One of Wimbledon’s “unsung heroes”, the Wimbledon Master of Ceremonies, Dan Bloxham, has just spent the past few days inspecting, visiting and playing at the prestigious Mallorca Country Club in Santa Ponsa, for Spobis Match Point Mallorca, sponsored by AETIB, which again this year will be hosting the ATP 250 tournament. This will take place from June 21 to June 28, with top players coming to the island as part of the final preparations for Wimbledon. Dan, told the Bulletin this week that he has been extremely impressed with the club and what the island has to offer the players in general. He is one of the most important figures at the All England Club. He is a Level 5 tennis coach who holds a dual role at Wimbledon. He is current head coach and has helped the likes of Andy Murray and Johanna Konta on the road to success. He is also the Wimbledon Master of Ceremonies, whose role is technically to invite players to play on Centre Court. He escorts the two players to court before each game and is watched by around 150 million people on the walk before the final. In short, he is the last person the players see before they take to the courts during the tournament. Furthermore, as head coach he is captain of the Members’ Team, which every year enjoy a tennis holiday, mainly on grass courts; Mallorca has been chosen for next year. It’s amazing“It’s amazing where we’ve found great grass courts over the years, from Japan to China, India and Hong Kong. And working with Tim Henman we’ve obviously played the great clubs in Europe like Stuttgart. But having seen the Mallorca Country Club, I’m extremely impressed and see a great flourishing future for the club. We’ll be planning our tennis holiday in Mallorca for next year. “It’s been great. I’ve been down with Mark Ferguson, grass specialist from Wimbledon, and it’s been very interesting and encouraging. I’ve been playing a couple of hours on clay and the hard courts in the morning and then grass in the afternoons and the courts are first class. “I have to stress that the grass groundsman is part of the Wimbledon team, so the relationship between the two clubs is very close. We support the tournament ever more each year. It’s an ATP event and we’re nearing the 150th anniversary of the The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, of which Santa Ponsa is a member, so we have a very special year ahead and we want to further develop our relationship with Mallorca. One of the main aims is to bring that connection between Mallorca and Wimbledon to the forefront. British heritage“So moving forwards it’s not only going to be about tennis, we’re also going to help host two croquet events and tournaments at the country club every month. These will be quality sponsored events to increase the club’s exposure to the community on the island and attract more people of all nationalities to enjoy the experience, plus the Pimm’s and the champagne ..,” he said. “It’s all part of the British heritage. "I can certainly say that my experience has been first class. The secret to a good tennis club is energy, enthusiasm and positivity, and the club in Santa Ponsa is brimming with it all. The coaching staff are excellent and it’s crucial that when members, or even guests, enter the club, they feel at home; that’s how I was made to feel in Mallorca. All that’s very important. So, combine that with the facilities and the country club has all the makings of competing with the best tennis/padel clubs in Europe. No doubt about it. “It’s got perfect courts, a wonderful hotel across the road, it’s 15/20 minutes from the airport, it has a top golf club next door, while there are all the others around the island along with the first class hotels. Most tennis players love a round a golf in their downtime and obviously want to stay in comfort but like to have things relatively close together. Mediterranean vibe“So the club’s location, surrounded by the mountains and just a few minutes from the sea, is a winner. In addition, the club has that Mediterranean vibe, which is another benefit. It’s not a massive tennis resort stuck in the middle of nowhere, it’s just comfortable, and all these reasons are why, since the tournament began, some of the best tennis players in the world have decided to play Mallorca ahead of Wimbledon. I can’t see any reason for that to change, In fact I can only see the club’s cachet growing and I certainly hope so,” Dan enthused. “Coming out of Covid, tennis clubs, all sports clubs, are flourishing. For many active people who were locked away, unable to exercise and socialise, it’s been a breath of fresh air to get to back into their normal rhythms. More people have decided it’s time to get fit and healthy and enjoy the fun of being a club member and that’s helped us all in the sector as a whole,” he added. Roger, Rafa, Andy and NovakWith Wimbledon just a few months away, Dan has always got his