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These extraordinary courts prove that tennis is best played with a view. 

But beyond the roar of packed grandstands and televised finals lies another, more exclusive side of the sport – one where the soundtrack is crashing waves or desert winds sweeping through red rock canyons. These are courts where the views are as commanding as your forehand.

Most beautiful tennis courts in the world

Picture serving aces with turquoise water behind you or volleying beneath alpine peaks. Ahead, discover the world’s most breathtaking tennis courts.

Bawah Reserve, Elang Island, Indonesia

Hidden within Indonesia’s remote Anambas Archipelago, Bawah Reserve is the definition of barefoot luxury. Set on a private island surrounded by crystalline lagoons and coral reefs, its tennis court is perched just steps from the sea, offering uninterrupted views of turquoise waters.

Between rallies, you may spot sailboats drifting by or tropical birds soaring overhead. The court’s isolation means you’re unlikely to face much competition, unless it’s from your travel companion, making it ideal for relaxed matches at sunrise or sunset.

Necker Island, British Virgin Islands

Sir Richard Branson’s private Caribbean retreat is home to one of the world’s most exclusive tennis courts. Set high on a hilltop overlooking the Caribbean Sea, Necker Island’s court delivers sweeping ocean views from every angle.

Surrounded by palm trees and cooled by sea breezes, this is tennis at its most idyllic. With turquoise waters stretching to the horizon and yachts anchored below, it’s relaxed, remote, and relentlessly beautiful.

Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como, Italy

Few destinations embody old world glamour quite like Lake Como, and Grand Hotel Tremezzo sits at its heart. Overlooking the deep blue waters and backed by alpine peaks, the hotel’s clay tennis court is a masterpiece of scenic sport, and one that has welcomed royalty, Hollywood stars, and billionaires over the decades.

Guests play against a backdrop of Belle Époque architecture, manicured gardens, and passing Riva boats. After play, you can retreat to the floating pool or sip an espresso on the terrace – proof that here, tennis and la dolce vita go hand in hand.

See also: The Most Idyllic Hotels in Lake Como

Il San Pietro di Positano, Amalfi Coast, Italy

Dramatically carved into the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, Il San Pietro di Positano boasts one of the most spectacular tennis courts in the world. Suspended above the Mediterranean, the hotel’s clay court seems to float between sky and sea.

With pastel-colored villages dotting the coastline and yachts gliding below, every point feels elevated. The hotel has long attracted celebrities, designers, and discreet A-listers, many of whom have tested their backhands here. It’s not uncommon to pause mid-match simply to admire the view, making this one of the rare courts where distraction is part of the charm.

See also: Is This The Amalfi Coast’s Most Exclusive Hideaway?

Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Perched 689-ft above the Arabian Gulf, the Burj Al Arab’s circular helipad famously transforms into a tennis court – temporarily – for headline-making exhibition matches. It’s where legends like Andre Agassi and Roger Federer once rallied in what remains one of the most surreal tennis moments in history.

While the helipad isn’t permanently configured for daily play, its conversion into a sky-high court cemented Dubai’s place in sporting folklore. With nothing but blue sky and ocean surrounding the platform, it’s arguably the closest tennis has come to being played ‘in the clouds.’

Hotel Cipriani, A Belmond Hotel, Venice, Venice, Italy

Located on Giudecca Island, just across from St Mark’s Square, Hotel Cipriani offers a pristine court set within lush gardens, with glimpses of Venice’s iconic skyline in the distance.

This is a favorite among high-profile guests attending the Venice Film Festival, international art fairs, and private events. In true Venetian style, gondolas drift nearby and church bells echo across the lagoon.

Enchantment Resort, Sedona, Arizona, USA

For those who prefer red rock drama to coastal glamour, Enchantment Resort delivers a completely different kind of tennis fantasy. Nestled within Sedona’s towering sandstone formations, its courts are framed by cathedral-like cliffs that glow at sunrise and sunset.

Many guests combine matches with meditation sessions, vortex tours, or spa treatments. It’s a place where you might finish a tiebreak and head straight into a sound bath – only in Sedona.

