John McEnroe guides Kiwis on tennis-themed Tanzania safari

Tennis star John McEnroe will be joining brother Patrick for an historic match in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. Photo / Dean Purcell

“You cannot be serious!”

A luxury Kiwi travel company has served up an exclusive trip to Tanzania with celebrity guides, who add a sporting spin to the favourite safari destination.

Guests will be hosted by seven-time Grand Slam title winnerand tennis legend John McEnroe, who is attending with his brother, and rival tennis star, Patrick McEnroe.

The trip, which departs on December 1, will offer a range of daily tennis-themed activities and wildlife drives through the Serengeti National Park.

Although there will be only one ‘big game’ on the minds of attendees.

The McEnroe brothers are set to play the world’s first tennis match in the heart of the Serengeti.

The historic charity match will be raising funds for the “Johnny Mac Tennis Project” as a way to boost the sport’s profile in Tanzania and with Maasai youth.

“Increasing interest in tennis in Africa has long been a goal,” says John McEnroe.

“To me, it’s always been a worldwide game. The win for me would be to make the game more accessible and affordable.”

Patrick has joined him on court many times before, both as doubles partner and rival, but this time they will meet in the Ngorongoro Crater.

The bush-tennis tour is hosted by Tanzania Tourism in association with the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

Off the court, the McEnroes will be mixing with guests on a shared game drive, during dining functions, and will be running a tennis clinic for local children in the Maasai Cultural Village.

There is also an opportunity for tourists to play a game against the tennis masters.

“There will be tennis enthusiasts from around the world on the tour,” says Melanie Wright, spokeswoman for Viva Expeditions, the tour’s official New Zealand sellers.

She says a couple of former professional tennis champions are already on the list, as guests.

Accommodation is through the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti, which offers five-star luxury within the 15,000sq km wilderness reserve.

Francis Thomas, the head of Tennis Tanzania, says he has already seen a huge uptick in interest from young people getting into the sport.

Thomas, says he has seen both a surge of promising future stars go from street tennis and an increase in tennis courts available throughout the country.

A portion of each guest’s fee will be going to grassroots sport in Tanzania through the Tanzanian Tennis Federation and the Johnny Mac Tennis Project which provides opportunities for disadvantaged youth to play tennis in New York - the McEnroes’ home town.

The tour, which departs on December 1, will travel eight days from Kilimanjaro return. Packages are priced from $25,844pp. Availability is strictly limited.