Tennis Star Academy by HEAD

A Mediterranean tennis hub inside a world-class resort

At the southern tip of Sardinia, where pine forest meets white sand and the Tyrrhenian Sea, Forte Village has turned holiday tennis into something more ambitious. The Tennis Star Academy by HEAD operates at the heart of the resort’s tennis club and attracts a steady flow of juniors, families, and adult players who want real coaching in a setting that feels like a vacation. The academy sits on clay, is powered by HEAD equipment and know-how, and leans on a guest-coach model that brings former Grand Slam champions and renowned coaches for short, focused blocks throughout the season. It is not a boarding academy or a school-with-tennis program. It is a performance-minded training environment nested inside a luxury destination that understands how to make the sport enjoyable for every age and stage.

The tennis story at Forte Village stretches back years. Before the current HEAD partnership, the resort hosted elite visiting pros and pop-up academies. That history shows in today’s format. The in-house coaching team anchors the weekly schedule, while big names drop in to lead clinics, exhibitions, and high-energy masterclasses. The atmosphere is inclusive but purposeful. If you want a brush with legends, you can get it. If you want a quiet, technical reset to your forehand, you can get that too. In the European landscape, the vibe bridges the high-energy showcase of Mouratoglou Tennis Academy and the detail-first clay culture found at Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, yet it remains distinctly Sardinian in pace and setting.

Why Sardinia matters for training

Sardinia’s south coast delivers the elements that tennis loves: long dry spells, abundant light, and a reliable sea breeze that takes the edge off summer heat. The academy calendar typically runs from mid May to early November, a window that avoids the cold and takes advantage of warm evenings for match play under lights. Clay suits the climate, and it suits development. Players learn to build points, defend with balance, slide with control, and finish with margin. For American families used to hard courts, a week here can be an eye-opening immersion in clay habits that translate to all surfaces. The backdrop helps, too. When training ends, recovery is walking distance away, whether that is a dip in the sea, a visit to the resort’s thalassotherapy circuits, or simply a slow stroll through the pines.

The location also simplifies logistics. After a flight into Cagliari Elmas Airport, the drive of roughly 45 to 50 minutes puts you into a coastal microclimate that stays playable for long stretches of the year. That consistency matters for planning. Parents can book a week with confidence that weather interruptions will be limited, which keeps the training rhythm intact and lets kids gain real traction on new skills.

Facilities you can actually train on

• Courts: Twelve outdoor clay courts plus one hard court, all floodlit and maintained to a standard that allows point play at almost any hour. Surfaces are rolled and watered daily so bounce and footing stay predictable.
• Lighting and scheduling: Morning blocks run when the sun is forgiving. Night sessions operate under full floodlighting, which stretches usable training windows during peak summer weeks and supports evening match play.
• Club hub: The tennis club sits inside the resort’s sports zone, so getting to and from sessions is quick. Courts are near the padel complex and pickleball courts, which helps families manage mixed schedules.
• Fitness and recovery: Players can access resort fitness centers for strength, mobility, and cardio work. The Acquaforte Thalasso & Spa offers seawater pools of different temperatures and mineral concentrations, plus therapists familiar with athletic guests. For tight backs from clay or calves sore from sliding, this becomes a practical recovery asset rather than a luxury add-on.
• Match and event setup: The club posts weekly social and competitive events, including singles, doubles, junior, and senior draws. The tone is friendly, but the scheduling and court supervision are organized, which keeps matches honest and moving.

What you will not find is dorm-style housing or an academic building. Accommodation is in the resort’s hotels and villas. For families, that is convenient. For an unaccompanied junior seeking a nine-month residency, this is not the right model.

People and philosophy

The academy is led by head coach Rocco Loccisano, an Australian with Italian roots and tour experience who previously coached Wimbledon champion Pat Cash. The resident staff speaks multiple languages and is comfortable with mixed groups that might include a ten-year-old beginner on one court and a nationally ranked teen on the next. When headline names arrive, the culture does not change. The goal remains the same: make each session purposeful, specific, and enjoyable enough that players want to come back for the next.

Two ideas show up again and again on court. First, clear technical themes drive each block, not just endless rallying. One day might emphasize contact point and height on heavy clay forehands. Another might zoom in on front-shoulder discipline and serve rhythm. Second, the staff uses point-building progressions rather than abstract drills. Even with younger players, coaches build toward live patterns, so kids leave knowing when to use a crosscourt neutral ball versus when to change line.

