The Bandeja UK padel magazine Autumn 2025

ISSUE 5 / Autumn 2025 £7

Chemmy

Alcott:

Olympic skier

Padal fanatic

Padel Dating

everyone’s a player

Inclusive Padel Tour

debuts in the UK

EXCLUSIVE

Pablo Carro

Playtomic’s quiet

statesman

Mastering the

bandeja

2 Buy print copies of The Bandeja at www.thebandeja.com

contents//

Issue 5 / Autumn 2025

Editor’s

Comment 54

Padel elbow

There’s no doubt that 2025 will go

down as the year padel shifted

up several gears in the UK. More

courts (almost 1,600*), more

locations (almost 470*) and tens

of thousands more players. It’s a

super bright outlook for the sport at

grassroots level.

The good news continues at elite

level, with two GB players now in

the women’s world top 100 - GB

No 1 Aimee Gibson achieved

this earlier in the year and her

teammate Catherine Rose just

recently, with a strong run to the

semi-finals in the FIP Bronze R3

Bullpadel Cup, partnered by former

GB No 1 Tia Norton.

8

Superheroes unite

for Tom Holland

26

Padel dating

Aimee now sits at world No 86

(she also recently won a Premier

Padel Majors game) and Catherine

at No 95, a phenomenal (and

much deserved) achievement

for both women.

Its significance cannot be

overstated; the world rankings

are dominated by Spain, which

has been playing padel for more

than 50 years. The UK has dabbled

with padel for a decade or so

but it’s only in the last few years

that it’s taken off, making Aimee

and Catherine’s achievements

all the more momentous. They -

and their GB teammates - will be

heading to Spain shortly to contest

padel’s version of the European

championships. We wish them

all the best of luck.

Emma

Emma Kimber

Founding Editor

emma@thebandeja.com

*Source: www.trustpadel.com

thebandeja.com | AUTUMN 2025

36

Inclusive

Padel Tour

38

Rocks Lane: The

padel powerhouse

32

49

Padel

gear

22

Chemmy Alcott

52

New rackets

throw shade

on injuries

3

NEWS

Manchester trio

launch Birbia

Padel fanatics Nick Bianchi, John Birtwistle

and Jason Manford (yes, the JM) have taken

their favourite pastime to a new level with the

launch of Birbia Sports, exclusive distributors

for premium Italian padel brand Hirostar.

The Padel Rally founders

James Male and Jack Rosser.

Birbia is firmly rooted in the Manchester padel

scene. Nick, a founder investor in The Padel

Club, has logged more than 800 games on

Playtomic and is behind podcast Padel Stories.

John, also an avid player, started the north

west’s Premier Padel Hub WhatsApp group,

which has more than 1,800 players on board.

Salford native Jason has played padel

in more locations than many - he jumps on

court when touring with his Manford

All Seasons show and through his academy

is supporting young people to get on to the

padel court.

Their plans for Birbia are to supply quality

padel equipment and have what they

described as an ‘authentic connection’

with the padel community.

Padel’s

rallying call

Two uni friends have combined their

passion for cars and padel with the

launch of The Padel Rally, which this

Autumn is taking driving enthusiasts

through France for great padel,

great driving and great wine.

James Male - a self-confessed

petrol head - and Jack Rosser

met on their first day at Durham

University, bonding over their love

of racket sports. Post graduation

they moved to London, discovered

padel, became addicted and

decided to launch The Padel Rally

to put their interests to good use.

“Both are quite social, which suited

a rally format really well,” said

James, who works as a motoring

journalist in his spare time.

Curated

For the October rally the friends

have curated a 2,000 mile route

through France via Versailles,

Lake Geneva, Mandelieu-La

Napoule, Dijon and back to Calais.

Great driving roads, padel, wine

tasting and luxury hotels feature

prominently in the itinerary.

The friends are also organising

a rally from London to the

Cotswolds, starting with breakfast

at Joe Macari’s Performance

Cars in South West London before

heading out of the capital.

Padel is planned at Padel Shift in

Elkstone, Gloucestershire.

www.thepadelrally.com

Pulco

Pulco, founded by

Brit Joe Middleton,

has become the first

padel apparel brand

to be stocked by iconic

London department

store Harrods. Read

Minter Dial’s interview

with Joe on our website,

www.thebandeja.com.

4

UK Padel

Convention

If you work in the padel industry mark November 19th

in your diary - it’s the industry’s first B2B exhibition.

The UK Padel Convention launches at The Padel Club,

Gloucester, with a programme of activations, panel

discussions and trade exhibitors. Tickets via Event

Brite, quote ‘Bandeja’ for a 10% discount.

Buy print copies of The Bandeja at www.thebandeja.com

news NEWS

Fresh ‘starch’

for grower

Farmers are increasingly spotting the

potential of padel - and it’s not passed

Potato News Today by.

Burning

Man 2026

the challenge is on!

Patty Camps is a women on a

mission to deliver padel deep into

the Nevada desert for next year’s

Burning Man.

Patty, known in British padel circles

for her work as a player manager

and through her business Venture

Padelist, said: “It will be huge for the

sport in general. We’ll give padel a

platform on a global stage. The type

of people who go to these festivals

are very influential; you may find

Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk playing on

the padel court.”

Burning Man sees a temporary

settlement - Black Rock City - rise

from the desert some 160km north

east of Reno each August. Patty

had hoped to bring padel to this

year’s event but didn’t achieve the

Patty Camps.

necessary funding so she plans

to go again for 2026.

She added: “I’m definitely going to try

to bring it next year! The weather was

tough this year so it was a blessing

in disguise that it didn’t happen.

Everything happens for a reason!”

Christoffer Granfelt, of Instantpadel

courts, and Tom Konkowski of

American operator Conquer

Padel, were behind Patty’s plans

for this year’s festival, offering an

Instantpadel pop-up court for free.

Christoffer said: “We really loved

Patty’s effort and passion for

trying to make it happen. She

deserves all the credit for what she

tried to pull off. And, of course, we

are open to supporting next year

if at all possible.”

Park’s padel prescription

Sheffield is getting in on the padel

act with the recent opening of three

new facilities, including a community

venue that could break new ground

by offering social prescribing

through city GPs.

Hillsborough Park Activity Hub, which

opened in August, has been described

as a ‘landmark development’ for

community sport, health and recreation

in the city. Facilities include two covered

floodlit padel courts, tennis courts,

MUGA and cafe. Project funding has

come from collaboration between

the city council, LTA Foundation,

Sport England, the government and

community interest company (CIC)

Courtside, which is running the

facility on a pay-to-play basis. Court

hire is from £24/hr, making them the

most affordable in the country.

Included in the aims of the park is

the scope for GP referrals and social

prescribing, a healthcare approach

connecting people to non-medical,

community-based activities and

services to improve their health

and wellbeing.

Padel passion in Yorkshire, page 48.

The trade publication for (yes, you’ve

guessed it) potato news, reports that North

Yorkshire farmer Callum Stark has turned

one of his potato sheds into a padel court.

It’s proved very a-peel-ing for locals, who

have booked it out, proving they are no

couch potatoes.

w

capital

padel

What do London’s St Paul’s Cathedral,

Tower Hill Terrace and Hay’s Galleria have

in common? They’ve all hosted pop-up

padel courts this summer as part of the

London Sports Festival. Festival organiser,

The Central London Alliance, is a big padel

fan, staging showcase courts in iconic city

locations for the last two years, first Tower

Hill (where a Guinness World record was

set for the longest padel match of almost

32 hours) and then Marble Arch last year.

This year padel has been at the Tower of

London, under the covered arch of Grade

II Hay’s Galleria and beside St Paul’s

Cathedral. Details and booking info at

londonsportsfestival.com.


5

NEWS

Padel 100 drives

Irish growth

Padel is set to be supercharged in Ireland thanks to Padel

100, which has ambitious plans to build more than 150 courts

at 60 locations in all 32 Irish counties.

Nathan Young with

daughter Izzy.

Friends’ padel

shift for cancer

charity

Four friends are working on their padel

endurance ahead of attempting to break

the Guinness World Record with a padel

game lasting 40 hours.

Nathan Young came up with the idea to

raise money for CHECT, the Childhood

Eye Cancer Trust. He was diagnosed with

Retinoblastoma as a child and his daughter

Izzy also has the condition.

The world record attempt for the longest

padel game will take place on November

21st to 23rd at a padel court installed in a

warehouse at health supplement company

Zooki, based in Blackpool. Joining Nathan

will be friends Benny Evinson, Marcus

Mollinga (Zooki founder) and Ben Albrecht.

Nathan, who is blind in one eye and

severely partially sighted in the other,

said: “Though I never quite made it as a

professional footballer or a top 10 padel

player, I like to think I’m a good example

of somebody that will get stuck in and

have a go without worrying too much

about how it’ll pan out!”