mind set on his vitally important role at the most famous tennis club in the world. “I’ve got a great team and obviously as I or we walk the greats to the courts, there’s always the odd member who tries to get in the way for a chat or whatever, so diplomacy is the key, I’ve become a great diplomat over the years. But when it comes to the players they love and deeply respect Wimbledon. Behind the scenes, for example, timing is very important. Depending on the nationalities, some are more punctual that others. “But what does shine out and is something I always take with me when I give talks to juniors or in schools is the high level of respect the players have for each other, the club and its rules. They love the clothing regulations, for example, it all adds to the prestige and importance of the event. I have to admit I have a unique position, but the players, and I’ve seen some the biggest rivals of the history of the game, especially with the recent big four of Rafa, Roger, Andy and Novak. Their behaviour has been impeccable and they show each other the utmost respect. They all hold great values and that applies to all of the top tennis players, male and female. “They bring that to their game. On court, for example, the players, especially the top seeds, are more concerned about themselves and their game than the other players. In most cases they have a pretty good idea how the opponent players, the fitness levels, best shots, etc., so the players focus more on themselves. Their job is to get the very best out of themselves to beat the person on the other side of the court. When they do get angry or frustrated it’s with themselves, not their opponent and that is something I always share and try to explain to youngsters when I give open days or talks, as does the rest of the team. “Yes, each player has his or her own little final warm-up move or attempt to psych the other player out and put him off guard slightly. Rafa (Nadal) was a prime example with his final jumping up and down moves as we waited to finally go on court. On one occasion, while playing on one of the outer courts, the height of the entrance to the court slipped my mind. Rafa started bouncing up and down and hit his head on the door frame, but it was no big deal and things do happen,” he sniggered. “It will be interesting this year because we’re moving to electronic line judges. This will make line calls more efficient but we will still have a team of judges because anything can happen. Say the power goes down like at Heathrow, we can’t call it all off until the matter is repaired, so the traditional line judges will step in. Yes, there’s the argument of whether the electronic system is 100% correct, but if it’s slightly off, then it will affect both players, so really no one will be playing at a disadvantage. It’s the future I guess and one we have to embrace,” Dan said. “There’s been a change of the guard at the top of men’s tennis, if you like, so it’s going to be a very interesting and exciting Wimbledon this year. The British men and women are on form, especially Jack. Novak is obviously still there and he wants one more slam. I think he’s got his sights set on the French but he’d clearly take Wimbledon - who wouldn’t - plus there’s Carlos Alcaraz, who is playing some great grass tennis. It’s very difficult to say about the women. There are some great players who have come through and it’s going to be very open on both sides of the draw,” he said. Win or lose“But win or lose, that’s when the respect I’ve talked about really comes to the forefront. Obviously the winners don’t need consoling, it’s the loser. But as we see time and time again, the players remain on court after the match and the losers are always very courteous. They pay their respects to the winner, thank the organisers and the crowds and that is not always easy when you’ve lost an important match; that shows courage as well. It reminds me of rugby. In fact I think tennis and rugby are the only two sports which show so much respect for the losers. In rugby, the winning team always gives the losers a tunnel or applause of the pitch and I think those traits and traditions in these sports are very important and must be cherished. But yes, sometimes walking a loser back to their locker room can be a slow and testing walk. That said, once it’s all over, the focus switches to the next tournament and making sure the same mistakes are not made again,” Dan explained. “This is where some of the top players will be hoping to fine tune their game on the eve of Wimbledon this year. Edwin Weindorfer, CEO of the organising e|motion group, has created a winning tournament and my trip down here, which will be the first of many I am sure, has been to bolster relations between the two clubs. Wimbledon is a first-class spectacle and there is no reason whey the Mallorca Championships can’t hit those heights,” Dan said.