Tennis Eden Parc, Annecy: Peak performance

My only criteria when booking a holiday this year was that it had to have a tennis court. I'd made the reservation months ago, in the heady days before quarantine requirements, mask wearing and social distancing, when the main inconvenience was fitting in around my husband's work schedule in a summer packed with sporting events - Euro 2020 and the Tokyo Olympics - both of which were postponed. The only property I could find in France for the last two weeks in August was here in Annecy so I snapped it up. By the time the holidays arrived, after enduring the heatwave through the dog days of July and the start of August in Paris, we were desperate to get away. In my desire to find somewhere to play tennis, I hadn't given much thought to the location - this apartment ticked the most important box with access to two tennis courts and also a pool, but its most stunning feature turned out to be a wraparound balcony with breathtaking views across the lake and mountains. Annecy has spectacular views in every direction and there is plenty to do and see when you are not on court. 

In  photos the Eden Parc courts looked like clay, but in fact they are a surface known as OmniCourt - a type of synthetic grass with a sand top-dressing, which needs to be swept after each session to redistribute the sand. The ones at Eden Parc are extremely well-maintained, clearly marked out with excellent nets and we found the surface pretty much perfect - a nice even bounce, soft underfoot and just the right amount of slide for an enjoyable game. Temperatures have been scorching - up to 36C on some days - but even after an overnight downpour the court was soon ready to play on and quickly dried off. My only quibble would be the lack of shade - the rapidly shrinking shadow of a couple of trees had us creeping up to the net for some respite or lingering in a back corner collecting balls. We needed plenty of water to get us through our daily two-hour matches and some judicious moving of the court-side seats to for a break in the shade when we changed ends.

There's no problem with availability - no need to reserve (though there is a sheet to book a slot) - in fact we've been pretty much the only people playing. Possibly it's too hot for the locals - only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun - they are more likely to be found social distancing round the pool. Personally I find two hours of tennis with the mountain views sets us up perfectly for a day of messing about on the lake or heading up the mountain (and jumping off in the case of the kids, who are keen to try paragliding). Highly recommended for tennis enthusiasts (and Annecy's not bad either).