With just one five minute break allowed

per hour played, the Y1-sponsored team

will need all their determination to make

it through the challenge.

For more information, and to support

the fundraising, head over to Instagram

@worldslongestpadelmatch

With a launch fund of €5 million and

backing from investors including

retired Irish rugby union player Frankie

Sheahan and businessman Michael

Mulcahy, founders Ben Keohane and

Ryan Hennessy are intent on building

more than just courts, as Ben explained:

“We’re building a community

and a movement,” he said. “This

€5 million investment, combined

with the expertise of our partners

at Acenta Group, allows us to

deliver world-class padel experiences

across Ireland. Whether you’re new to

the game or a seasoned player, Padel

100 is creating spaces where everyone

can play, connect and thrive.”

Scandinavian The Acenta Group is a

growing name in padel, with interests

in court construction, equipment (the

Peliga brand), e-commerce, an app

for clubs/players and the Acenta Padel

Tour, which lands in the UK for the first

time in October (12-14th at Slazenger

Padel Club in Leeds).

Acenta Group managing director

Hakan Tollefsen believes Ireland has

app launch

Pango. It’s billed as Duolingo meets Strava,

with founders Minter Dial and Camille Huyghues

Despointes putting padel players at the centre of the

action with an app delivering a rating system,

leagues, matchmaking, AI player cards and more.

“The player-first approach promises connected play

and instant stats for every level,” said Minter, who

plans for Pango to become a leading global padel

player community. www.pangosports.com

Read more about Pango on our website,

www.thebandeja.com

the potential to become a leading hub

for padel in Europe, a view shared

by Frankie Sheahan: “I am a passionate

padel player and see enormous potential

to bring the world’s fastest growing sport

to more communities all over Ireland.”

Padel 100 is working with clubs, hotels,

schools etc, developing padel on their

sites. Locations in Cork, Tipperary, Offaly,

Longford, Clare and Dublin form part of

phase one, with 121 courts in 19 counties

agreed. Thirty courts at 10 hotels and 20

schools are in planning. The plan is to

have 300 courts nationwide by the

end of 2027. The first 100 are due to be

open by next April, with installations

running at a rate of 10–12 courts per

month. Playtomic has been signed

up as court booking partner.

Interestingly Padel 100 has partnered

with Italian court manufacturer NX

Padel, which is supplying its rust-proof

fibreglass court structures (steel or

aluminium is the norm) and

sand-free turf.

Padel court numbers in the

UK pass 1,500 - page 40

Pango creators

Camille and

Minter

6


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7

news

Tom Holland, Arturo

Coello, Stormzy &

GB padel player

Frankie Langan.

Superheroes

unite for Tom’s

Marvel-ous padel creation

Spidey senses were tingling when

Spiderman actor Tom Holland took

to the padel court with superhero

friends for a takeover of London’s

Padel Social Club.

Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend

of the Ten Rings), Rob Delaney (Peter

Wisdom, Deadpool 2) and Kingsley

Ben-Adir (Gravik, Secret Invasion) put

all their super powers to the test in the

inaugural BERO Padel Classic.

And while they may strive to be

masters of the universe, they were

no match for real life padel hero

Arturo Coello, one of the best players

in the world, who joined them on

court along with a few other celebs

including Stormzy, Jay Shetty and

Notorious Foodie.

BERO (beer meets zero) is Tom’s

lovingly crafted non-alcoholic beer

brand. All players were decked

out in its colours for the London

pro-am, won by jeweller Charlie

Pragnell and actor/model Juanpa

Zurita. Second place went to

Jay Shetty and Rafa Vega.

For more pictures from the day

head over to our website

www.thebandeja.com

Tom Holland.

Photos: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for BERO


news XXX

RACKETS | BALLS | CLOTHING | FOOTWEAR | BAGS | ACCESSORIES

LEADING UK PADEL SHOP &

RACKET SPORTS SPECIALIST

thebandeja.com | SEPTEMBER 2025

9

news

Open all

hours

As padel takes the world by storm there’s a

new trend taking hold in British clubs - 24 hour

opening. Lee McLaughlan reports.

Rocket Padel in Ilford, Essex, was one

of the first to embrace the move,

running events through the night to

cater for players observing the holy

month of Ramadan, as club manager

Oskar Wynne explained:

“A large portion of our community

celebrates Ramadan and we

wanted to accommodate their

needs. We sent out a survey to gauge

interest and, after receiving a strong,

positive response, decided to open

the club 24/7 during Ramadan.

“We fully staffed the venue around

the clock and hosted overnight

Americanos and social events with

accredited coaches. The initiative

was received incredibly well and

further strengthened our connection

with the community. We’d absolutely

love to run it again in the future,”

added Oskar.

The story is similar for two-court

Just Padel, in Preston, which opened

24/7 for Ramadan and hasn’t closed

since. Hasan Bux, who co-owns the

business with Umar Haji, explained

more: “We have a large Muslim

community and with Ramadan and

fasting they didn’t play during the

day and would stay up late at night

- there are a lot of night owls. So we

changed to 24 hours a day and had a

‘let’s see how it goes’ approach. One

of the main considerations is ensuring

the venue is staffed through the night

as we want to ensure players who

play in those hours still have that

personal experience.”

The open-all-hours approach

proved such a success that the

business partners are applying it to

new venues they are opening in

Blackpool and Bolton.

Blackburn is also getting in on the

act, with new operator Nexo Padel

hoping to create a 24/7, eight

court indoor padel centre on the

town’s Iron Business Park. If given

the planning go-ahead, the project

will also create what’s believed to

be the UK’s first padel club with a

prayer room.

Demand

Padel Parx, which recently opened

two doubles and a singles court

at The Cotton Works in Wigan, also

has 24 hour opening in its sights, as

co-founder Rik Bennett explained:

“Quite simply, we wouldn’t be

considering it if we didn’t think

there’s demand. If we can facilitate

it, make it safe and make the

experience as good as it would be

during normal operating hours

then absolutely why not. But it has

to be safe and the experience has

to be enjoyable.”

Shift workers

Ignite Padel, opening five indoor

and two outdoor courts at Cheshire

Oaks in Ellesmere Port, is firm on its

plans to offer staffed 24/7 opening.

A spokesman said: “There’s not a

whole lot of data out there to back

up opening 24 hours but we feel

there is certainly interest. We’re on

a large retail park and there will

be shop workers who want to play

padel, plus those working in clubs or

restaurants when their time options

are limited. We don’t want to see

people limited from playing because

they can’t access a facility.”

Nadal academy

in the UK

Almost 500 players were treated to

high level padel coaching when the

Mallorca-based Rafa Nadal by Movistar

academy made its first visit to the

UK, delivering four days of intensive

training. Guillem Vives, Head Coach of

the academy’s Pro Team, supported by

elite academy coach Lorena Rionda,

delivered sessions to players in London

(Padium, Social Sports Society, Rocket

Padel), Bristol (Rocket Padel, Surge)

and Bracknell (Padelstars). The trip was

organised in conjunction with Adam

Black, of LivePadel. He said: “Training

with the Academy was an eye opener,

whether it was beginners at Social

Sports Society or advanced players

at Rocket, the coaches brought a real

depth of experience to the sessions.”

Rafa Nadal coaches at Padelstars in

Bracknell (from left) Lorena Rionda,

Simone Brenna, Guillem Vives and

LivePadel’s Adam Black.

10


news XXX

COURT CLOTHING

drybreak.co.uk


11

NEWS

Empower

signs up

The Padel School

Empower Padel – the female-specific

network which champions women

playing padel – has named leading

coaching platform The Padel School as

its official education partner, a move that

will deliver more joint events from the

two organisations.

Empower, founded by Pep Stonor, has

been working with The Padel School -

set-up by GB men’s team coach Sandy

Farquharson and his brother Tom - since

its inception. The partnership formalises

the relationship and gives Empower

network members preferential access

to the coaching platform.

Everybody Padel

Everybody Health & Leisure, working

with padel court specialist Padel

Ventures, is launching Everybody Padel

across Cheshire. The organisation, which

operates more than 18 facilities across

Cheshire East, will debut padel courts

at Holmes Chapel Community Centre

in the first phase of a three part plan to

bring padel to communities across its

operating area.

Welsh pathway

Tennis Wales, the national governing

body for tennis and padel in Wales, has

announced a partnership with WimX to

deliver the Welsh National Padel Pathway.

