number of big names in the tennis world – such as Women’s World No. 1 Iga Światek, Top Ten ATP Player Holger Rune, and top-ranked ATP Doubles Players Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliövaara – who have appeared as guests was impressive.

I enjoyed sharing my opinions and thoughts from a listener’s perspective on how I felt the podcast could be improved and developed in the future. Faye, STA’s Head of Marketing, guided me through this project so that the Academy could achieve the maximum benefit from my research and consider the ways in which to develop their content in the future, as well as to enable me to gain a great insight into podcasting.

Getting Creative

I was also able to shadow and work with other members of the Marketing and Communications Team, including learning different social media techniques and strategies, creating assets using graphic design tools, and developing my writing and editing skills.

Be Proactive!

If anyone is interested in joining STA for a Placement Year or work experience, I would thoroughly recommend it. It is a fun and fast-paced work environment, with a level of excellence that is exciting to see. My advice would be to take a proactive approach and run with the creative freedom you are given, as this is how you will make the most of your time at the Academy. I cannot wait to start my Sport Media degree in September with my new-found skills!

Sunny Sotogrande

Living in the Sotogrande Marina for 3 months allowed me to experience the many different opportunities and explore the beautiful places that Sotogrande and the surrounding area have to offer. The Marina itself has some amazing restaurants which I tried throughout my stay, as well as the One4One Fitness Center which I was lucky enough to live just across from, so I could use it daily. Whilst the main language used at STA was English, there were still plenty of opportunities to practise my Spanish.

Life Lessons

Before I came to Sotogrande, I had never been away from home by myself for as long as 3 months, so at first I was slightly apprehensive as to how I would cope. Initially, the first few weeks were slow-moving, but once I got involved with the Academy and started playing tennis daily, I quickly settled into a routine that I loved.

My advice to anyone considering travelling here who has never been away by themselves is to push yourself out of your comfort zone. I have learnt so many life lessons from being independent in a new country, and have felt my character develop significantly for the better throughout my time here.

My time at SotoTennis Academy on and off the court has been invaluable from both a player and work experience student perspective. The life lessons I have learnt both on and off the court will stay with me forever. I have loved being a part of Team Soto, and will always be grateful for the time I have been able to spend here. I look forward to continuing my link with STA throughout my time at University, and to visiting again in the future!

We look forward to having you back in Sotogrande Elise!

Any questions about SotoTennis Academy Access Weeks or Work Experience Opportunities? Contact us here!

Should Doubles Be Scrapped?

Posted on: March 28, 2023 |

Is Opelka right - should Doubles be Scrapped?

The debate over whether doubles should continue at the professional level has reared its ugly head again.

American tennis player Reilly Opelka last week suggested tennis should “get rid of doubles” in a post on Instagram, sparking reaction from many pro doubles players and tennis fans around the world.

CTC at the Miami Open

With our Academy Director and podcast host Dan Kiernan being a former GB Doubles number 1, it’s a topic we couldn’t not discuss in our latest episode of Control the Controllables.

Dan is currently at the Miami Open for the “Sunshine Double”, and sat down with a few people who’ve experienced both doubles and singles on the tour over the past 20 years:-

Former World Number 1 doubles player and 7 time Grand Slam champion Jamie Murray

Former ATP singles player Noah Rubin

ATP Doubles Coach Calvin Betton

Are doubles players failed singles players?

Do singles players deserve more than the current 80% distribution of wages?

Where is the value in having doubles on the Tour, was Reilly correct?

Does doubles have a problem, or is it a marketing problem?

The panel discuss all this and more.

Episode #187

Dan also shares some of his experiences from the last few weeks at the Indian Wells and Miami ATP/WTA 1000 events, and the differences and similarities between these tournaments and the ITF Pro Circuit Events.

Not an episode to be missed – listen now via the button below!

SotoTennis Academy’s 2023 Preseason Programme

Posted on: December 27, 2022 |

Join Team Soto this January!

As part of your Preseason Training with us, you will receive:

Full Physical Profiling on the first day of the Programme – Tuesday 3rd January
Individualised Goals/Focus Areas based on your Profiling
Physical Training Focus (x 2 Physical Training Sessions each day)
Integrated Tennis & Fitness Sessions based around building explosive power and tennis-related movement patterns
Conditioning, Mobility, Flexibility, Strength, and Recovery Sessions
Re-assessment in Week 4 or the end of your training period with us to report on changes over the Preseason Programme

The ultimate aim of our Preseason Programme is for our players to increase their fitness and robustness for their tennis performance in 2023.

