The former tennis director at Saddlebrook Resort led the celebration of a project three years in the making. CEO Pascal Collard recently headed up the grand opening of the Sarah Vance Berg Tennis and Wellness Center in Zephyrhills.

“I wanted to create something different and unique,” Collard said of the center, named after a former Zephyrhills High standout who as a college player in South Carolina perished in a 2015 car crash.

Collard was not the only Wesley Chapel connection to the 30,000-square-foot indoor facility that also features outdoor courts for tennis, pickleball and padel. That trio includes: former professional John Isner who has coached at Saddlebrook; Mark Shepherd, Saddlebrook’s former headmaster who is a tutor for the center’s academic academy; and Gary Blissett, who heads up the youth soccer program.

State senator Wilton Simpson and Danny Burgess, a former state representative who once again is running for office, were on hand to celebrate the $5 million facility.

“They went all out and they did it right,” Simpson said. “It gets people outside and will bring people from all over.”

“This is absolutely magnificent,” Burges added. “It’s one of a kind.”

Nick Bollettieri, a mentor to Collard, showed up in support. The American tennis coach pioneered the concept of a tennis boarding school, and helped develop professionals like Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Monica Seles.

“This isn’t to build champions,” Bollettieri said of the new center. “It’s built to give children an opportunity to pursue their dreams.”