Tennis Academy

What Tennis Academy does

The John Heuerman Tennis Academy is a privately held community tennis and racquet sports facility operator founded in 1991 by John Heuerman in Sevenoaks, Kent. The business operates a multi-venue footprint anchored by Hollybush Tennis and Padel Centre (six hard tennis courts with floodlights, an on-site cafe, and three newly opened padel courts), supplemented by junior coaching at Kemsing Primary School and a specialist Pro Shop in Otford offering racket servicing and equipment retail. Its core technology stack is the LTA-powered ClubSpark booking platform, used for court hire, class scheduling, and program registration.

The academy's revenue model blends transactional and service-based streams: court hire for both tennis and padel, group and private coaching (from £35 per hour for private 1:1 sessions), school-holiday tennis camps, cardio and social tennis sessions, retail through the Pro Shop, and food and beverage via Hollybush Cafe. Pricing is unit-based and pay-as-you-go, targeting a community customer base spanning children aged 3+ through adults, from beginners to competition players. The customer segments are diversified across youth (Mini Munchkins through Yellow Ball), adult players (beginner to advanced), and emerging padel and pickleball cohorts.

Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer, with online self-serve booking via ClubSpark and physical presence at Hollybush, Kemsing, and Otford. Marketing relies on Instagram, Facebook, an email newsletter, and blog content. The business is founder-owned and operated as a family enterprise (John Heuerman as Proprietor, Georgie Heuerman as next-generation coach, Steve Seffens as Director of Racquet Sports), with no external investment and headcount of approximately 10 team members. Strategic focus in 2025-2026 centers on the Hollybush Padel launch and multi-sport hub consolidation.

Name

Tennis Academy

Legal name

The John Heuerman Tennis Academy

Website

https://tennisacademy.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The John Heuerman Tennis Academy is a family-owned community tennis and racquet sports facility in Sevenoaks, UK, offering coaching, court hire, holiday camps, padel, pickleball, a Pro Shop, and an on-site cafe for all ages and abilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tennis & Racquet Sports Coaching

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Tennis & Racquet Sports Clubs (Tennis, Padel, Pickleball, Squash) (MPAKABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tennis & Racquet Sports Facilities (MPAKAEAE), Tennis Equipment & Accessories Retail (CRAMAFAA), Racquet Sports (Tennis/Pickleball/Badminton/Squash) Retail (CRAMABAF)

Keywords

• Tennis coaching services
• Racquet sports facility
• Tennis court hire
• Junior tennis lessons
• Adult tennis programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sevenoaks

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Court Hire: Rental of tennis and padel courts to the general public. 6 hard tennis courts with floodlights available on request.
2. Coaching and Private Sessions: Private 1:1 tennis coaching for adults and children aged 6+. Lessons start from £35 per hour.
3. Holiday Tennis Camps: Multi-day tennis camps held during school holidays for children ages 3+
4. Hollybush Cafe: On-site cafe serving hot, cold food and drinks
5. Pro Shop: Tennis specialist shop in Otford offering racket services, retail, and equipment
6. Padel Court Hire: Padel court rental at £20 per hour during initial opening phase

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The John Heuerman Tennis Academy is a community tennis and racquet sports facility that delivers age-segmented tennis coaching (youth and adult), private lessons, school holiday camps, court hire, and ancillary retail. It has expanded its offering to include padel court hire at newly constructed courts and weekly pickleball courses, supported by an on-site cafe and Pro Shop services such as racket re-stringing and equipment sales.

Product overview

The John Heuerman Tennis Academy is a tennis and racquet sports coaching organization operating primarily at Hollybush Tennis Centre in Sevenoaks, Kent. The academy offers a multi-sport portfolio including youth and adult tennis coaching, holiday camps, private sessions, and increasingly padel and pickleball. Core products include Youth Tennis (age-specific programs from 3-17), Adult Tennis Lessons (beginner to advanced), Private Sessions (1:1 coaching), Holiday Tennis Camps, and Cardio Tennis. The academy recently expanded into padel with 3 new courts at Hollybush, and offers pickleball courses 6x weekly. Supporting facilities include court hire at Hollybush Tennis Centre (6 hard courts with floodlights), an on-site cafe, and a Pro Shop in Otford. The academy uses ClubSpark for class and court bookings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hollybush Padel: State-of-the-art padel courts at Hollybush Tennis Centre in Sevenoaks, with court hire from £20 per hour.
• Hollybush Cafe

