British Tennis Players Look to Spain

For many, the road to success in tennis flows through Florida. Parents, from countries all around the world, at great sacrifice send their children to one of the famous tennis academies in Florida.

British tennis players seem to be bucking this Florida trend. For British players, the road to success leads through Spain.

Andy Murray -- who recently celebrated a victory over the world's number one player Roger Federer -- sharpened his game at the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona.

Another British player James Ward -- who is playing in the Newton Cox USTA Men's Professional Tennis Classic in Mobile, Alabama -- was taken under the graces of Spanish Grand Slam winner Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Ferrero and his coach Antonio Martinez run a school appropriately called the Juan Carlos Ferrero tennis academy. Ward is forever thankful for their benevolence and guidance.

“I can’t explain how much Juan Carlos has done for me," Ward said. "He’s around if he’s not playing tournaments, I’ve practiced with him a lot, I’ve seen the amount of dedication he puts into his tennis, his training levels, his fitness levels and I’ve been working with his physical trainer, too, working on what I need to do to be in the best shape I can. Juan Carlos has been a tremendous incentivising force for me."

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James Ward Mentored by Juan Carlos Ferrero. Quotes in above story appeared here first.