Our history
A journey through the club's history.
For generations, these courts have been a place to discover tennis, grow alongside other players and make friendships that still endure.
Where it all began
The first rallies.
In the 1960s, playing tennis in Maó took real determination. A small group of enthusiasts used the Unión Deportiva skating rink: they put up the net before playing and took it down afterwards. The earliest rallies were played with wooden paddles and a rope for a net.
They wanted a place of their own. On 10 July 1965, Pedro Luis Mercadal Mercadal, Bartolomé Mercadal Sintes and Antonio Pons Meliá bought 7,000 square metres of land in Trepucó for 222,666 pesetas. There, beside the talayot and surrounded by countryside, the club began to take shape.
Vicente Mercadal built the first two concrete courts, which opened on 17 March 1967. With help from Juan Carreras Ruiz and Manuel Salinger, modest changing rooms were also built and Club Tenis Talaiot was established. That same year, the first members joined and the name Club Tenis Mahón was adopted.
History, step by step
From two concrete courts to today's club.
The club grew thanks to many members who, out of love for tennis and the club, freely gave their time, work and resources to support it and help it flourish.
-
Two courts and a name of its own
Buying the land meant leaving the borrowed court behind. In March 1967, the two concrete courts opened and, after an initial period as Club Tenis Talaiot, the name Club Tenis Mahón was born.
-
The third court and the first clubhouse
A third court was built, the first two were resurfaced and work began on the first phase of the clubhouse. The club was becoming more than just a place to play matches.
-
The tennis school takes shape
Albano Gómez introduced the first promotional lessons for children in 1974. In 1978, the school was put on a permanent footing and Sebastián Moll took over its professional direction. Over the years, a dozen pupils would become more than a hundred.
-
Four new clay courts
The expansion cost 1.6 million pesetas and transformed the scale of the club. With its new clay courts, Club Tenis Mahón became the club with the most courts in the Balearic Islands at that time.
-
The club retains control of its assets
Tenis Talayot S.A. was established to organise ownership of the land and facilities. Club Tenis Mahón retained 51% of the shares, a decision intended to protect what had been built and secure its future.
-
More members, a growing school and better facilities
During these years, the club grew from around 200 members and 40 pupils to nearly 380 members and 150 pupils. The clay courts gained floodlights, a new bar with a covered terrace was built, and the changing rooms and showers were expanded.
-
International tennis comes to Trepucó
In 1984, the club hosted an ATP tournament with players from five continents. Two years later came the Máster Ibérico. The finals attracted between 600 and 700 spectators, an unprecedented turnout for tennis in Menorca at the time.
-
The silver jubilee and an established club
Manuel Orantes and Josele Moreno played the 25th-anniversary exhibition match. This was followed by two Spanish Veterans Championships, the magazine SET and further improvements to access roads and parking.
-
Menorca's first group tennis school for adults
Kiko Llopis proposed a different way to teach adults tennis: in groups, with time to learn, exercise and meet other players. It began at weekends and soon expanded to the rest of the week.
-
Padel joins the club
While the sport was only beginning to grow in Menorca, the club opened its first two padel courts with support from several members.
-
Fifty years of club life
The golden jubilee brought different generations together and honoured presidents, coaches, staff and members. The club's history was never the work of just one person.
-
Today
The story continues on court
Today, the six clay courts, two artificial grass courts and four padel courts are joined by the tennis school, gym, bar and the club's social life. The MT200 Maó - Ciutat de Maó, part of the ITF Masters World Tour, also maintains the link with international competition.
Club archive
The book that brought together the first twenty-nine years.
In 1994, the club published Memoria de un cuarto de siglo, 1965-1994. Its pages bring together the story of the club's beginnings, photographs, accounts from founders and players, lists of champions and the names of many people who helped build the club.
It is now available as a digital edition with the book's complete photographic archive.
Book gallery
Images that are part of the club's history.
A selection of photographs published in Memoria de un cuarto de siglo. Each image can be opened at a larger size.
Generations
The club passes from one generation to the next.
Hundreds of children have learnt to play on these courts. Some kept competing, others returned years later, and many eventually brought their own children. Together, they have kept a school going that began with very modest resources.
The club's story continues through the members who visit every day and, taking up the baton from those pioneers, keep their dream alive with dedication and voluntary work.
Sources
Sources consulted.
The first part of the timeline comes from the book published by the club in 1994. Press articles were cross-checked to complete the later years.
