With a $92 million renovation complete and a renewed long-term vision in place, Saddlebrook Resort has entered a new era. At the center of that next chapter is former ATP professional Thomas Blake, who has stepped into the role of Director of Performance Tennis. For Blake, this is more than a professional opportunity — it is a return to a place that helped shape his career.
“Starting the year after I finished college, my brother and I moved down here in ’99 and trained our entire professional careers here,” Blake said. “So, nothing but good memories.”
Saddlebrook was not just a training base for Thomas and his brother James. It was an environment built for high-level development, with year-round outdoor courts, multiple surfaces, and a culture centered around improvement. Coming from the Northeast, Blake immediately saw the difference.
“It was funny coming here after growing up in Connecticut… playing at 6:00 a.m. in the morning before going to high school because that’s the only time we could get indoor court time,” Blake said. “Coming down here was an eye opener.”
The contrast went beyond weather. It was about opportunity and resources.
“We were able to train six, seven days a week on four different surfaces and in different conditions and then go straight to the gym and the field and use all these resources that we didn’t really have,” he explained.
During Blake’s original years training at Saddlebrook, the player list was stacked. “Mardy (Fish) was here… Jeff Morrison shortly followed,” Blake recalled. “The women’s program… was kind of an all-star list… there was this crazy stable of women’s players.” The daily environment meant looking down the row of courts and seeing elite professionals putting in serious work.
The coaching staff also left a lasting impression. “Alvaro (Betancur) is still doing it and he is a legend,” Blake said. “He was here when we started here.” The structure allowed players to individualize their training while using the resort’s deep resources.
After stepping away from full-time tennis and spending more than a decade in finance, Blake eventually found his way back to the sport. When the opportunity at Saddlebrook came up, it felt natural. “I was blown away. I was very impressed when I met the new owner,” he said. “Loved his sort of long-term thought… the vision that they have. The amount of capital that they’re putting into this place and just the vision that they have for it,” he said, made the decision clear.
Now, as Director of Performance Tennis, Blake’s focus is on strengthening the culture that once defined Saddlebrook. He understands the realities of professional tennis better than most.
“Tennis is a lonely sport and especially as a professional,” Blake said. “You’re just on your own… traveling to all these foreign lands.” He is quick to dispel the glamorous perception. “It sounds from the outside that it’s this glamorous thing and realistically it’s not,” he said. “You see courts and you see the hotel and maybe a couple of restaurants that you become familiar with.”
That is why the training base matters so much. Blake remembers what it felt like to have a built-in network of players pushing each other. “I always felt like when I was playing that there always seemed to be someone else from Saddlebrook that was there and we were always pulling for each other,” he said.
Rebuilding and expanding that communal performance environment is central to his vision. He wants juniors, academy players, and touring pros to feel part of something bigger than their individual sessions.
“Ideally if I can get that feeling back… that’s the main thing that I want to try to find again,” Blake said. “For me it helped. So I would hope that it would help some of the next generation.”
The leadership role has required adjustment. “It’s funny going from just being on the court to being involved in having your hands in a lot more things,” Blake admitted. “It’s an eye opening experience, but it’s great. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
His energy is clear. “This is certainly getting me out of bed in the morning, and I’m happy to come here every day,” he said.
With a fully renovated property, renewed ownership commitment, and a Director of Performance Tennis who understands both the grind of the tour and the power of environment, Saddlebrook Resort is positioning itself once again as a premier destination for serious player development. For Blake, it is a return home — and an opportunity to help shape the next generation within a place he still calls special.
For more information about Saddlebrook Resort’s tennis programs, academy, camps, or performance training opportunities, visit saddlebrook.com or call the resort directly at 813-973-1111.
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Written by Associate Editor Osvaldo Godoy. Photo credits: Thomas Blake/Saddlebrook Resort.