The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort has lined up an unusual winter season attraction: three of the biggest names in tennis trading the tour for the Indian Ocean. Between late October and the end of November 2026, Daniil Medvedev, Paula Badosa and Donna Vekić will each take up a residency at the resort as part of its Astor Club Soirée programme, run with LUX Tennis.

Croatia's Donna Vekić opens the series from October 29 to November 1. A five-time WTA title winner with a career-high ranking of World No. 17, she took silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics, reached the Wimbledon semifinals, and won the Queen's Club Championships in 2026. Her sessions are pitched at players of every level.

Paula Badosa follows on November 13 and 14. The Spaniard, a former World No. 2 and French Open junior champion, has rebuilt her career after injury, winning the Washington Open, reaching the 2024 US Open quarterfinals and making the 2025 Australian Open semifinals. Her stay centres on coaching and on-court sessions.

The headline act is Daniil Medvedev, in residence November 26 to 27. The former ATP World No. 1, a US Open champion with multiple Masters 1000 titles and ATP Finals success to his name, will lead private lessons, clinics and guest events. Across all three residencies, expect a mix of private coaching, group clinics and junior development activities, with general manager Ozgur Cengiz framing the series as part of the resort's push to bring major sporting figures into its guest programming.

Elsewhere in the country, the Maldives' surf scene had its own moment: Adaaran Select Hudhuran Fushi in North Malé Atoll hosted a 40-strong all-female surf retreat in mid-October, built around the island's famed Lohis left-hand reef break. Organised by coach Elle Sampiere of SurferElle, the eight-day programme paired professional coaching with yoga, snorkelling, diving and island excursions, and connected visiting surfers with Surf Her Story, a local initiative founded by former pro Maju Freitas to get more Maldivian girls into surfing. The resort caps its surf passes at 45 registered surfers a day, which keeps the line-up noticeably less crowded than most famous breaks.

Why should a traveller care? Together these stories show the Maldives branching out beyond the classic overwater-villa honeymoon. If tennis is your sport, the 2026 residencies offer a rare chance to be coached by Grand Slam champions on a private island, with sessions open to beginners, juniors and serious players alike. If you'd rather be in the water yourself, Hudhuran Fushi shows how the country has matured into a genuine surf destination, a short speedboat ride from Malé's international airport, with managed access that protects the wave quality. Both experiences suit travellers who want an activity-led trip wrapped in resort comfort, and both reward early booking: residencies with three marquee athletes and a daily-capped surf break will sell out well before the dates arrive.

Reported by Maldives Insider.