Products and services

• Youth Tennis Structured tennis coaching programme for children aged 3-17 organised by age groups: Mini Munchkins (ages 3-4), Red Ball (ages 5-7), Orange Ball (ages 8-9), Green Ball (ages 10-11), and Yellow Ball (ages 11-17). Sessions cover ball skills, footwork, coordination, and fun games using age-appropriate equipment.
• Adult Tennis Lessons Group tennis lessons for adults of all ages and abilities, from beginner sessions to social play. Courses typically run 6-10 weeks, covering grip, stance, strokes, and all basics of the game.
• Private Sessions One-on-one focused tennis coaching for adults and children aged 6+, with coach matching based on ability and tailored lesson plans. Sessions start from £35 per hour, with small group sessions available upon request.
• Holiday Tennis Camps Multi-day tennis camps held at Hollybush Tennis Centre during school holidays for children ages 3+. Two formats are available: Mini Camps (2 hours) and Pro Camps (5 hours over four consecutive days). Camps include a lunch break and coverage of all basic tennis shots.
• Pickleball Paddle sport combining elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. Courses run 6 times per week at Hollybush Tennis Centre, with Beginner/Improver and Improver/Intermediate levels available, plus an organised community play group.
• Hollybush Padel Three state-of-the-art padel courts at Hollybush, Sevenoaks, purpose-built for players of all levels from beginners to experienced. Court hire from £20 per hour, with bookings managed via ClubSpark.
• Hollybush Tennis Centre Court Hire Public hire of 6 hard tennis courts with floodlights available on request at Hollybush Tennis Centre in Sevenoaks, Kent. On-site facilities include Hollybush Cafe (hot/cold food and drinks), playground, parking, and dog-friendly environment.
• Pro Shop Tennis specialist shop in Otford, Sevenoaks, offering face-to-face customer service, racket re-stringing, re-gripping, repairs, stock control, and racket sport retail. Full training is provided for retail roles.
• Junior Term Classes After-school clubs and weekend tennis classes for children aged 3-18. Includes recreational player sessions and opportunities for young players interested in match play, with a minimum of 2 squads per week or 1:1 lessons.
• Cardio Tennis Fitness-focused tennis sessions combining a cardiovascular workout with tennis skills. Offered alongside Tennis Mornings, Social Play, Beginner lessons, Intermediate/Improvers, and Advanced lessons.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LTA (Lawn Tennis Association)coreTechnology or IntegrationLTA Accreditation for all coaches; ClubSpark platform (LTA-powered) used for all court bookings and class scheduling. Academy operates within LTA framework for coaching standards and booking systems.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• We Are Padel: UK padel club operator building dedicated padel venues with coaching and league programs. Comparable as a UK-focused padel operator competing for the same emerging customer demand in the South East and beyond.
• Padel Social Club: Multi-venue UK padel operator with a club-format offering (court hire, coaching, social events). Comparable as a UK-focused padel brand competing in the same growth category that Hollybush Padel has entered.
• Rocket Padel: UK-based dedicated padel club operator rapidly expanding venues nationwide. Comparable as a UK padel operator competing for the same emerging sport demand that Hollybush Padel is now tapping into in Kent.

Broad incumbents

• Nuffield Health: UK-wide health and wellbeing operator with select racquet sports facilities, coaching and member amenities. Comparable as a broader fitness/wellness brand that includes tennis court hire and lessons within a wider portfolio.
• The National Tennis Centre (LTA): The Lawn Tennis Association's flagship training and performance venue at Roehampton. Comparable as an LTA-accredited tennis facility and the national governing body's hub for coaching standards and competition pathways that Tennis Academy's coaches are credentialed against.
• David Lloyd Leisure: UK-wide premium health, fitness and racquets club chain with extensive tennis and (newer) padel facilities. Comparable as a multi-site UK racquet sports operator with coaching, court hire, retail and F&B under one roof, but operates at significantly larger scale and as a broader fitness brand rather than a community-focused tennis specialist.
• Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre: National sports facility in Berkshire offering tennis coaching, court hire and holiday programs. Comparable as a multi-sport venue with structured tennis coaching, camps and community access, though operating as a national-scale centre rather than a private club.

Direct peers

• Parklangley Club: South-east England members' sports club with tennis, padel and fitness offerings plus coaching and on-site amenities. Comparable as a regional racquet sports club competing for the same Kent/South-East catchment and family demographic.
• Surbiton Racket & Fitness Club: Established Greater London/Surrey racquet sports club offering tennis (and adjacent racquet sports) with coaching, leagues and member amenities. Comparable as a community-rooted UK racquet sports club with similar coaching + court hire + clubhouse model.
• The Shrewsbury Club: Multi-sport UK club offering tennis, padel, squash, fitness, coaching, holiday camps, F&B and retail. Closely comparable as a family-run community club operating tennis plus adjacent racquet sports with similar product breadth and pricing tiers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TennisAcademySevenoaks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thejohnheuermantennisacademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/hollybushtennis
• Xx.com/thetennisacad

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tennis Academy