A smashing

view

Lake Obersee vies for the title of most beautiful place in

Europe - and we think it’s just got even better with the

addition of a padel court! And no, this is not Ai, it’s the real

view of the Alps with a real floating padel court, courtesy of

Padelta /Gimpadel. So if you’re planning a trip to Switzerland

consider a detour to Arosa Padel - just book ahead (via

Playtomic, court open until October 19th). The magnificent

setting is proving a huge draw for padel fans, including

former World No 1 tennis player Martina Hingis.

Washing pile

Big brands are beginning

to pile in to padel, with one

summer collaboration stealing

Wimbledon’s thunder by throwing

a ‘Dazzle & Padel’ event with

everyone decked out in whites.

The Persil Padel Party staged a

take-over of the Padel Social

Club in London to promote a new

washing detergent. Check out

social media for videos from

the day.

12


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13

News

in brief

The Hexagon Cup has announced

a new location for 2026 - it’s

moving from Madrid Arena to the

city’s Caja Mágica, from January

28th to February 1st.

The Padel School founded by

GB players Sandy and Tom

Farquharson, has opened it first

UK centre of excellence at Padel

Maidenhead, offering coaching

and development programmes

for adults and juniors.

The UK’s largest padel/pickleball

club - Hurlands - is due to open

early next year in Farnham,

Hampshire, with 13 indoor courts.

FIP (the International Padel

Federation) has moved a step

closer to securing padel’s Olympic

dream with news that it’s partnered

with the International Testing

Agency (ITA) for management of

its anti-doping programme.

1,127 - that’s the number of

businesses registered with

Companies House in the UK with

‘padel’ in their name, including

Padel Bears, Padel Python, Puffin

Padel, Eat Sleep Padel, and

Peaches Padel Club.

Know your

racket

Part 1: Hole configuration

In the first of a new series about the

technicalities of rackets, Jake Whalley of MRH

Sport, reveals the thinking behind hole patterns.

It might look like just a bunch of

holes punched into the face of a

racket, but the hole configuration

of a padel racket plays a big role

in how it performs, affecting

aerodynamics, control, spin and

even the size of the sweetspot.

Most rackets have 60 to 80 holes,

typically arranged in a symmetrical

pattern. But dig a little deeper and

you’ll notice variations: different

sizes, spacing, placements and even

asymmetrical layouts that look more

like art than engineering.

So what’s it all about?

Wider-spaced holes can increase

flexibility and comfort, giving the

racket a bit more bounce and a softer

feel. Tighter hole groupings near the

centre help with control and reduce

vibrations, keeping the racket more

stable on contact.

Some brands experiment with varying

hole sizes - larger on the outside for

flexibility, smaller in the centre for stability.

This creates a more forgiving sweetspot,

helping your off-centre hits feel less like

mistakes.

There are also designs aimed at spin

generation, with the hole placement

shaped to help the ball ‘bite’ the surface

more. Combine this with a rough face

and you’ve got some real grip on the ball.

Lastly, hole pattern affects air flow.

Certain configurations cut through the

air better, making the racket feel faster

in your hand, especially noticeable when

you’re volleying or playing at the net.

So next time you’re checking out a racket,

don’t just look at the face material - look

through it. Those holes are doing more

than you think.

record breaking run

GB’s top female padel player,

Aimee Gibson, continues to break

records as she climbs her way up

the world rankings. The 34-year-old

from Essex made history at the turn of

the year by being the first British player

to break into the world top 100.

She’s since risen to world No 86, an

unprecedented feat for a British player,

and won her first game in a Premier

Padel Major tournament (the Alpine

Paris Major at Roland-Garros - read

Minter Dial’s report of the match on our

website, www.thebandeja.com).

Her meteoric rise is a winning

combination of huge talent and effort,

or in her words: “With hard work and

passion for what you do, you can

achieve anything,” she said after

breaking the top 100 in January,

adding: “When I first started padel I set

a goal to be top 100 in three years. I’ve

only been playing for two years and

I’ve already achieved it which is crazy.”

Aimee, a former England top 15

women’s tennis player, is being

followed by Catherine Rose up the

world rankings. She currently sits at

No 95 having recently broken the

top 100, only the second GB player to

achieve this.

“Overall it’s definitely a credit to myself

for the hard work and determination.

It’s taken a lot, but a massive thank you

to everyone along the way that helped

that journey. It’s much appreciated,”

said Catherine.

14


news News

LTA President Sandi Procter at the opening

of Aberdeen Padel Tennis Centre.

Padel to

the rescue

An influx of new members, replenished coffers and a

thriving social scene have left many tennis clubs basking

in the glow of padel. Helen Gilbert reports.

Limpsfield coach Andy

Burgoyne with head coach

Robin Engelbertink.

Whisper it quietly, British tennis

clubs are enjoying a revival.

And it’s all thanks to padel.

The sporting phenomenon invented by

Mexican businessman Enrique Corcuera

in the late 1960s is breathing life into

tired venues across the UK, some of

which were on the brink of closure.

Purley Sports Club, in south London, is

one such example. Established in 1904,

the site has evolved from its humble

cricket beginnings into a multi-sport

venue counting tennis (14 courts),

squash, bowls, netball and cricket

among its many recreations. Last

October it exchanged two of its lawn

tennis courts for a pair of floodlit padel

alternatives. And it hasn’t looked back,

with some 300 padel members (half of

those new to the club) and a waiting

list of 170 people. To satisfy demand -

court occupancy runs at around 95%

- a third court is opening shortly.

It’s a far cry from the sobering situation

the club faced a few years ago when it

was financially hanging in the balance

and a turnaround team was called

in. Since then, Purley Sports Club has

blossomed with padel ‘massively’

contributing, according to its vice

chairman, Toby Young.

Court fees generate most of the padel

income, providing the club with a

stable income and enabling more

maintenance, Toby told The Bandeja.

The game is also attracting a

younger audience, with 20 and

30-year-olds accounting for half

the padel demographic.

“We’ve had a lot more members using

the bar and restaurant facilities, and a

small percentage have joined tennis

and squash after being introduced

to our fantastic club,” Toby said. “This

introduction [of padel], together with

upgrades throughout the club, means

Purley Sports Club has turned the

corner and is getting back on track

when three years ago it was very

close to shutting its doors.”

Inundated

Padel’s growing popularity has also

been felt at The Limpsfield Club in

Surrey, another multi-sport location

boasting 15 tennis courts. It ‘embraced

the padel whirlwind’ four years

ago, replacing mini courts with two

outdoor courts costing £55k each.

According to Robin Engelbertink, the

club’s head padel coach, the goal

was to diversify its tennis, squash,

badminton and table tennis offer.

The decision paid off - there are

now some 270 padel members

and, like Purley, the club had to

temporarily close its membership

due to overwhelming demand.

Discussions about installing a third

court are ongoing.

Financial gainSandi Procter, president

of the Lawn Tennis Association (the

governing body for tennis and padel

in Britain) has opened padel courts at

plenty of ‘forward-thinking’ traditional

and multi-sport clubs and, in her

experience, flourishing venues tend

to be those that have introduced

between one and four padel courts.

She has also witnessed the ‘unifying

and social effect’ the game has had

between differing sporting sections:

“Many have told me that padel has

brought their club together because

many of their squash and tennis

players are playing padel and loving

it,” Sandi told The Bandeja.

The additional revenue stream has

also been ‘very welcomed by clubs

facing high facility maintenance

costs’, she said, adding: “Some have

found their investment recovered

within 24 months, plus [they’ve]

increased income at the bar. For

some it’s been a great option for

making use of underused derelict

courts in clubs or using a spare

piece of land.”

Read the full report on our website

www.bandeja.com


15

news

Alicante:

Casa padel

Spain’s padel hotspot Alicante isn’t just turning into a

mecca for Brits on padel holidays, it’s becoming home,

with padel fans accounting for almost a fifth of second

home sales for one real estate business selling the dream

to sports enthusiasts.

There’s been a sharp rise in UK buyers

looking for Spanish properties where

padel isn’t just nearby, it’s on their

doorstep or, better still, in their garden,

according to MASA International’s

Paul Payne.

“Three years ago barely anyone from

the UK asked us about padel. Now it’s

often the first question and we’ve had

to build a new department to support

it. Padel has changed what people

look for in a second home. It’s become

part of daily life for many.”

And that’s not the only trend that

Paul and his colleagues are seeing;

a growing number of padel fans

are working remotely from Spain for

part of the year or planning an early

retirement with padel as the lifestyle

anchor. And then there’s the padel

playing friends pooling resources to

buying properties together.

“We’ve had small groups of friends

buy together and set up shared

usage plans,” said Paul. “It’s like

creating their own padel retreat.

“We’re also seeing younger buyers,

often in their 30s and 40s, wanting a

property that supports their sport.”

