It’s 30 degrees and the sun is shining, the sand shifts beneath my feet as I lunge with my racquet for the ball.
This is beach tennis, played with softer balls and stringless racquets, but many of the same rules as tennis.
Although the sport has Italian origins, it has taken off in Brazil in recent years, now dominating almost one-third of the beach-volleyball courts along the nation’s coastline.
But as much as I would like to be, I'm not on Copacabana beach. In fact, I've never even been to Brazil.
Instead, I stand on what can only be described as a massive sandpit in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Bola Beach Tennis Club is a new venture just weeks old, and one of just a handful of places that offers beach tennis in the UK.
The brainchild of Victoria Park tennis instructor Alex Smith, the club has transformed a barren patch of land next to Barge East in Hackney Wick into a slice of Rio de Janeiro.
Three beach tennis courts now occupy the space, flanked by mini palm trees, deckchairs and a makeshift bar.
If it wasn’t for the London Stadium looming in the background, on a balmy summer’s day you could be fooled into thinking you really had been transported to a different continent.
Born in east London to a Brazilian mother and a British father, Smith’s vision was formed on a trip to South America earlier this year.
After returning to the UK, he received the backing of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) to trial his concept for the first six weeks of the summer.
The tennis instructor quickly got to work with co-founder Fabricio Mendes.
To build the courts, they bought 340 tonnes of sand and raced over to a construction site in King’s Cross to collect discarded wood.
For such a small start-up, the results are impressive, allowing players to immerse themselves in the beach tennis experience.
Points are scored in the same way as tennis, with matches played as best-of-three tiebreak sets. There are no second serves, and the ball must be volleyed.
The sand makes moving across the court hard, so games are almost always played as doubles.
These conditions result in a fast-paced game, with the ball typically struck at head height to ensure it can loop over the high net.
It’s an easy game to love, with arguably a lower-skill barrier for first-time players and a more laid back vibe than traditional tennis.
The smaller court also makes the sport incredibly sociable, and there is an undeniable thrill of diving across the sand to try to return a shot that is just out of reach.
And win or lose, you can always congratulate yourself or commiserate with your partner over an ice-cold drink at the bar.
New racquet sports are on the rise (the number of padel courts in London seems to have increased exponentially in recent years) and there is every chance that beach tennis could be the next big thing.
The Hackney Wick venue is open from Thursday through to Sunday, with a one-hour beginners’ group coaching session costing just £14.
Courts can also be booked privately, and the club hosts a Friday evening "beach party" social session.
The club will be around for at least the next four weeks and hopes to become a permanent fixture in the area after that.
If you want a glimpse of what Brazil has to offer, but can’t afford the plane ticket, I would suggest getting yourself down to Bola Beach Tennis as soon as you can.
- Bola Beach Tennis can be found in Bassett Lane, Hackney Wick, E9 5EN; sessions can be booked online at bolabeachtennis.co.uk
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