Yusuf POLAT

"Tennis has changed my life in the most beautiful way. I have gained lifelong friends and lessons all around the world."

I am an enthusiastic tennis and golf player, playing for top teams for a number of tennis clubs. Over the past 25 years, I have played with the Atik Tennis Club in Antalya, Turkey; the United Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida; the Blakeney Club in Charlotte, North Carolina; and the David Lloyd Club, Surrey. I am currently a member of the Antalya Tennis Club ATIK and David Lloyd Club, and also hold memberships of the Turkish Tennis Federation and the British LTA. Known for my speed and consistency, I believe my expertise of the game has been forged from years of competing at a high level.

As a former line umpire, I am familiar with the regulations set out by the International Tennis Federation. I worked as a line umpire in the WTA Tournament in Istanbul in 2005 and was chosen to be one of the line umpires for the final between Venus Williams and Nicole Vaidisova. I also took part as a line umpire in the Istanbul FED Cup in 2005.

From 2010 to 2012, I was a board member for the Atik Tennis Club in Antalya, Turkey. Alongside this role, I was part of a committee for senior players for the Turkish Tennis Federation.

I started playing golf in Regnum Carya Golf in Belek, Turkey, and immediately fell for the game. Since then I have taken every opportunity to play.

Skiing is another sport that I enjoy. I travel to a number of ski resorts in Austria and Switzerland during the European winters.

With our shared passion for sport and travel, my wife Zuhal and I have decided to bring together our strengths to organise sports holidays. Zuhal is a professional travel organiser and brings 25 years of expert knowledge and experience.

Zuhal POLAT

"Travel is my calling"

I am a travel professional with over 25 years of experience in the tourism industry, the result of working in the front office of the Hotel Grand Azur, for tour operators Neckermann, Thomas Cook and LTU and as a customer service team member for the airline SunExpress. With this background, I have an understanding of the industry and I have a strong sense of how to meet the needs of customers.

Worked as a licensed tourist guide for many years, which helped me develop skills in problem-solving and multi-tasking, gave me a wide range of knowledge of all the regions of Turkey.

 

I am adept at negotiating the best possible rates in Turkey for our guests, thanks to my relationships with hotels that I have forged during my roles as a hotel contractor and buyer for travel agencies.

I am DBS-checked - and in this vein - I can work with children.

Just like my husband, I am passionate about tennis. Since 2001, I have held memberships of the Turkish Tennis Federation and the British LTA. I am a regular player for the teams at David Lloyd Club. Outside of tennis, I enjoy yoga, pilates and skiing.

You can speak to me in Turkish, English and German.

Our son, a great tennis player and keen sports player, also joins us on many of our sporting ventures. With this sense of sport as a family lifestyle, we are keen to share this spirit with others interested in sporting holidays.

Aykan POLAT

"I was fortunate to have been introduced to sport at an early age"

My parents had a huge impact on the person I am today and they are the reason I’m so passionate about sport. They sacrificed so much for me while I was growing up and I’m very grateful for their unconditional help in providing logistical and financial support during all the sports I have tried over the years.

Over the past ten years, I have been learning and playing tennis, and have been coached at several clubs, including the Atik Tennis Club in Antalya, Turkey; the United Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida; and the GTA Guildford Tennis Academy in Milford, Surrey. I am currently a member of the Antalya Tennis Club ATIK and David Lloyd Clubs, and also hold memberships of the Turkish Tennis Federation and the British LTA. Alongside my tennis career, I also play for the Albury football team as a goalkeeper. As a family, our weekends are often spent on the golf course.

 

My mum was the driving force behind travel becoming a life-affirming passion for me. Every year, as a gift from my parents, I visit a different destination for my birthday, which gives me a wonderful opportunity to see so many places around the world.

Thanks to my parents’ time and commitment to my sporting life, we spend lots of family time together playing tennis, playing golf and going skiing. And travel with sports in mind is the cherry on top…