PRESEASON DATES

Tuesday 3rd January – Friday 27th January 2023

Join Team Soto for the whole 4 Week Training Block, or just 1 or 2 weeks, whatever suits your season best.

Contact us now to book one of the last spots!

STA Celebrates a Fantastic 2022

Posted on: December 12, 2022 |

What an amazing year!

From our Full Time players, parents and staff members, to our visiting players, coaches, families, partners, and sponsors, STA’s 2022 wouldn’t have been so incredible without your support.

We want to say a big thank you to each and every one of you for helping to make this year so special!

We’ve made some fantastic memories together. This year we not only celebrated the Academy’s 12th Anniversary, and won 2 international awards for our podcast and placements, but also had both current and former Full Time Players, Access Players and Coaches on the biggest stages in tennis, including all four Grand Slams and the ATP Finals.

Enjoy some highlights above from an awesome 2022.

We’ll continue to work hard and dream big in 2023!

Want to join Team Soto in the New Year? Want to feature in STA’s 2023 highlights?

Contact us below to find out more about our Full Time Programmes or Access Training Weeks in 2023:

Don’t miss our Black Friday Deal on Training Weeks at STA

Posted on: November 17, 2022 |

From Monday 14th November until midnight on Sunday 27th November 2022, we are offering 10% off an Access Week at STA!

Come and join Team Soto for a week of world-class training with our international players and coaches in the Sotogrande sunshine ☀️

Know someone who would love to come and train with us? Make the most of our Black Friday deal and pick up the perfect Christmas present 🎁

Please read the terms and conditions below:

🎾 This deal only applies to confirmed bookings (not just enquiries) made from 16.15 CET on Monday 14th November 2022 until midnight (00.00) on Sunday 27th November 2022. The deal will not be applicable to any enquiries or bookings made before or after these times and dates.

🎾 The deal only applies to Access Weeks between Monday 14th November 2022 and Friday 26th May 2023, not including Camp Weeks (Monday 20th – Friday 24th February 2023 & Monday 10th – Friday 14th April 2023).

🎾 The deal applies to one Access Week per player, subject to availability.

Don’t miss out on our Black Friday Deal and book now via the button below!

Lloyd Glasspool Reaches the Semis of the ATP Finals!

Posted on: November 16, 2022 |

Former STA player Lloyd Glasspool has reached the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals.

Lloyd was coached by STA Director Dan Kiernan from age 11-17 before heading off to the University of Texas on a tennis scholarship. After graduating, he teamed back up with Dan at SotoTennis Academy to kick-start his pro career.

Now age 28, Lloyd has reached a career high ranking of 14 in the world in doubles, and is making his debut at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, Italy with partner Harri Heliovaara.

Dan has flown out to support and sent his reflections on coaching Lloyd.

“When you start out coaching a young player, you want to help give them technical, tactical, mental and physical foundations, but more than that, you want to facilitate and nurture a love of the game.
This love of the game is what will keep them in tennis, and it’s what will help them get lots out of the sport.
Lloyd Glasspool was no different to all players – he had good days and bad days. However, where Lloyd was different was that he didn’t speak a lot – without his parents’ reassurance that he loved working with me, I might have developed an insecurity!

Did I think he was going to play at the very highest level? You just don’t know.
Lloyd was very good, but there are too many variables out of our control as coaches to know that answer when a player is 10-11, 12-13 years old.
However, Lloyd loved tennis, and, here is the important part: he kept going despite many low days, many doubts, and many fears.

This week, Lloyd is in Turin playing at the very highest level event you can: the ATP Finals. In a standout season for the British-Finnish team, Lloyd is here to win with his partner Harri Heliövaara, and to continue this amazing journey 18 years later!

To conclude, stay patient kids (and parents), stay committed, keep smiling, and see where your tennis journey takes you.”
Dan Kiernan, SotoTennis Academy Director

Lloyd and Harri have booked their spot in the doubles semi-finals on Saturday, with wins over 3rd seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos and 3rd seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Roger.

Good luck Lloyd and Harri, everyone at SotoTennis Academy is behind you!

SotoTennis Academy’s 2022 Progress Tour

Posted on: November 4, 2022 |

The Progress Tour 2022

Last week, SotoTennis Academy hosted its fourth International Progress Tour here at base in Sotogrande, south of Spain. This year’s event kicked off with the first qualifying rounds on Saturday 22nd October, followed by 7 days of fierce competition in the glorious sunshine. This year’s tournament saw 121 matches played, not including our Doubles Event, which was officially Mixed Doubles for the first time!