Heart

The Alicante region, known as the ‘heart

of padel’ on Spain’s Costa Blanca, has

almost as many padel courts as Britain,

with dozens of established clubs, great

coaches, year-round play and reliable

court availability.

“If you want a place where you can

land in the morning and be playing

that afternoon, Alicante makes perfect

sense,” added Paul.

Developers have responded. Many

new-build apartments have on-site

padel courts as standard, alongside

pools and gyms,. Prices for these sportfocused

properties typically range

between €230,000 and €320,000.

If you fancy trying before you buy

MASA runs four day viewing trips built

around the padel lifestyle.

w

Cool

Cuera’s

UK padel

shift

It’s going to be a little easier to be far cooler on (and off) court after

Danish sportswear brand Cuera’s official arrival in the UK.

The premium padel-specific brand fittingly chose Padel Shift, the

three-court venue at The Club by Bamford at Daylesford Farm in the

Cotswolds, to announce its distribution partnership with London-based

Wigmore Sports. Cuera, notable by its WPC (World Padel Club) branding

and muted colour range, had previously been available in the UK but the

deal with Wigmore means stock in store as well as via its website.

“This wasn’t just a launch, it was a celebration of the values Cuera is

built on - performance, people and community,” said founder Ulrik

Leth. “We’re proud to be stepping into the UK and contributing to the

incredible momentum around padel here.”

The colour

of money

If you missed out on snapping

up this year’s most exclusive

racket, the Babolat x

Lamborghini BL002 - or

the green and yellow

colourways didn’t match

your supercar - don’t

despair. We understand a

drop of new colours is on the

way (it may even have landed).

Only a handful of UK outlets - including

PadelShack and PDH Sports - were selected

to sell the £520 rackets and both sold out of

first-release colours. And if you think £500+ is

a bit steep for a racket, last year’s launch - the

BL001 - was 5,000€. Unsurprisingly it is now a

collector’s item and at least one is rumoured

to reside with an F1 driver.

For more details of the Babolat x Lamborghini’s

BL002 see www.thebandeja.com

16


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17

editor’s NEWS comment

Henman throws

weight behind

padel’s ascent

By Kevin Palmer

Rumblings of discontent among

Britain’s tennis community over the

relentless rise in popularity of padel

continue to grab headlines but

tennis ace Tim Henman, four-time

Wimbledon semi-finalist and former

British No 1, has served up a more

positive take on how the two sports

can work in tandem.

”I don’t see padel as a threat to tennis

at all,” said Henman, speaking to The

Bandeja at a Sky Sports Tennis event

in London. “Tennis is a tough game to

pick up and people may come away

from that experience and think it’s not

for them. Padel is different and is a

lot of fun. It is also a great game for

getting everyone close together on

court, so I’m a big fan.

Olympics

waiting

game

Padel’s World No 3 Ale Galán believes

it’s ‘just a matter of time’ before the

game becomes an Olympic sport.

Speaking to Spanish newspaper El

Pais, the 29-year-old - who partners

Argentinian Federico Chingotto on

the Premier Padel tour - said that

padel was still in its infancy but

thanks to global growth and

support of key figures such

as Luigi Carraro (president of

the International Padel Federation),

it would ‘soon’ become an

Olympic sport.

”There are some transferrable skills

from tennis, but it is also a sport that

may be more accessible to a wider

audience and we should welcome

that. We want to get as many people

on a court as possible and if padel

can help I’m all for it,” added Henman

He also believes that the LTA

- the governing body of padel in

Britain - is well-placed to drive the

sport forward and that tennis clubs

can really benefit from introducing

the sport.

He said: ”I think it is a wise move

by the LTA to bring it [padel] under

their umbrella. It’s great if kids get a

bat and ball in their hand, out there

exercising, whether they are playing

tennis or padel. I also think padel

could be really important for tennis

clubs. If padel courts help to bring

more people into their clubs and they

might also look to play tennis, that is

a good thing. If they were to convert

all tennis courts to padel courts that

would obviously be a problem, but we

are in a position to control that. We

wouldn’t want padel cannibalising

tennis but we are all seeing venues

that are just for padel and that’s

great,” added Henman.

Read Kevin Palmer’s full interview

with Tim Henman on

www.thebandeja.com

Four

seasons in

one day

The weather can have a real impact

on how your padel equipment

performs, from balls bouncing higher

to rackets expanding.

Jake Whalley, of Bullpadel, explains:

“In extreme heat the EVA foam

inside the racket tends to expand

slightly, making the racket feel

livelier and more powerful, though

potentially harder to control.

Conversely, in damp or rainy

conditions moisture can slightly

soften the outer surface, reducing

the ball’s rebound and making the

racket feel less responsive.”

Best advice - don’t keep rackets

or balls in the car (during

summer or winter), they

prefer room temperature.

18

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19

international

GB’s top talent

on comp duty in spain

British padel is heading into a packed month of international

competition, with GB squads from juniors to seniors competing

for world and European recognition in Spain.

The weight of the world

championships falls on the

shoulders of GB juniors in the

FIP Junior World Cup in Reus, from

September 26th.

The LTA - padel’s governing body in

Britain - is taking a squad of around

18 talented young players to the

tournament to compete in all three

age groups (U14, U16, U18) for both

girls and boys.

The youngsters start their campaign

with qualifiers from September 26th.

If either or both of the teams make

Rosie Quirk

it through to the main draw, starting

September 29th, they will qualify to

play in the pairs competition. Top

seeds are Spain, Sweden, Argentina

and Paraguay.

Follow the tournament via the

FIP website and The Bandeja website,

www.thebandeja.com

FIP Senior Euro Padel Cup

Next up are GB seniors competing in

the FIP Senior Euro Padel Cup, from

October 6-11th in Valencia.

The women’s squad is being

coached by former padel world

champion Belen Castrillo, who has

been spending time passing on her

expertise to players in the UK, choosing

to work with the GB women rather than

represent her home country of Spain

in the tournament.

Players competing in the age

categories +35, +40, +45, +50 and

+55 are: Susie Azoulay, Louise Baker,

Sophie Cousins, Helen Crook, Yusimi

Crossley, Angela Wood, Victoria Davies,

Sally Fisher, Dawn Foxhall (Captain),

Nicky Horn, Sarah Lochrie, Carol Prado,

Jo Ward (Captain) and Kerry White.

Teresa Catlin, Helen Cowlrick, Gilly

Smail, Karen Hazzard and Lucie Wade

will play in the women’s pairs (rather

than team) event.

The men’s squad has an equally

mighty coach in the form of Rocks

Lane’s Alex Grilo, a former World

Padel Tour player. The squad: +35s:

Maniel Bains, Andrew Brigham, Jack

Hazelwood, Elliot Selby (Captain); +40s:

Ali Anderson, Richard Brooks, James

Southwood, Mike Tolman;

+45s: Ben Gudzelak, Ross Murdoch,

Gareth Nicol, Mark Openshaw; +50s:

Nick Baglin, John Dunseath, Andrew

Warren (Captain), Steven Wood;

+55s: Keith Gilbert, Kingsley Harris,

Chris Warren, Peter Wright.

Twenty-two countries are entered into

the men’s draw (with GB ranked 10th).

Top seeds are Spain, Sweden, France

and Portugal. In the women’s draw

GB is ranked eighth of 18. Top seeds

are Spain, France, Sweden and Italy.

Follow the GB squad’s progress on the

FIP website.

FIP Euro Padel Cup

The FIP Euro Padel Cup 2025, formerly

the European Padel Championships,

kicks off on October 21st in Cadiz and

is definitely one to watch, with a strong

GB squad going into the tournament

well-prepared and ready to take on the

best that Europe has to put in front of it.

Qualifying rounds have whittled

competing countries down to the final

eight in both the men’s and women’s,

with GB finishing top of their respective

groups in Phase two qualifiers in

Madrid recently. GB men go into the

tournament ranked 7th and GB women

5th. Top seeds in both are Spain, Italy,

Portugal and France.

GB men chalked up a clean-sweep of

wins in the Madrid qualifiers against

Switzerland, Greece and Monaco to

claim their place in the Final 8. The

women’s route through was a little

more nerve-wracking but heroic efforts

from Lisa Phillips and Catherine Rose

20


International news

Jubilant GB players (with

coaches and supporters)

after qualifying for the

finals of the FIP Euro

Padel Cup.

Former world padel champion Belen Castrillo

with three GB players participating in the FIP

Senior Euro Padel Cup (from left) Sally Fisher,

Nicky Horn, Belen and Sophie Cousins.

clinched the final group match

against Sweden 6-2, 7-6 - and a

place in the finals.

Afterwards Lisa said: “I think this

weekend shows how far GB padel

has come from a few years ago.

The future’s definitely bright for

padel in the UK.”

