“Do you like Spain, do you like tennis, do you like wine?”
Adriana Isaza had me at ‘Spain’ and the other two sealed the deal. Let’s talk girls’ weekend… or week, how about a month? It’s all up to you as you plan your custom getaway with Adriana of Elite Tennis Travel. Frankly, I’m concerned some of us wouldn’t return after a few days of playing with Nadal on the coast of Spain, getting pampered at exclusive spas and dining at gourmet restaurants… all at the snap of Adriana’s, 5.0 level tennis playing, little fingers.
“Dad, when will I become a national champion?”
Born and raised in Colombia, Adriana has been playing tennis since she was 5. With her father as her mentor, she looked to him as she set her sights on a professional tennis career. “Dad, when will I become a national champion?” Adriana asked at 12. “When you turn 16,” her father answered off-the-cuff. Sure enough, taking his statement to heart, she became national champion at 16 as her father predicted. “Dad, may I leave home and travel the world to compete in international tennis championships?” she asked at 16. “If you find a sponsor, you may,” he answered. And so she did. She wrote letters, went to interviews and persevered, until she found a sponsor to pay for her airfare to tournaments throughout the world.
“I had to perform well, or eat once a day. Going home was not an option.”
Adriana, left home at 16, with a sponsored plane ticket but was responsible for her own logging and meals. “I had to perform well, or eat once a day. Going home was not an option.” She remembers landing in London, leaving the airport, stepping on the busy main street, looking around and asking the passers-by “Where is Wimbledon?”
She made it to the Wimbledon Juniors Main Draw and entered the French Open as a qualifier. At 18, Adriana was touring as a semi-pro through South America, Europe and Israel. With no coach, no chaperone, no financial assistance — she kept track of her standings and organized her trips, meals and transportation. As fate would have it, Adriana was injured right before she won the silver medal at the Pan American games, the precursor to the Olympics. The injury and the struggle “just to have a meal”, lead her to rethink her path. She moved to the US on full tennis scholarships to universities in Texas and Florida and earned a Master’s Degree in Spanish Literature.
Adriana fell in love with Spain after living there for several months at a time while touring in Europe, and it was only natural that her path would lead to the founding of Elite Tennis Travel. Even more amazing than the getaways offered for adults, are the immersive tennis and cultural experiences designed for teens that range from living at a tennis academy in Spain to staying with a host family.
In looking back at Adriana’s career, it is clear that her early struggles were the foundation and training for her ultimate purpose in life — creating unforgettable travel experiences for people passionate about tennis and culture. Adriana has travelled the world and has connected with renowned cultural and tennis destinations, which is the foundation of her now successful travel business Elite Tennis Travel .
Happy travels,
CG TEAM