It was brilliant to not only reunite with so many familiar faces who return to STA each year to train and compete with us, but also meet lots of new players and their guests, and give them a warm Team Soto welcome to our home.

The competitors’ gift bags were full of goodies, the poké and paella bowls were delicious, our Ball Crew rocked it, our photographers and videographers caught all the action, and our Instagram lives and commentary captured the energy.

This year’s STA Progress Tour saw some tough competition and high-level tennis throughout the tournament, culminating in some fantastic Semi-Final and Final battles on the last day of the event.

Congratulations must go to the following players for taking home the trophies at our 2022 tournament:

STA Progress Tour 2022 Winner – Alexis Klegou

STA Progress Tour 2022 Runner-Up – Filippo Mazzola

STA Progress Tour 2022 Female Bonus Winner – Elena Morales Dorantes

STA Progress Tour 2022 Female Bonus Runner-Up – Aryana Bartlett

Mixed Doubles

Every year during our UTR-powered Singles Tournament, we host a Doubles Evening which is open to players and guests of all abilities. This year we decided to make it Mixed Doubles for the first time! It was lovely to see our competitors partner up, mixing ages, tennis levels, Full Timers, Access Players, Parents and Coaches. A special shout out must go to our 2022 Mixed Doubles trophy winners:

STA Mixed Doubles 2022 Winners – Elena Karantali & Joel Gibson

STA Mixed Doubles 2022 Runners-Up – Arianna Bettinelli & Oliver Blomfield

We also enjoyed some amazing paella during the Doubles Event, courtesy of Nogara Asadora, who embraced the Team Soto energy!

Thank You

In order to make these special events happen, it takes a whole team of amazing people and organisations. There are too many people to name them all individually, but shout outs go to:

Barry Fulcher, the Founder of The Progress Tour and our Tournament Director, who has worked tirelessly to bring competition opportunities with both prize money and a level-based format which guarantees multiple matches for each player. This is the sort of initiative we love, as Barry’s intentions and concept are spot on.

Ollie Cores, our Tournament Referee, who makes sure our Progress Tour Events always go off without a hitch!

Our fantastic tournament sponsors and partners including:

Babolat

Jorge Espada Fisioterapia

Honoloulou Poké & Juice

Sheila Roberts Photography

Harrison Ellis Videography

Our competitors, for providing us with some amazing matches and showing great competitive spirit throughout the week.

Finally, our amazing STA Staff Team, who work incredibly hard both on court and behind the scenes to make these events so memorable for our players, parents and visitors. Without you, these weeks and experiences would not be possible! Thank you all for being the best team players and for your day in, day out dedication.

Media

Speaking of our brilliant photographers and videographers, keep your eyes on socials for all of our tournament highlights and official photos and videos from the event.

Instagram

Facebook

Youtube

STA's Progress Tour 2023

Following the success of our Progress Tour events over the last four years, we are now ready to make our 2023 Tournament the biggest and best yet. We have already started to plan next year’s event, and are looking to partner up with like-minded individuals and businesses based both locally and internationally to make our competitors’ and their guests’ experience even better.

Interested in partnering up for STA’s 2023 International Progress Tour? Want to receive more information about our plans for next year’s exciting event? Know any individuals or businesses who would like to hear more about the many benefits of becoming a partner or sponsor of SotoTennis Academy? Please contact us via info@sototennis.com – we look forward to hearing from you!

STA Wins University of Bath’s International Placement of the Year

Posted on: November 3, 2022 |

University of Bath International Placement of the Year

In October 2022, we had the pleasure of accepting an award that means a lot to Team Soto.

At the University of Bath’s Humanities & Social Sciences Placement Awards, SotoTennis Academy won International Placement of the Year!

At the core of what we have always wanted to be at SotoTennis Academy is an environment that provides opportunities for people to excel, flourish and grow in whichever direction they choose.

This is the same for employees as it is for players, so this is very special to us to be recognised for this. It was also an excuse to see our amazing 2021 Digital Marketing Placement Student, Denis Hristev, who we miss greatly!

We would like to say a big thank you to the University of Bath, The Times and Sunday Times ‘University of the Year’, who have been a great partner to STA over the last 5 years, and whose students have been a real asset to STA in our Operations, Marketing and Performance Teams.