GB No 1 and world No 86, Aimee Gibson

- who with partner Tia Norton dropped

just four games during the Madrid

qualifiers - described the women’s

team spirit as ‘crazy good’, adding:

“We’re all getting on so well off court

and cheering each other on. It’s a

totally different level this year. This

is testament to all the hard work

everyone has been putting in.”

Making her debut for GB in Madrid

was 15-year-old Rosie Quirk who, playing

with tennis-turned-padel star Abigail

Tordoff, helped score an important

win over Austria. Rosie is expected to

compete in the Cadiz finals and is also

a key member of the GB team playing

in the FIP Junior World Cup.

Professional

Going into the Cadiz finals the women’s

squad is fielding the highest number

of professional players yet and five of

them are ranked inside the world’s top

200, with Aimee Gibson and Catherine

Rose inside the top 100, another first for

Britain’s elite female game.

Argentinian former world padel

champion Agustin Silingo has been

working with the team after being

appointed by the LTA to assist with

coaching. “He has worked with the

iconic Juan Lebron, so brings serious

pedigree to the GB bench,” said an

LTA spokesperson. •

Follow GB’s Euro Padel Cup

progress on the FIP website and

at www.thebandeja.com


21

cover star

chemmy

alcott

Elite athletes love padel and four

times Winter Olympian Chemmy Alcott

is no different. The Bandeja Editor Emma

Kimber caught up with her to chat about

the sport, not being afraid of winning

or hitting the ball hard.

22


cover news star

Olympic alpine skier Chemmy

Alcott is a force of nature.

Which perhaps isn’t surprising

for an athlete who made her name

tearing down ski runs at 90mph, and

carries the many injuries her body

has endured as reminders of when

she gave it her all.

Chemmy Alcott on court with former England rugby

player Joe Marler during the Pro Am Padel Tour’s stop

at Rocket Padel, Beckton.

She’s one of GB’s greatest skiers.

Ever. Achievements, alongside

representing her country in four

Winter Olympics, include being the

first Brit to win a run in a World Cup,

reaching a career high of 8th in the

world and holding the Senior British

National Champion title for a

record seven years.

The 43-year-old retired in 2014,

shifting into broadcasting (including

presenting the BBC’s Ski Sunday),

training ski racers and public

speaking - plus playing padel after

being introduced to the sport while

on holiday in Lanzarote. It’s a game

she loves and plays with gusto -

and no small amount of skill.

Ambition

Chemmy came padel with a

background in tennis; as well as

being a demon on skis, when younger

she also played tennis for Middlesex

and harboured ambitions for both

sports: “I wanted to ski in the Winter

Olympics and play tennis in the

Summer Olympics. But I got to a

point where I stopped enjoying tennis

because it was too much of a battle.

I’m a people person. I want to have

great games but also be friends. That

wasn’t the culture in tennis. And also,

you know, let’s be realistic, I wouldn’t

have been able to make the Winter

and Summer Olympics. So I chose

skiing. I absolutely love skiing. I love to

put everything on the limit.”

Padel is now challenging tennis as

her racket sport of choice and she

admits to being obsessed with it

(as is her husband and fellow GB ski

champion Dougie Crawford), loving

it for all the reasons that so many

people do: “Padel is so social, it’s so

inclusive, but the biggest thing for me

is I have no ego when I play padel. I

can bring some of my tennis skills and

ball awareness and put them in this

social, fun environment,” she said.

The fact that it’s also almost ageless

is another draw, as Chemmy

explained: “You’ve got young players

at 10-years-old moving over from

tennis and 70-year-old women

going ‘I can do this too’. That’s quite

unheard of for sport. I come from ski

racing, you don’t see many 70-yearold

women taking up the sport for

the first time!”

Coaching

I first met Chemmy at Pep Stonor’s

Empower Padel International

Women’s Day event at The

Hurlingham Club, London, earlier

this year when she was joined on

the podium by sports broadcaster

Gigi Salmon and ex-GB hockey star

Sophie Bray (in the squad which

claimed gold at the Rio Olympics

in 2016). The four women discussed

their lives in sport, encouraging more

girls and women to get active and

Empower Padel’s International Women’s Day

event (from left) Empower Padel founder Pep

Stonor, GB hockey star Sophie Bray, Chemmy

Alcott and sports broadcaster Gigi Salmon.

the barriers they face in doing so.

Then, and again when I met Chemmy

at the Pro Am Padel Tour at Rocket

Padel in Beckton, London, (she played

in former England rugby star Joe

Marler’s team), she talked about the

importance of taking coaching:

“I love getting lessons. I’m a 43-yearold

woman, I don’t often get lessons

on how to learn something but it was

really important for me. Padel is so

exciting and so current and we all

want to be better,” she said.


23

editor’s cover star comment

But while she may be a super human

on skis, it’s reassuring that she faces

the same challenges as many on the

padel court: “I have to always slow my

game down, I always want to make

a fast game. I’ve got very strong, fast

reactions so if I’m at the net I know I

can win the point. But, equally, I need to

give myself time to get to the net and

make those slow shots, which I don’t

do often enough. So that’s always my

aim. And I love the tactics involved in

playing off the glass.”

Attacking play

It’s perhaps predictable that excelling

at a sport requiring nerves of steel,

immeasurable bravery and breakneck

speeds means the mum-of-two isn’t

exactly passive on court, padel or

tennis. She’s quoted as saying she

prefers attacking in tennis and hits the

ball hard, something she has carried

over into padel.

Semi-jokingly she talks about her

padel talent being ‘ferociousness’ but

she rails against women being labelled

‘aggressive’, recounting a situation

competing against men: “I have the

confidence to always try and win. And

I hit the ball hard. I don’t care if there’s

a man at the net. I will hit the ball

at him because I want to win,” said

Chemmy. “They all kept saying ‘oh,

you’re so aggressive’. But the way they

said it, it was like it was negative. And I

was like, if I was a man doing this you’d

be like, he’s a bloody good player, he’s

an attacking player. Because I was a

woman they called me aggressive.

“I was like, right, you need to change

your narrative. I can get through this

because I’m confident but I’m not

going to come here and be 80%. The

words that we use, especially in a

sport that is combat, are really, really

important and we need to celebrate

every kind of player out there.”

Perfectionist

This 80% cropped up several times

during the Empower Padel IWD event,

with Chemmy revealing that her

greatest successes came when she

stopped striving for perfection and

gave 100%.

“I was a perfectionist and, very weird

being a downhill skier at 92mph, a bit

of a control freak as well. I just wanted

to be seen to be perfect and thought

that if I took risk and failed then that

would be me disappointing everyone

around me,” she said

By ditching the 80% and fear of failure

she found her ‘freedom to fly’ and with

it the ability to be ‘as good as I could

be’. Which was very good indeed - she

became the first Brit to win a run in the

World Cup (Giant Slalom in Soelden,

Austria, 2008).

But in December 2010 disaster struck,

with Chemmy shattering a leg in what

could have been a career-ending

crash. Not for her - within a year

she was training to compete in ITV’s

Dancing on Ice (described in one press

report as part of her rehab) and back

competing in World Cup skiing for the

2012/13 season.

She said: “Every time you give 100% in

a sport like skiing there’s such a fine

line between ultimate success and

complete disaster and helicopters. So

every scar, every (piece of) metal work

I’ve got in my body is a memory of

when I had the confidence to go all out,”

she said, adding: “Whatever mistake

I make today, whatever injury I have, I

am a better person because I have the

confidence to be my fullest potential.”

This resilience and a ‘win or learn’

philosophy she no doubt takes with

her when coaching stars of the future

through her CDC ski race training

academy, that and celebrating trying

and not being afraid to be ambitious.

“When I mentor young athletes, the

young girls who have the talent to go

all the way will never tell you they want

to win because they think people will

see them as arrogant. I’m like, no, no,

you need to stand by your success, by

your talent and tell people you want

to win,” she said.

“

I have to always slow

my (padel) game down,

I always want to make

a fast game.

”

She’s passionate about what sport

can do for girls and women and a

terrific public speaker. Her late mother,

whom she describes as an inspiration,

encouraged her to always gravitate

towards the women shining brightest

in a room. She is now, undoubtedly,

one of those women and a fantastic

role model for girls and women in

or out of sport. •

24


PLAY | LEARN|COMPETE

XXXXXXX news

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Nursery – Reception

Mini multi sports

The foundation of Rocks Lane’s growth enabling even the youngest participants to

develop a positive and healthy association with sport. Mini multi sports combine free

flow games and physical development activities with an introduction to other sports.

School years 1–12 to adults

Padel competition pathway

Rocks Lane Padel is of significant local

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a thriving LTA-accredited Centre of

Excellence, and delivering leading

academy, community and schools

programmes for all ages and levels.