A distinctive add-on is the Mental Match Play curriculum, a structured set of lessons that blend tempo, rhythm, and decision-making with music. It sounds quirky until you try it. The aim is simple: help players feel fluidity, reduce tension, and execute patterns under manageable stress. For juniors who tighten up in competition, this can be a useful bridge between practice and matches.

Programs that fit a resort week

The schedule is built around a resort stay, so formats are tight and repeatable.

• Junior Group Academy: A morning block for ages roughly 5 to 10. The emphasis is on foundations, rally skills, coordination, and fun small-sided games. Court ratios are kept low and activities rotate quickly to keep attention spans engaged.
• Individual Junior Academy: One-to-one or semi-private sessions for motivated juniors, including teens preparing for tournaments. These are the slots where coaches make meaningful grip or swing-shape changes and run smarter point-play scenarios.
• Individual Adult Academy: Adults book private or semi-private lessons with a clear technical focus, often followed by guided sparring. It is common to see a parent train here while their child is in the junior block.
• Train with the Legends: Across the season, the academy hosts former Grand Slam winners and tour names for themed clinics and meet-and-hits. Expect high energy, autograph opportunities for kids, and specific tips that reflect the guest coach’s game identity.
• Mental Match Play: A five-lesson series that introduces simple patterns and match routines with music to promote fluid movement and reduce overthinking.
• Weekly tournaments and match play: Rotating singles and doubles events by age and level. Ideal for juniors who want a test after a few days of drilling or for adults who enjoy a social competitive hit.

Because the resort draws active families, the tennis team is experienced at stitching together mixed itineraries. A typical family might book a junior group block in the morning, an adult technical private right after, and a fun family hit before dinner on an outer court. The staff is used to making that work.

Player development: what gets taught and how

The clay-first environment shapes the curriculum. Players learn spacing and balance for sliding, but coaches do not treat this as a one-surface academy. The staff teaches a modern baseline game that travels well: heavy crosscourt as the default, change of direction on balance, height variation to buy time, and court positioning that adjusts to ball quality. On the serve, the work is pragmatic. Coaches prioritize rhythm, shoulder health, and a few reliable locations rather than short-term speed spikes.

Tactically, players rehearse two or three go-to patterns that fit their grip and footwork. Juniors might practice a simple forehand plus approach on short balls. Advanced teens get fed situational patterns that require choices, not scripted winners. Mental work is folded into the design. You will hear coaches ask for between-point routines, breath resets, and one simple cue per rally. Physical work is not forgotten. Warm-ups address ankle and hip mobility and include light, court-friendly strength elements like band work and medicine-ball throws.

The big advantage here is dosage. In a week, you can change one or two things and feel the difference without burning out. For families who want intensity, staff can stack additional privates and supervised match play. For younger children, the morning block is more than enough.

Alumni and success stories

This is not a factory that houses and graduates full-time pros. Success here looks different. Families return yearly because a seven or ten day stay produces clear improvement, and juniors get meaningful hits with recognizable names. Some teens who vacationed at Forte Village later competed in national or collegiate events, crediting a clay immersion or a cue from a visiting coach for a small but sticky shift in their game. In the guest-coach roster, you will recognize names like Pat Cash, Albert Costa, Emilio Sanchez, Magnus Larsson, Ernests Gulbis, and Italian stalwarts who know how to coach as well as entertain. For a young player, that proximity can be motivating.

Culture and daily life inside the academy

The academy benefits from a resort rhythm. Mornings feel focused and calm. Afternoons are for the sea, recovery, or other sports. Evenings come alive under the lights, as families drift back to the courts for match play. For kids, the walkability is a plus. Parents can settle into a shaded seat and watch without feeling like they are sitting in a stadium. Conversations around the club are friendly. You meet players from across Europe, the Middle East, and North America, which nudges juniors to speak up, keep score properly, and be good partners.

Food and sleep matter in training weeks, and Forte Village makes both easy. Breakfasts run early enough to fuel morning courts. There are child-friendly options and plenty of fresh, simple fare. Rooms are quiet and close enough to the club that no one needs a shuttle for an 8 a.m. start. The broader resort ecosystem adds variety. On an off day, a junior might switch to padel for coordination or take an easy swim for active recovery. When everyone is satisfied and rested, learning sticks.