The biggest thank you, however, must go to all of our wonderful University of Bath Placement Students for their brilliant work.

You can read all about our students and their STA placement experiences over the years here.

We are very excited to have three excellent Bath students with us this year too, and look forward to continuing our partnership with Bath and top universities in the future.

We will shortly be advertising our 2023-2024 Placement Roles, including a brand new opportunity to work with our award-winning podcast team, so watch this space!

STA Progress Tour International 2022

Posted on: September 23, 2022 |

Our Progress Tour Story

A word from SotoTennis Academy’s Owner & Director, Dan Kiernan:

Barry Fulcher, who is a good friend of mine, has worked tirelessly to bring more competition opportunities in the UK, with both prize money and a level-based format which guarantees multiple matches for each player. This is the sort of initiative I want to get behind, as his intentions and concept are spot on.

In 2019, we agreed to run a Progress Tour event at the Academy in Sotogrande over the October Half Term break. Barry said we would do well to get 30 entrants – I promised 50 (we had 55). The following year, everyone said we would do well to get 40 with the pandemic – I said we would get 60 (we had 67), and last year in 2021 we were challenged to hit 60 again – we promised 70 (and had 78!).

This will now always be an annual Academy event, and we hope to continue to build this international addition to the fantastic Progress Tour. It is no ordinary tournament, from the Goody Bags for the competitors through to the friendly atmosphere, as well as our amazing partners, sponsors and photographers.

The players are made to feel special, our Ball Crew rock it every year, and our young referee and coach Ollie delivers alongside Barry what we say on the tin. The Poke Bowls & Paella are to die for, and the commentary on our Instagram Lives is to die laughing at. If you haven’t experienced it, make sure you do!

We are so excited for a bigger and better event in 2022!

STA Progress Tour 2022

This October 2022, SotoTennis Academy is hosting its fourth annual Progress Tour International Event.

With thanks to our tournament partners, Peninsula and Babolat, the event looks set to welcome even more fierce competition in our beautiful home of Sotogrande, and the opportunity to win a share of a substantial prize pot.

Competitors also have the option to become part of Team Soto for the week… find out more below!

Venue: SotoTennis Academy, El Octogono Club de Tenis, Sotogrande, Spain

Date: Monday 24th – Friday 28th October 2022

What to expect:

A minimum of three level-based and progressive UTR-powered matches
Doubles Tie-Break Tens Shootout Event
Prize Money
Mixed, Co-ed Draws with a Female Bonus Winner
Player Housing (on a first-come-first-served basis, requested via info@sototennis.com)
Competitor Goody Bag

Format:

Qualifying Draw, plus all playback matches will be two short sets, plus championship tie-break deciding set
Main Draw with two full sets plus championship tie-break deciding set
Refereed by an approved Progress Tour representative
Qualifying compass draw for lower UTR players on 22nd & 23rd October, feeding into Main Draw for higher UTR players from 24th – 28th October.
Players must be available to play on all competition days.

Surface: European Red Outdoor Clay (playback matches may take place on an alternative surface)

Players: Mixed Event, recommended UTR of 6.5 upwards. Players below this are invited to enter, but their participation cannot be guaranteed

Entries:

By 2pm on Thursday 20th October 2022 OR when entries are full
Please click the ‘Enter Here’ button below and fill in the details, completing payment to confirm your entry
Entries are based on a first-come-first-served basis. If you are able to enter via the entry button below, your entry into the event is secured.
Entry & Withdrawal deadline are one and the same. Any withdrawal received after this time will not receive an entry fee refund.

Entry Fee: €50

Prize Money: TBA – Bigger Prize Pot than our 2021 Event!

Wild-Card: Winner receives a Wild-Card into Men’s $25K UTR Pro Tour event in Norwich, UK, the following week.

In addition to the Main Mixed Co-ed Draws, the 2 highest achieving female players will be placed into a separate shootout draw, with the winner winning the Female Bonus Title & extra Prize Money.

Train with Team Soto

We are also inviting Progress Tour Competitors to join Team Soto for the week to train and prepare for the tournament alongside our Full Time Players at a discounted rate!

Click the button below for more details:

Any questions about STA’s 2022 Progress Tour Event or Training Weeks?

We can’t wait to see you in Sotogrande soon!

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Media

STA's Progress Tour 2023

STA Wins University of Bath’s International Placement of the Year

University of Bath International Placement of the Year

STA Progress Tour International 2022

Our Progress Tour Story

STA Progress Tour 2022

Train with Team Soto