Last week we all got together in Monaco for our 2nd training camp. It is great to have all players, coaches, Nikos and Andrea in one place even though the week flew by.

Lynn Hillsdon provided her usual high standard of hospitality which Nikos and I especially enjoyed (we are now a couple of pounds heavier!) and Vin Hillsdon gave us an update on the progress of the business. Vin has helped pioneer this ground-breaking Academy and enjoyed seeing the players on court.

We were joined in a number of practice sessions by George Bastl (the player who famously beat Pete Sampras in his last Wimbledon. He is only one of 11 players to ever beat Pete on grass). I coached against George many times and it was good to have him around bringing a seasoned pro’s intensity to the court which was very helpful to Ilija and Henri Kontinen – a Finnish player who is working with us for six weeks. Ilija showed how much progress he has made by competing effectively with George, who is still a top 200 player. The other bonus was working out alongside former World No.4 Jonas Bjorkman in the gym. He demonstrated his dedication but we also saw that our players have a similar focus – it is just not as self-induced yet, which is our job to instill.

We eat most nights at an Italian restaurant called Lorenzo’s which is a treat in atmosphere and quality. Already this week we are seeing the benefits of the camp and it also helps the coaches to personally spend time all together as this is a very demanding job on the road. Everyone is refreshed by the interaction and this is energizing.

We all look forward to a productive summer and another camp in August.