The Brando, Tetiaroa, French Polynesia

On Marlon Brando’s former private atoll, a court is set amid lush tropical vegetation, just moments from beaches and coral lagoons.

Guests here include global leaders, Hollywood royalty, and discreet high-net-worth travelers, all drawn by the resort’s privacy and environmental ethos. A morning match can easily be followed by lagoon swimming, spa rituals, and Michelin-level dining.

Everything to know about the legendary St Barths Bucket Regatta taking place March 12 to 15. 

Each March, the tiny Caribbean island of St Barths becomes the epicenter of the superyacht sailing world as dozens of majestic sailing yachts descend on Gustavia’s harbor for the St Barths Bucket Regatta.

The invitation-only event, taking place from March 12 to 15 this year, is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious gatherings on the global sailing calendar. It brings together some of the world’s largest and most beautifully designed sailing yachts for three days of racing in the turquoise waters surrounding the island. Vessels measuring more than 100ft typically make up the fleet, ranging from sleek modern performance yachts to historic schooners.

For many owners and crews, the Bucket marks the high point of the Caribbean season – a moment when St Barths’ harbor fills with towering masts and polished teak decks, echoing the broader surge in winter yachting that has cemented the island’s reputation as a superyacht capital.

The Bucket’s origins are surprisingly informal. The event began in 1986 in Nantucket, Massachusetts, when a group of sailing yacht owners gathered for an impromptu race organized during a birthday celebration hosted by publishing heir and sailor Nelson Doubleday. The following day, several superyachts sailed a spontaneous course around Nantucket Sound – competing not for prize money, but for bragging rights.

A nearby bucket was jokingly adopted as the trophy, giving the event its name. Since then, the event has grown into one of the most celebrated gatherings in international sailing, regularly attracting fleets of 30 or more superyachts while maintaining the same spirit of friendly competition that defined the original race.

See also: A Luxury Guide to St Barths

When does the St Barths Bucket Regatta take place?

The regatta is held annually in March, when steady trade winds and warm Caribbean waters provide ideal sailing conditions. The event typically unfolds over four days, with an opening race on Thursday followed by three official race days from Friday through Sunday. Each day concludes with awards ceremonies and social gatherings in Gustavia, where crews and guests gather dockside after racing.

For 2026, the St Barths Bucket Regatta is scheduled to take place from March 12 to 15.

See also: Top Yachts: The Most Adventurous Charters in the World

Who competes in the St Barths Bucket Regatta?

Participation in the St Barths Bucket Regatta is strictly by invitation, ensuring a fleet composed of some of the most exceptional sailing yachts in the world. Most competing vessels measure 30m (100ft) or more, and the fleet is typically divided into several racing classes based on yacht size and performance characteristics.

A total of 41 yachts have registered for the 2026 edition, with 34 set to compete – marking the largest fleet since 2015. Racing will once again follow the popular pursuit format under the ORCsy handicap rule. Among the newcomers to the St Barths Bucket this year are several debutants, including two striking designs competing in their first superyacht regatta: the 65-meter ketch Aquarius II (Dykstra/Royal Huisman) and the 39-meter sloop Be Cool (Frers/Nautor). The fleet also includes nine former Bucket class champions.

See also: Introducing the Supercars of the Sea

How to watch the St Barths Bucket Regatta

The event attracts a mix of professional sailors, experienced yacht crews, and passionate owners who participate for the joy of sailing rather than commercial competition. For spectators visiting St Barths during race week, there are several ways to experience the spectacle. The most immersive vantage point is from the water, typically aboard a charter yacht or private boat following the fleet offshore. From here, guests can watch the yachts maneuver under full sail as they race along the island’s coastline.

On land, Gustavia harbor offers one of the best viewing spots. Each morning, spectators gather along the waterfront to watch the fleet depart, before returning in the afternoon as the yachts glide back into port.

The four-bedroom home, which dates back to 1855, was used as a filming location in the 1995 movie «Something to Talk About.» The four-bedroom home, which dates back to 1855, was used as a filming location in the 1995 movie «Something to Talk About.»