HIGH-PERFORMANCE & OPPORTUNITY

Rocks Lane Padel Academy with

Alex Grilo (former World Padel Tour

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largest and most diverse, producing

current GB No.1 players across multiple

junior to senior categories and world-ranked athletes like

Aimee Gibson (LTA Player of the Year 2025).

The Rocks Lane Junior Padel Academy structure offers two

clearly defined development pathways: Performance and

Foundation. These pathways are designed to ensure that

each child receives the appropriate level of challenge and

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This pathway focuses on developing technical fundamentals, body

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This pathway is tailored for physically active children who demonstrate

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rockslane.co.uk

25

editor’s feature comment

Game, set &

padel match!

Is it time for Mamils (middle aged man in

lycra) to make way for Mamips (middle aged

man in padel)? Victoria Burton thinks so if her

dating app adventures are anything to go

by, as she explains...

As an eternally single

40-something, my longest

relationship in recent years

has been with my trusty dating apps. I

hooked up with Hinge and Match eight

years ago and even had an ill-fated,

short-lived affair with Facebook dating.

The less said about that the better.

I’ve met some nice guys. Some notso-nice

guys. And a fair few that land

somewhere in between. It seems the

path of true love for middle-aged

mums doesn’t always run smoothly

and the allure of evenings spent

doom-scrolling through dating apps

has inevitably faded as the years have

rolled by. Between single parenting

and running a business, opportunities

for meeting someone new ‘in real life’

are sadly limited.

The emotional drain of digital dating

seems to be real, with the most

popular apps reporting a 16% drop in

active users over 12 months – that’s

a whopping 1.4 million people. Older

daters in particular described their

experience of using dating apps as a

chore, rather than a romantic venture.

However, amidst the familiar faces

that feature in my evening app

exploration, I’ve noticed a new trend.

My settings seem to be attracting

a raft of middle-aged, middleclass

men who all have one thing

in common. They LOVE padel – and

they’re not afraid to show it. The

compulsory six pictures required for

Hinge mean that I’ve seen more than

my fair share of fit, toned, 40 and

50-somethings proudly brandishing

a padel racket and hitting balls in

a series of arty, admittedly easy on

the eye, (usually) black and white,

carefully selected profile pics.

Intriguing…and upon further

investigation it seems these guys

might be on to something. A study

examining the relationship between

sports and dating revealed that, for

men, participating in athletic activities

on a weekly basis increased their

chances of receiving a first message

from a woman by more than 50%.

So that got me thinking…

Is it time to step away from the apps

and pick up a padel racket?

Interest piqued, I found myself striking

up a conversation with a date about

his padel habits. His enthusiasm was

contagious. The conversation flowed.

Subsequent WhatsApp messages

were batted back and forth. A date

was arranged. So far, so good.

Until the following evening, when

a proud selfie from my would-be

date winged its way into my inbox.

He was flushed with the afterglow

of a padel match and standing

alongside his playing partner. My

heart sank, his court buddy was

none other than my ex-husband’s

best friend. I had to declare this one

game, set and (no) match!

However, as a seasoned singleton

I wasn’t about to let this crushing

defeat deter me. My investigation into

the romantic possibilities of padel

continued. I stumbled across one

profile who summed up the situation

neatly, described himself as ‘jumping

on the padel bandwagon like every

other bloke in the country’.

It soon became clear that I wasn’t the

only one who recognised the appeal

of meeting like-minded and fitnessfocused

singletons IRL. Dating events at

Rocks Lane in Chiswick, Padel Playdates

at Padel Social Club in London, Chrissie

Hoolahan’s Padel Match and Padel

for Singles, hosted by Anti Swipe, are

enjoying soaring success, offering a

sense of community alongside an

alternative to finding love.

Could speed dating really be making

a resurgence in the form of a padel

meet-up? Apparently, the answer is a

resounding yes! With my local David

Lloyd Club in Leeds building three

new padel courts, maybe it’s time to

abandon the apps and pick a partner

on court – here’s hoping for a love-all

score on the board. •

About Victoria

Victoria Burton is a (single) freelance

writer from Leeds. She’s just launched

Swipe Write, helping other people

craft dating profiles using her

long-standing relationship with the

highs and lows of dating apps. Find

her at www.victoriaburton.uk

26


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27

editor’s feature comment

A padel statesman

championing

the amateur

game

When you’re organising a padel court

it’s highly likely it’ll be through Playtomic (the run-away success

booking platform), which works with around 80% of UK commercial

padel operators and more than 6,000 partner clubs globally. Adam

Black has been speaking with co-founder Pablo Carro, who he

describes as the ‘quiet force’ behind padel’s global rise.

Morning begins like clockwork for

Pablo Carro. Breakfast in Miami

with his one-year-old and wife.

Then padel or gym, alternating each

day. The ritual is non-negotiable.

Padel in 2025; 90 countries and more

than 50,000 courts worldwide. Booking

app Playtomic might be the fuel

behind the incredible rise of padel

and Pablo it’s master engineer but

there’s no doubt with this start-up

genius that family is first.

Pablo continues over Zoom from

his Florida home: “At my age - 44 -

you definitely need to keep working

out,” he says, his voice calm but

assured, the cadence of a man

whose days are layered with five or

more meetings, an avalanche of

calls and emails he never quite finds

the time to answer. “I would love

more back-office time,” he admits.

“But I haven’t delegated - not

even the small things.”

It’s this composure with handling the

detail that’s one of Pablo’s talents,

a skill he learned from his dad. “My

father was a very calm guy, resilient,

disciplined. He was always creating a

calm environment.”

An engineer for Saab, Pablo’s father

worked for the car manufacturer for

30 years. It’s clear how important he

was in shaping Pablo’s life. “He was a

methodical guy. It helped me a lot to

build the company. That was the key.”

As co-CEO of Playtomic - the app

that’s become padel’s connective

tissue - Pablo is at the centre of a

global sport. But he’s not shouting

about it. He doesn’t chase the

spotlight, even if his company is

working with Google and PWC to

publish the industry’s most referenced

market report. And even if our paths

cross at star-studded padel events

including Premier Padel and the

Hexagon Cup.

“I’m quite behind the rock,” he says

of celebrity culture, despite rubbing

shoulders with the likes of Rafael

Nadal and Luka Modrić. “I’m not

surrounded by very famous people…

it’s not my style.”

The names come up not to boast but

to illustrate.

Modrić is his pick as one of Real

Madrid’s greatest players ever. “He’s

the most competitive player who

has ever existed,” Pablo exclaims. “Six

Champions League titles. A World

Cup final. A Ballon d’Or. He has more

Champions League titles than the

Barcelona team! He’s the engineer

behind the squad.”

There’s Nadal ‘an example since I

was a kid’. Pablo’s dad would wake at

3am to watch this most hard-working

of tennis players. Then there’s Bruce

Springsteen, whom he reveres not just

for music but for authenticity. “It’s not

28


feature news

only about the quality of his music,”

Carro says. “It’s about the way he acts

- with honesty, professionalism.”

The common thread? Integrity,

humility, work ethic. These are Pablo

Carro’s benchmarks. “They don’t need

to be in my field to be an example

for me. They act so professionally,

with integrity and love what they do -

that’s enough.”

His cousin, Fernando Carro, is another

such figure. As CEO of German

football team Bayer Leverkusen,

Fernando reshaped the club and

hired Xabi Alonso before Real Madrid

did. “He completely changed the

dynamic of the club,” Pablo notes.

“Not just the team - the club.”

But it’s padel, and Playtomic

specifically, where Pablo is building

his own legacy. During his leadership

the sport has seen 26% annual

growth, with nine clubs opening

every day worldwide. “It’s not just a

trend anymore,” he says. “It’s become

something real.”

Nowhere is that more apparent

than in the UK, a market Pablo calls

‘one of the most competitive and

demanding in the world’. He believes

the UK can reach 500 venues

easily, with Playtomic providing the

most popular booking app hands

down. “If something is successful in

the UK it usually means the product

is ready for the rest of the world,”

he says. “It’s like a showcase. The

technology is essential. It’s hard to

digitise a tennis club. But if you’re

talking to a new entrepreneur building

padel courts, it’s easy.”

And what about the debate on who

‘owns’ the padel customer? Carro

bristles slightly, not at the question

but at misinformation. “This narrative

that we don’t share data with clubs,

it’s false,” he says firmly. “Clubs can

download CSVs, access APIs, and

use powerful dashboards. The player

belongs to themselves, not to us, not

to the club. That’s the principle.”

Discipline beats

everything. “ Sleep well,

eat well, move every day

– the rest will come.

”

Pablo Carro

He talks like a statesman. Measured.