Costs, logistics, and accessibility

Pricing varies by season, program, and whether you combine group sessions with privates or a legends clinic. Expect to book tennis through the academy team and accommodation through the resort. Package offers sometimes include preferred court access or a lesson bundle. Scholarships are not part of this model. This is a paid resort experience. Value comes from access to quality clay, organized coaching, and a concentration of sport amenities in one place.

Getting there is straightforward. Fly into Cagliari Elmas Airport, then plan for a drive of roughly 45 to 50 minutes to the resort. Families who prefer not to rent a car can arrange a transfer. Once on site, you can walk or bike to the courts in a few minutes and rarely need to leave the property.

Accessibility is practical rather than institutional. There is staff on hand to adjust schedules, customize sessions, and align pairings by level. The coaching team is accustomed to multilingual groups and handles mixed-ability families with a steady hand. For parents who want to track progress, coaches will outline one or two key themes for the week and suggest a short follow-up plan for when you return home.

How it compares and who it suits

In Italy, the academy sits between year-round training centers like Piatti Tennis Center and pure holiday clubs that run casual hits. If you want a serious week without committing to a full academic or boarding structure, this is a smart middle path. Families who want high standards with flexible scheduling will appreciate the design. Juniors looking for a clay tune-up before tournaments can find focused pattern work and reliable match play. Adult players who enjoy technical feedback paired with good hospitality will feel well served.

Compared with large residential academies elsewhere in Europe, the Forte Village model favors precision over volume. You do not hit five hours a day by default. You target the right two hours with a coach who keeps themes tight. If your goal is transformation through high repetition, a fully residential program may be a better fit. If your goal is a meaningful skill jump with clear, coachable cues you can take home, this format delivers.

What sets it apart

• Clay density and maintenance: Twelve clay courts in one enclosed club is unusual for a resort and allows reliable court allocation even in peak weeks.
• The guest-coach pipeline: Clinics with former champions are not occasional surprises. They are scheduled across the season and integrated into the weekly plan.
• Mental Match Play: The music-backed learning sequence is a memorable, practical way to rehearse patterns and compete with less tension.
• Recovery next door: The thalassotherapy and spa options are a genuine performance advantage for adults and teens who want to train hard and bounce back.
• Multisport flexibility: Padel and pickleball are steps away. That helps families mix schedules and gives tennis kids a fun cross-training day when needed.

These strengths give the academy its own identity. It does not try to replicate the scale of Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar or the showpiece feel of Mouratoglou Tennis Academy. It focuses on being the best version of a resort-based, clay-first training hub.

Training details that matter

• Technical: On clay, contact height and spacing are addressed early. Coaches aim for heavier, more margin-friendly forehands and disciplined use of the front shoulder on serves and backhands. They favor controllable changes over wholesale rebuilds.
• Tactical: Players practice building points with a default crosscourt, then learn when to change line on balance. Juniors rehearse approach patterns and finishing balls that suit their grips. Teens with tournament goals see situational live-ball work with targeted constraints.
• Physical: Warm-ups mix mobility with light strength. Expect bands, short bounding, medicine-ball work, and ankle stability drills to support safe sliding. Conditioning is blended into point play rather than bolted on.
• Mental: Routines are taught early. Between-point reset breaths, one simple cue per rally, and the Mental Match Play series help keep thinking clear.
• Equipment: With HEAD as a partner, demo access and stringing support are available. Coaches will suggest tension changes for clay and help juniors test frames without chasing short-lived gains.

Future outlook and vision

The academy is likely to keep refining its seasonal schedule around two pillars: strong resident coaching for skill change and a rotating cast of visiting pros who keep energy high. Expect ongoing collaboration with HEAD on equipment and demo access, plus incremental additions to tournament and social play options as demand grows. As Forte Village continues to invest in sport, tennis will remain a flagship offering and a reliable reason families return.

Conclusion: is it for you

Choose Tennis Star Academy by HEAD if you want a serious but enjoyable week of coaching on European clay without committing to a year-round school. It suits families who want quality instruction for kids and adults in the same place, juniors who need a clay tune-up before tournaments, and adult players who appreciate the mix of technical work and resort comfort. It is not designed for unaccompanied long-stay juniors or for players seeking full-time academics with on-site housing. If your goal is a clear, lasting skill bump in a short, well-run window, with a few stories to tell about hitting alongside a former champion, this academy fits the brief.