These represent some of the last whisky to be distilled at the Karuizawa distillery before it closed. These represent some of the last whisky to be distilled at the Karuizawa distillery before it closed.

The all-electric VLE is a rolling first-class cabin with a 31-inch cinema screen, massage seats, and a turning circle smaller than a CLA. The all-electric VLE is a rolling first-class cabin with a 31-inch cinema screen, massage seats, and a turning circle smaller than a CLA.

British chef Elliott Grover is cooking for the stars for the fourth year running. 

The Oscars 2026 ceremony will be held on March 15, at the Dolby Theater. It’s not until the Best Picture title has been named (will it be One Battle After Another or Sinners that clinches the top award) that guests descend the stairs to the Grosvenor Ball for their meal. “You can hear them coming and you know it’s go-time,” Grover says.

This is the fourth year running that the head chef at London’s carnivorous Cut at 45 Park Lane (sister to The Dorchester hotel just over the road) has been entrusted with cooking for Hollywood’s most prestigious awards show. Still though, he works under the lead of Austrian-American chef to the stars, Wolfgang Puck, who has led the menu for the Grosvenor Ball (otherwise known as the official Oscars afterparty) since 1994. “He is very fun,” says Grover, “but he’s crazy, so I go in with the mental preparation of knowing something will change.”

I spoke to Grover almost three years ago to the day ahead of his first Oscars, and back then, bold tenacity was the main thing that got him the job. “I asked if I could go along and Wolfgang said ‘Yes, why not?’” he said in 2023. Fast forward to 2026, and it’s a given that the London-born chef is on the line up. “I just keep going along,” he shrugs.

See also: The Best Private Dining Rooms in London

The years have instilled a sense of calm. “I was so nervous back then. I was in the kitchen days ahead of time trying to prepare. It’s no stress for me whatsoever anymore.” Instead of a prepped, organized approach, Grover is heading to the kitchen for the first time just two days before the ceremony, without a plan. “I’ll find everything out tomorrow morning,” he says. “I’m gonna enjoy it and that’s it – there’s no point worrying about it.”

While the final menu might be up in the air until the last minute, what Grover does know is that fish and chips will once again be on it, as it has been every year. “We get slammed on the fish and chips – and thankfully it’s the easiest thing to make,” he says. 

More a canape-style snack than the greasy, newspaper-wrapped seaside staple of Britain, Grover’s Oscar’s fish and chips is a mere handful of chips, with a delicate goujon of fish and a dollop of tartare sauce. “In an ideal world, we’d use haddock, skin-on, but for a couple of years, we’ve used seabass, skin-on,” Grover says. “It all depends on what’s best in LA at the time.”

See also: Are Gordon Ramsay’s Sky-High London Restaurants Worth the Hype?

He’s also prepared to speculate that a beef dish will make the final cut. While Grover’s inaugural year intentionally skipped red meat (“they know their steak over there … I want to put British food on the map,” he stated at the time), in 2024, he served a delicate slice of Wagyu in a classic Yorkshire pudding, and in 2025, the team took on the notoriously tricky beef Wellington. “It was our biggest challenge so far – I was worried I’d miscalculated the timing,” he says. 

Grover is betting on a Wellington – “it’s the most impressive,” he says. Fortunately, Cut’s head chef Ibrahim Arif is out in LA to help: “he’s very good at wrapping Wellingtons.”

Surprisingly, given the calibre of guests, off-menu requests are rare. “The most common thing we’re asked for is just chips,” Grover says. “That’s easy.” While in previous years Grover has run his Oscars menu for a limited time at Cut restaurant, this year the only people who get to taste it are those invited to the 98th Academy Awards.

The Oscar’s menu 2026 in numbers

• Number of guests served: approx. 1,200
• Number of chefs in the kitchen: 200
• Number of Yorkshire puddings made in 2024: 1,000
• Approximate time spent preparing: 4 days 
• Hours in the kitchen on the day: 16
• Estimated number of kitchen meltdowns: a few!

The chef is expecting to churn through about 200 pounds of dry-aged ribeye and 30 pounds of Kaluga caviar at Sunday’s Governors Ball. The chef is expecting to churn through about 200 pounds of dry-aged ribeye and 30 pounds of Kaluga caviar at Sunday’s Governors Ball.