Polite. But every word calibrated. He

doesn’t lash out at competitors; he

credits them for pushing Playtomic

to improve. He recalls a UK club owner

who used Playtomic to organise

a tournament. “He made £3,000 in

20 minutes. That’s what matters.”

Pablo talks about rock music again:

“Bruce Springsteen fans are divided

into two groups,” he jokes. “Those who

have gone to a concert…and those

who haven’t yet. It’s the charisma,

the honesty - and he just connects.

He’s one of the best communicators

I’ve ever seen.”

Asked if he sees tech icons like Elon

Musk the same way, Carro pauses.

“I separate the entrepreneur from

the person. I don’t do that with Luca

or Bruce.”

And maybe that’s why Pablo Carro

stands out. In an era where business

role models are downgraded by the

antics of Trump and Musk, his is just

the kind of story we need to remind us

that hard work, industry and decency

Pablo with tennis

great Rafa Nadal, a

Playtomic investor.

get rewarded, that they are skills to

be respected alongside the art of the

deal, and that they remain the true

hallmarks of what makes a man.

Perhaps it is fitting that it is in booking

courts for us, the average player,

that a man of this quality is making a

living. Not televising pro players, not

running the glamorous Premier Padel

or Hexagon Cup, but plying a trade in

the amateur game, where for once,

the game played by the public is

more important than the pro game,

where the 400,000 players in the UK,

barely know the name of anyone

playing Premier Padel but they know

Playtomic. They use it daily. •


29

The

daddy

of all

racket

sites

Which padel racket

to choose is a never

ending question - but

a new website may

have the answers.

Padel Father holds details of

more than 700 rackets, including

most major 2025 releases. Users

answer 10 questions (ie skill

level, price point, lighter/heavier,

power/control etc) and Padel

Father scours its database and

recommends three rackets.

We tried it out and one of the

rackets it suggested - the Wilson

Pro Staff V2 - is a firm favourite,

so top marks there.

The site is still in development but

it’s a good place to start if you’re

unsure or looking to replace your

racket and want suggestions based

on its spec. It’s free and you don’t

have to hand over details to receive

the racket recommendations.

www.padelfather.com

Trust Padel nails

club listings

As MVPs go, the launch of Trust Padel has to be

one of the most complete, with what we believe to

be the most comprehensive listings of padel clubs.

The site lists more than 466 clubs

and 1,565 courts across Britain,

Ireland and the Channel Islands,

with venues waiting in the wings to

be added, plus a ‘backend’ list of

clubs not yet open.

At the heart of the site is free ease

of use - land on its home page and

you can immediately search for

padel by postcode, town, city,

county and country and add filters

(ie indoor courts only).

Verification

Designing the website and

uploading information has been a

mammoth task for co-founder, IT/

web developer specialist Jamie

Recker working with fellow founders

Jason and Pete. Each club entry has

around 160 data points and the trio

eschewed data scraping in favour

of collating information and

contacting clubs to verify it.

“We wanted to get an MVP

(minimum viable product) out

to get some feedback that we’re

moving in a direction that makes

sense,” said Jamie. “And everyone

has said the same thing - there’s an

awesome amount of information

and it’s really clean and easy to use.

People like it because it gets them

where they need to be straight

away; you land on the site, you’re

searching clubs.”

Jamie brings a personal

motivation to the project. Of his

five children four have autism

and he’s found that padel is an

accessible sport for them. However,

noisy venues (including music),

uncertainty about changing

facilities, stairs etc, plus cost have

made it difficult to enjoy.

He hopes that Trust Padel’s search

function will help address this in

time and include padel facilities

running ‘sensory hours’ each week

when music is turned off.

www.trustpadel.com

30


genius padel news ideas

Forget me not

Forgetting the score when playing padel

could be a thing of the past thanks to Vamos

Courtside, which turns smart watches or

phones into mobile scoreboards.

Cheshire-based player Robin

Hayward is behind the tech, bringing

experience from working with

leading brands such as Formula 1

Management and Sky to the project.

“Every time I’ve played or watched

it’s noticeable that people forget the

score at some point. And nobody

spectating knows what the score is,”

said Robin. “As an app developer

I realised I could create something

that would allow individual phones

to act as scoreboards.

“You can update the score remotely

from anywhere on court and live

stream to multiple devices too, for a

scoreboard on either side of the net,

or spectators so they can follow the

game,” he added.

It’s a simple yet brilliant idea - just

download from the App store. Launch

prices are £1.99/month or £12.99/year.

Sue Beaney, club manager at

Padel United in Maldon,

put the tech through its

paces. Read her review here.

Vamos Courtside:

a must-have app

by Sue Beaney

Using Vamos Courtside was

refreshingly straightforward and

reliable. Getting set up is about

as easy as it gets: download the

Vamos app, log in and it’s ready to

go within a couple of clicks.

I really appreciated how quickly

and clearly scores appeared on

my watch. No lag, no unnecessary

menus, just your scores when and

where you want them. It syncs well

with your phone, letting you review

stats on a bigger screen if you want

a more detailed look at progress.

It’s a nice touch, accommodating

casual users and those who like to

dive deeper into their performance.

While the app works perfectly well

on its own, I do think it would be

even better with the optional

Flic clicker button (purchase

separately) which makes entering

scores even quicker. Without it,

though, the app remains highly

effective, with no errors in the

scoring and consistently

reliable performance.

The app doesn’t try to be overly

fancy or complicated. It focuses on

the basics: simple, fast score entry

and easy tracking. It’s user-friendly,

even for people who aren’t especially

tech-savvy. It’s also surprisingly

good at tracking your overall activity,

giving you a solid sense of your

performance over time.

My verdict? It’s a must-have for

players who want to track scores

without fuss. It’s easy, effective and

delivers exactly what you need.

Scan & play

Playskan is brilliant in its simplicity - a search engine

that scours padel venues for court availability, listing

free courts in date and time order.

Land on its home page and one click takes you to 10

days’ of court booking information for your chosen

city, with the number of clubs with free courts listed

between 6am and 11pm. Select a time slot and the

site reveals venues and a link to the relevant booking

platform. If you have a club in mind, or indoors/

outdoor preference, you can refine the search.

Playskan currently covers six UK cities (plus Paris), but

founders Henri Happonen and Sara Farzanehfar are

looking to add more. www.playskan.com

Court matchmaker

Padel Court Alert delivers the ability to book court

slots as they become available - or snap up cancelled

bookings - thanks to its constant scanning of booking

platforms for free courts. Set up an alert and the site will

email when/if your chosen court time is free.

Currently it’s limited to Project Padel in Newcastle,

True Padel in Durham & Sunderland and The Padel

Team in Bristol, but creator Vitalii Tryus is open

to adding clubs. The digital product manager,

based in Germany, recognised that court

availability could be a pain point for players

and picked the UK to test his theory.

www.padelcourtalert.co.uk


31

comment

Giving girls a

sporting chance

By Mark Hewlett, CEO & Founder of Soul Padel

If you’ve ever stepped onto a padel

court and thought ‘where are all the

women?’ you’re not alone. Despite

rapid growth in the sport across the

UK, female participation still lags

significantly behind.

programming, court environments

and progression paths avoids treating

girls as a homogenous group. It’s

about listening, adapting, and

ensuring a positive experience for

each player.

such as americano tournaments

and socials, Soul Sisters has quickly

grown into a vital part of our

community and an example of

what works when you build from

real customer feedback.

At Soul Padel, we didn’t just

observe this gap, we made it our

mission to close it.

And it starts with confidence. In the

UK, 64% of girls quit sport before they

turn *. The number one reason? Lack

of confidence. At Soul Padel we’re not

having that.

As a father of three daughters, and

after eight years living in Australia

where girls had a broader range of

sporting opportunities, I’ve seen how

much sport can shape young lives

- not just in fitness, but in friendship,

identity and mental health. Sport,

community and confidence beat

screens and social media every time.

But we need to build spaces where

girls feel they belong from the outset.

Confidence

Our What’s That Racket? free courts

for schools programme introduces

padel to pupils across the UK, and

we’re paying close attention to

the experience of girls within those

sessions. Just recently, 26 Year 8

Stockport girls picked up a padel

racket for the first time, led by the

brilliant Sue Morrison of LUSU Sports.

Watching confidence grow in real

time, driven by a relatable coach

and an encouraging atmosphere,

reinforced just how important role

models are.

We also recognise that no two girls

are the same. Our approach to

Listening & learning

At our Loughborough University

campus club we’re gaining valuable

insights from female players aged

18 to 21. What they want is clear:

access to social, flexible sessions, a

mix of fun and competition and

environments where they feel part

of a community. Their feedback

is shaping how we design court

schedules, communication and

club culture more broadly.

