In Mallorca, Spain, club teammatches are held regularly on Saturdays, categorized by age group.
The new season starts in January,and I observed the "Benjamin" category for boys under 10 years old.
Each team consists of threeplayers, competing in three singles matches to determine the winner.
Doubles are also played but areconsidered friendly matches and do not affect the outcome.
Notably, even at this young age,matches are played in a best-of-three sets format, which is consistent across other tournaments in Spain. This differs from Japan and Hong Kong, where
younger players typically play shorter formats.
During matches, coaching isallowed during court changes, and parents often encourage players vocally, which contrasts with practices in Japan and Hong Kong.
Technically, Japanese and HongKong juniors may be more skilled, but Spanish players excel in resilience during rallies and creative shot-making, such as drop shots. This unique
approach might stem from the training style, where players focus on rallies and
points rather than detailed technical drills.
Practice sessions in Spain aretypically two hours long, divided into 90 minutes of tennis and 30 minutes of fitness.
With fewer players per court(2-3), Spanish players have opportunities to hit balls and use the full court, fostering a more dynamic and creative playing style.
