Having already hosted clinics with him at One&Only Palmilla and the Canary Islands’ Abama Resort Tenerife, LUX Tennis met the moment, inviting him and a group of about 10 friends to enjoy COMO Parrot Cay, far away from peering crowds, where he spent his days swimming, boating, fishing, and playing beach volleyball.
“We travel so much, the hotel really becomes a temporary home,” Alcaraz says. For him, it’s about having a good gym, reliable room service, comfortable bed, and blackout curtain “because good sleep makes all the difference.” He also enjoys when there are other sports amenities, like a basketball court, since it’s “always a nice bonus to unwind and disconnect.”
Outside of sessions with him and other scheduled events, my fellow travelers and I chose to respect each other’s privacy and just enjoy the resort. Some reported seeing Alcaraz go for (very fast-paced) morning runs, while others saw him at the gym. But as proof of just how comfortable Alcaraz was in his surroundings, on most nights I was there, he chose to dine at the restaurants alongside other guests, instead of opting for private dining in the villa. The environment fosters such a sense of normalcy that I didn’t even notice he was at the next table at the resort’s Italian restaurant Terrace until he stood up to leave and waved.
While LUX Tennis has carved out its niche, it’s hardly the only program that hosts starry getaways. Just days before Alcaraz’s visit, Novak Djokovic was also in Turks and Caicos at Amanyara, as part of a wellness retreat organized through his partnership with Aman. The week after, John McEnroe hosted the Baha Mar Cup in the Bahamas, attended by celebrities such as James Blake, Jessica Pegula, Tommy Paul, and Victoria Azarenka, which also included VIP clinics to play with the stars.
