I Went to Sedona for the Spirituality. I Left Obsessed With Tennis

Most leave Sedona with a renewed sense of self. I left with a tennis obsession.Sedona has a reputation as a place people come for the red rocks, spiritual vortexes, wellness retreats, and enough crystals and palo santo to launch a side hustle reading auras.When I checked into Outbound Sedona, a brand-new desert retreat just minutes from uptown, I fully expected the yoga, meditative breathwork sessions, spa treatments, and afternoons wandering through Tlaquepaque’s charming galleries and artisan shops. What I didn’t expect was to fall headfirst into a tennis clinic and become obsessed.Set against Sedona’s iconic red rock backdrop, Outbound’s four on-site tennis and pickleball courts quickly became the highlight of my weekend. Hosted by Rhythm & Rally, a community-driven tennis and pickleball experience that combines beginner-friendly instruction with music, social connection, and a fun, party-like atmosphere, the clinic somehow turned me, a complete novice, into someone actively considering buying a racket. (Natch, I bought the racket as soon as I got home. Watch out, Alcaraz.)Between rallies, poolside cocktails, sunset dinners at Lucida, cozy fire pits, and a dance party under the stars, Outbound delivered everything you’d want from a Sedona escape. I came for the red rocks and vortexes. I left thinking about tennis.Game, set, match.Watch the video to see why tennis—not vortexes—stole the show in Sedona.