Every top tennis player went to a tennis academy at some point. That's true whether you are talking about professional tennis, college tennis, or even competitive junior tennis. Tennis academies train students not just on their tennis game, but also on thier fitness and their mental strength. They give you access to top coaches and staff. You will also meet current and future great players at these academies. Many top stars still return to their academies to fine-tune their game between tournaments and during the off season. Best Tennis Academies In The USA Saddlebrook Tennis Academy, Tampa, Florida Saddlebrook has 45 tennis courts that include all 4 major surfaces. A lot of well-known players such as Jim Courier, Pete Sampras, Jennifer Capriati, Martina Hingis, James Blake, Mardy Fish, Andy Roddick, Jack Sock, Bob & Mike Bryan, Alexander Zverev, Mischa Zverev, Caroline Wozniacki, Belinda Bencic, and  John Isner have trained at Saddlebrook.  Many current players still return to tune up their game. The tennis program at Saddlebrook was originally founded by former Australian Davis Cup captain, Harry Hopman, who ran the program at Largo, Florida. Saddlebrook acquired the program in 1986 after Hopman's passing. Saddlebrook offers boarding and non-boarding options for students. The academy also hosts summer camps. It also has excellent fitness facilities, pools, and spa. The tennis program costs about $65,000 for boarding students and $50,000 for non-boarding students. IMG Tennis Academy - Bradenton, Florida IMG is one of the best tennis academies in the world. Since it was founded more than 40 years ago, the academy has produced many top male and female tennis players. The academy has 55 tennis courts (34 hard, 17 clay, and 4 indoor) and has tournaments on campus to promote competition. View this post on Instagram A post shared by IMG Academy Tennis (@imgatennis) IMG bought the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, founded by Nick Bollettieri  in 1987. IMG alumni include Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Jim Courier, Kei Nishikori, Anna Kournikova, Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova. Tuition for the program is between $65,900 to $85,900 per year based on the student's age, grade, and boarding status. Evert Tennis Academy - Boca Raton, Florida Evert Tennis Academy was founded by former world number one and 18-time singles grand slam champion Chris Evert and her brother John Evert in 1996. The main campus has 23 tennis courts (12 hard and 11 clay). Notable alumni from the program include Lauren Davis, Sebastien Grosjean, Madison Keys, Jesse Levine, Andy Roddick, and Ajla Tomljanović. Evert Academy offers boarding and non-boarding option for students. Cost ranges from $29,500 to $45,500. As you probably noticed, the cost is much cheaper than most other tennis programs. Evert Academy claims that 100% of its graduates who have pursued a college scholarship have received at least some financial assistance. Saviano Tennis Academy - Plantation, Florida Saviano Tennis Academy was founded by well-known tennis coach Nick Saviano. The academy counts Sloane Stephens, Amanda Anisimova, and Eugenie Bouchard as its alumni. The academy has 28 hard courts…

Tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world today. Around 90 million people around the world play the sport. The TV audience for tennis is in the hundreds of millions. Let's take a look at how the game of tennis started and how it has evolved over the years. 12th century  - A game called jeu de paume ("game of the palm") was played in Northern France. The game involved striking the ball with the hand. 16th century - The name "tennis" became associated with the game. Racquets were used for the first time. Racquet derives its name from the Arabic word,  rakhat, which means palm of the hand 1830 - The lawnmower was invented. It was a big catalyst for the growth of tennis because it made preparing lawn courts for tennis easy 1870 - All England Croquet Club was established at Wimbledon. 1874 - First tennis racquet was made by Major Walter C. Wingfield in London.  The racquet was made of solid wood. 1877 - First World Tennis Championships were held at Wimbledon. Only 22 players entered the tournament. Spencer Gore won the tournament. 1881- First US Open championships held at Newport, Rhode Island. Entry was restricted to US residents. Dick Sears won the first US Open title. 1884 - Wimbledon Championships feature women and doubles for the first time. 1887 - US Open features women for the first time. Lottie Dod is the first female US Open champion. 1891 - First French Championships held. The tournament was open only to French residents. 1896 - Tennis was included in the Olympics for the first time. 1897 - French Championships are open to women for the first time. 1900- Harvard student, Dwight F.Davis, developed a structure for a new international competition along with three others. The competition was called  International Lawn Tennis Challenge. It was later renamed the Davis Cup in his honor. 1905 - First Australasian National Championships held (later renamed Australian Open). The tournament alternated between Australia and New Zealand. 1912 - International Lawn Tennis Federation formed (ITLF).  It was formed to operate the four big tournaments in tennis - Australasian Championships, French Championships, Wimbledon Championships, and the US Open). In 1977, it became ITF. 1922 - Australasian championships are open to women for the first time 1924 - Tennis dropped from the Olympics 1925 - French Championships allows residents of other countries to participate. Australasian Championships held only in Australia (no longer alternating between Australia and New Zealand) 1927 - Roland Garros stadium built. Named after World War I hero. Wimbledon introduced seeding for players. 1938 - Don Budge wins the "Grand Slam" - winning the four major tennis championships.  The term "Grand Slam" comes from the card game bridge. 1950 -  Jack Kramer creates pro tour for tennis players 1953 - Maureen Connelly becomes the first woman to win a grand slam (all 4 majors) 1960 - Idea to merge professional and amateur tennis defeated at the ITLF annual meeting. 1967 -…