Edberg-by-the Sea

What’s the Edberg connection?  The esteemed Swede, former world number one and the best net player since John McEnroe, holds a one-third share in the Tennis Club de Beauvallon (TCB). In addition, he owns a vacation pad in the nearby town of Mougins. So he has a double incentive to visit the TCB and to make sure its instruction program is running smoothly and effectively. 

Odd as it may seem, given the cosmopolitan character of the Riviera, the TCB is something of a pioneer in presenting an international appeal to tennis travelers. Only two other facilities—very different from one another—have done it in the past. One is the world-renowned Monte-Carlo Country Club, which welcomes visitors who can pay the rather stiff fee (about $40 per day) for the privilege of playing at a truly great club with great terre battue (what we call red clay) courts and an unsurpassed view of the Mediterranean. The other is la Vanade, near Villeneuve-Loubet, further to the west, which has dozens of courts, hundreds of players, and very reasonable fees but little charm, French or otherwise.

Edberg's partner, Arnaud Deleval (left), has taken over from club founder Patrick Canavese

By contrast, the TCB has lots of charm and lots of possibilities. When Edberg and his two French partners took over several months ago, its five terre battue courts - the pride of French tennis facilities - needed complete refurbishing. Only the single court in the all-weather surface the French call Quick was in good shape. The small clubhouse and bar, although quaintly attractive in their rough-hewn, rustic style, were obviously cramped and old fashioned.

But those problems are all eminently fixable, and Edberg & Co. are in the process of doing just that. What needs no improvement is the natural surroundings. Set in a grove of trees, the TCB is an easy traipse from the coast road but far enough from it to avoid its traffic noise. It’s also hard by a good golf course and, a few steps further, an excellent hotel, the Beauvallon (what else?). The hotel is open only in season, which means spring-summer, but other, less expensive, digs are nearby.

Edberg became a club owner through his friendship with one of the two partners, Arnaud Deleval, a handsome, 35-ish Frenchman who reached number 31 in France and later served as the Swede’s hitting partner. "Arnaud grew up in that part of the Riviera," Edberg told me, "and he has been talking about buying the Beauvallon for years. It needs a lot of work, but it’s in a great spot, and I can certainly see the potential." Some mighty tennis ghosts are watching. From Henri Cochet and Jean Borotra, two of the Four Musketeers, to Yannick Noah a half-century later, numerous French stars have played at the TCB.

Visitors to T.C. Beauvallon can stay a long lob away from the courts, at the stately Hotel Beauvallon

Fixing up the courts has held top priority. They’re now in good shape, and Deleval is determined to make them the equal of those at Roland-Garros" - the Paris complex that hosts the French Open and is revered as the citadel of terre battue. Lights are about to be installed on two of the courts, and all six will eventually have them.

The bar - an obligatory feature of French tennis clubs - is at present a small, antiquated building, and the locker rooms are not much bigger or more modern. Both will be torn down and replaced by mid-2001. Luckily, the replacements won’t be too modern. Edberg and Deleval have opted for low-key designs with wood exteriors that blend with the setting.

Edberg’s principal interest lies in creating a good junior program. "There are none in the area," he says, "and we have a pro - Jean-Luc Cotard - who’s been working in junior development with the French federation." I mentioned to Edberg that, when I visited the TCB, a family of visiting Swedes, including a pair of hard-hitting teenagers, were on the courts. "Yes, we’ll get some Swedish juniors," he said. "They like getting away from the cold."

Original club buildings--soon to be replaced--include a small, very quaint bar at courtside

Will the man himself lend a hand with the instruction? "I’ll be there are a few times a year for an overlook," he replied in his sometimes-quaint English. "And I’ll talk frequently with Arnaud and Jean-Luc about the instruction and the general progress of the club." He wouldn’t promise to personally overhaul my volley or anybody else’s. But if it’s a warm, sunny day and you stick a racquet in his hand, who knows what might happen?

(The Tennis Club de Beauvallon is located at Chemin des Sous-Bois, Beauvallon, 83120 Ste Maxime, France; tel. 011 33 4 9449-0941; fax 9496-5245; e-mail tcbeauvallon@aol.com.)

Photos by Sheila B. Macdonald

Roger M. Williams is a nationally known tennis and travel writer.  He has been a Contributing Editor for Tennis Magazine for almost 20 years and has also written about tennis for such magazines as Conde Nast Traveler, Men's Journal, and Town & Country. Roger is the co-owner of TennisTravel which takes groups to Europe to play matches against club teams

Last Updated 9/1/98. To contact us, please email to: webmaster@tennisone.com

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