A fleet of eVTOLs could take off as early as June, the US Department of Transportation announced. 

As early as June, a new generation of aircraft will begin appearing in American airspace as part of a major federal pilot program, according to the US Department of Transportation. The initiative will allow companies developing electric air taxis to begin real-world testing across multiple states, marking one of the most significant steps yet toward a new era of urban air mobility.

While commercial services are still a few years away, the coming trials will see these aircraft move beyond demonstration flights and into operational environments. Regulators, engineers, and transport planners will begin testing how they could safely integrate into busy skies. In other words, the flying car is no longer a futuristic fantasy.

Despite the exciting nickname, the aircraft expected to appear in US skies this year are not cars with folding wings. Instead, they belong to a category known as electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles, or eVTOLs.

See also: How Much Does NetJets Cost?

Powered by electric batteries, these aircraft are designed to lift vertically like helicopters before transitioning into forward flight more like an airplane. Most are built to carry between two and six passengers, including a pilot, and are intended for short regional or urban journeys.

Several companies are racing to bring the first commercially viable models to market. Among the most advanced are Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, BETA Technologies, and Wisk Aero, all of which are developing aircraft designed to function as short-distance air taxis.

Archer’s aircraft, known as Midnight, is designed to carry four passengers and a pilot on short flights between cities or airports, while Joby Aviation is developing a five-seat aircraft capable of travelling roughly 100 miles at speeds approaching 200mph.

At the consumer end of the market, companies are also experimenting with personal flying vehicles. One of the most widely discussed is the Alef Model A, which has reportedly attracted thousands of early reservations despite an estimated price of around $300,000. Meanwhile, the Slovakian-developed Klein Vision AirCar, which recently completed a successful intercity test flight, is expected to cost more than $800,000 once commercial production begins. However, widespread ownership remains a distant prospect.

“I expect a tiered rollout, more like what happened with Tesla,” Anton Geier, CEO of BCS Bus tells Elite Traveler. For now, Geier suggests flying vehicles are likely to remain the preserve of wealthy early adopters and luxury travel operators.

There are also practical barriers. In most cases, operators would still require specialized pilot certification, meaning an ordinary driving license would not be sufficient to operate the aircraft. Even so, the industry is moving quickly. US regulators have recently introduced new rules for powered-lift aircraft, creating a regulatory framework that could eventually allow air taxi services to operate commercially.

Despite the excitement surrounding flying cars, most people will not be purchasing one anytime soon: the first generation of aircraft is expected to operate more like ride-hailing services in the sky. Passengers would book a seat via an app and travel between designated landing hubs, or vertiports, located on rooftops, airports or specially designed transport hubs.

“The FAA recently finalized powered-lift category rules, which sets the industry on a path toward air taxi services,” says Geier. “A few years from now, you might not need to own one. If you want the experience, it could simply be something you book through an app.”

See also: The Best First Class Airlines in the World

Companies such as Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation are already exploring this model, with the aim of gradually reducing the cost of aerial travel over time. “They’re working toward bringing the cost per seat-mile down to something closer to premium rideshare,” Geier says.

In the longer term, the biggest transformation may come from how cities themselves adapt to aerial mobility. “A decade or two from now, the biggest change will be infrastructure,” Geier explains. “You may see vertiports built into existing train stations, office rooftops, and even parking garages.”

If that vision materializes, flying vehicles could significantly alter how people move around cities – and even where they choose to live. For luxury travelers, the appeal is perhaps even clearer. “Imagine travelling from a high-rise balcony directly to a remote island without dealing with a congested city street,” Geier adds. “The elimination of dead time in transit is a powerful selling point.”

While widespread adoption is still some distance away, it could only be a matter of months before hail-a-flying-car becomes a mainstream option for travel.

Octola II is hidden in the wilderness – Elite Traveler checked in for review. 

Robb Report was the first media outlet to pilot this six-figure Wood & Pickett Mini by Callum. Robb Report was the first media outlet to pilot this six-figure Wood & Pickett Mini by Callum.