Rod Laver, often considered the greatest tennis player of all-time, has committed to coaching at the 2016 edition of Tennis Fantasies with John Newcombe and the Legends.
The 2016 Tennis Fantasies with John Newcombe takes place from Sunday, October 16 to Friday, October 21 at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas. The ranch is located 30 miles from San Antonio.
Tennis Fantasies is the longest-running, most comprehensive fantasy tennis camp in the world. Started in 1988, this male-only event takes place only one week a year. Approximately 80 campers play on teams under the eyes of Grand Slam champions. In addition to coaching during singles and doubles matches, campers receive tactical and technical instruction and spend time with the legends virtually round-the-clock, including all meals and ample time at the ranch’s Waltzing Matilda Room.
Laver made his Tennis Fantasies debut in 2014 and is primed to return for a second time.
“Competition, camaraderie and community were the cornerstones of my career,” said Laver, “so the chance to replicate that with dozens of recreational players and my lifelong mates was a real treat. I’m looking forward to having that experience once again.”
Laver is the only player in tennis history to have won all four major singles titles in a calendar year on two occasions (1962 and 1969). All told, Laver won 11 major singles titles, including four at Wimbledon. His brilliant, shotmaking game has inspired such notables as John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova and Pete Sampras.
In addition to Laver, there will be 13 coaches at Tennis Fantasies in 2016, including six Hall of Famers: John Newcombe, Roy Emerson, Fred Stolle, Mark Woodforde, Owen Davidson and Charlie Pasarell. Rounding out the staff are seven Grand Slam champions: Marty Riessen, Rick Leach, Brian Gottfried, Dick Stockton, Luke Jensen, Murphy Jensen and Ross Case. All told, the Tennis Fantasies coaching staff has won more than 150 Grand Slam titles.
“We first started this event nearly 30 years ago and have built a very special community,” said Newcombe. “It’s fantastic, for example, that we have a repeat rate in the 70 percent range. In a way, the mix of match play and friendship among campers and legends has helped all of us create the atmosphere of the days when we were all traveling the world. People leave blood on the court trying to beat one another – and then sit down and eat their meals together.”
For more information about Tennis Fantasies, contact Steve Contardi at 1-800-874-7788 or email him at SteveContardi@towneproperties.com