This focus on experience is also

reflected in how we build and run our

venues. With three women in senior

leadership roles at Soul Padel, we’re

actively viewing our spaces through

a wider lens, making thoughtful

decisions about lighting, visibility,

access and atmosphere that directly

impact how welcoming a venue feels

to women and girls.

Culture of connection

Our Soul Sisters initiative was created

to support female participation

and retention through communityled

sessions, inclusive formats and

flexible access. It offers a space

where players feel supported,

not judged, and where the

game is just as much

about connection as it is

about competition.

Through women-led

coaching, spotlight

events and formats

When I posted about this topic

on LinkedIn recently, one of the

comments I received summed it

up perfectly: “When sport starts to

get serious and competitive, a lot

of girls and women don’t like the

pressure. Keep it fun and sociable

and they

relax - and want to come back.”

And as The Bandeja’s own Emma

Kimber added: “If your parents

don’t ‘do’ sport, your mates don’t do

sport and your school is ambivalent

- where’s the motivation? Role

models are one part of the solution

and padel is definitely another.”

At Soul Padel, we’re working to be

that ‘another’. Affordable play, free

courts for schools, free equipment

hire, welcoming environments

and a team that understands that

change comes from listening and

then acting. •

Soul Padel currently

operates two locations

- Stockport and Loughborough -

with new sites in St Helens, Bolton

and Glasgow coming soon. At

Loughborough University Soul Padel

introduced its first ‘Soul Padel on

Campus’ initiative, installing two

temporary courts for students, staff

and the wider community to use.

32

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33

ipadel leagues

David Lloyd Raynes Park 2

- ladies Club runners-up

Roehampton

- men’s premier winners

Rocket Padel Bristol 1

- mixed Premier runners-up

Middlesbrough 2

- Men’s Club winners


- ladies Premier winners

Rocks Lane Chiswick

- mixed Premier winners

Chichester 1 - men’s

Club runners-up


- ladies Club winners

ipadel winter

league finals

The 2024/25 Winter iPadel Leagues

concluded at a new venue -

Advantage Padel in Kingsley,

Hampshire - with amazing padel

and camaraderie across two

days of intense competition. The

weekend recorded two firsts - event

referee Roxy Keshavarz competed in

both the ladies and the mixed finals,

and Rocket Padel Bristol fielded five

teams, with them taking home two

titles and two runner-up awards.

iPadel League founder Ian Colligon

described the weekend as ‘another


- men’s Premier runners-up

amazing finals event’, adding:

“Each season the standard of

play seems to get better and

it’s great to have the high level

padel that the Premier section

of the leagues pulls in. However,

the leagues remain a brilliant

way for club players to compete

against other clubs in their

area. As more padel venues

open across the country this is

becoming more feasible for

more clubs, giving players the

chance to compete and build

their own padel networks.”

Results

Men’s Club Winners:

Middlesbrough 2

Runners-up: Chichester 1

Men’s Premier Winners:

Roehampton

Runners-up: Rocket Padel Bristol 1

Ladies Club Winners:


Runners-up: David Lloyd Raynes Park 2

Ladies Premier winners:


Runners-up: OTRO

Mixed Premier winners:

Rocks Lane Chiswick

Runners-up Rocket Padel Bristol 1

The finals of the iPadel Summer League 2025

are being held at Advantage Padel, Hampshire.

Team Otro

- ladies Premier runners-up

34


ipade leagues news

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35

feature

Kristen Paskins

Inclusive

Padel Tour’s

UK debut

September marked a pivotal moment in the development of padel

in the UK, with its first Inclusive Padel Tour (IPT) event, bringing with it

30 adaptive padel athletes from the UK, Spain, Italy and Dubai.

Not only was it the biggest

tournament dedicated to disabled

padel players yet to be held here, it

also looks likely to pave the way for

creating a UK arm of the IPT to grow

adaptive padel and establish a

British Inclusive Padel Tour circuit.

The IPT was founded by Italian

Alessandro Ossola who, ten years

ago, lost a leg in a motorcycle

accident which claimed the life of

his wife. The inspirational 37-yearold,

quoted as saying he ‘lost

everything but his smile’ in the

accident, turned to sport, founding

the IPT to promote the inclusivity of

padel for people with disabilities.

The tour has 10 international

stops in 2025, starting in Rome in

February and finishing in Dubai in

December. The IPT’s arrival at Padel

Maidenhead, Berkshire, was a new

location for the event, which pairs

one player with a disability and

one without. Alessandro’s aim is to

promote inclusivity and showcase

the power of teamwork and unity -

all of which were firmly on display at

the buzzing event.

Making her IPT debut was Rebecca

Legon, one of 12 ‘bionic’ UK players

participating. She described

the tournament as ‘absolutely

brilliant’, adding: “I have never

played IPT before and I’m new to

padel, however I do play amputee

football for England so I’m involved

in inclusive sports.

“What I love about this is that

everybody can play together and

it’s really inclusive. Being involved

with this for the very first time I’ve

been made to feel exceptionally

welcome. You feel very much

part of the game. It’s just been

absolutely brilliant, I’ve had the most

spectacular time,” said Rebecca

Instrumental

British player Kristen Paskins,

now a veteran of the tour

having played in Venice, Milan,

Dubai, Miami and Lugano, was

instrumental in bringing the

IPT to Padel Maidenhead, a

venue which has set the gold

standard for inclusive padel

facilities, from its car park to its

courts, which have extra wide

entrances to allow access for

sports wheelchairs.

Her plan now, working with

Andrew Simister - one of the

first British players to participate

in IPT - is to establish IPT UK,

as she explained: “Alessandro

approached myself and Andrew

as people who really understand

the mission, the message behind

the Inclusive Padel Tour; the values

of it, its importance to people and

the community.”

The aim is to encourage more

people with disabilities to try

padel, to develop players and

run home tournaments as well as

support players who wish to travel

internationally. But first Kristen and

Andrew need to identify five padel

venues around the country that

support the IPT ethos and have

fully accessible facilities. Kristen’s

hope is that by Spring 2026 the

venues will be in place, with the

first tournament next summer.

“But it’s also about building

communities of adaptive padel

36


feature

Jack Binstead &

Jasmine Dedak

Phil Basford with

Marcos Cambronero,

former world &

European adaptive

padel champion

Alessandro

Ossola

Louis Telford partnered with George

Weller. (Photo: Zoe Munday)

around the UK,” said Kristen. “At

the moment we’ve got a great

community in the south but not

so much in the north and there are

still many people who don’t know

what padel could bring to their lives.

Disability sport has done much

more for me in terms of helping

me get my strength, my confidence,

my independence, my wheelchair

skills than anything healthcare

related has,” added Kristen, who

became a wheelchair user three

years ago due to Functional

Neurological Disorder.

Support

Padel Maidenhead provided court

time for free. Founders Phil and

Chantelle Basford, who played in

the tournament alongside adaptive

players, said they ‘couldn’t have

been prouder’ to host the event,

adding: “To see 30 disabled players

partnering 30 able-bodied players

was truly inspirational - watching

it all come together was both

emotional and incredible.

“The buzz around the club was so

special and it really highlighted

Rebecca Legon

(Photo: Zoe Munday)

the strength and warmth of our

community. It was a day we will never

forget and one we very much hope to

host every year going forward.”

The Last Word - Kristen Paskins,

see page 60.

Andrew Simister

Malik Berbiche

(Photo: Zoe Munday)


37

Club Feature

Behind padel

powerhouse

Rocks Lane

Rocks Lane in Chiswick, West London, is a multi-sport centre that, for

many years, has been the beating heart of padel in the capital, being one

of the first venues offering the sport. New venues have arrived to feed the

city’s insatiable appetite for the game but Rocks Lane remains an iconic

padel location and its founder Chris Warren a ‘founding father’ of the

game’s growth here. Neil Goulding finds out more.

Chris Warren had a vision that

padel might take off in West

London but the Leeds-born

entrepreneur couldn’t have dreamt

of the success he’d build in one of the

most desirable parts of the capital.

His padel journey actually began at

Bishop’s Park, Fulham, more than 30

years ago but it’s Chiswick that has

proved to be the cornerstone of the

padel empire; Rocks Lane now has

12 courts (including a singles) and

40,000 players on its books.

But padel wasn’t initially on the

radar: “We started off with tennis,

then we had five-a-side football,

then netball…and then padel. It just

grew from there,” said Chris, rightly

proud of what he has built at Rocks

Lane, which he founded in 1992

with business partner and fellow

visionary Liz Bolton.

“In the beginning there was just an

old hut and a load of old bushes

[at Chiswick], it was a real mess,” he

said. “There were trees growing out

of the courts and a tramp sleeping

in the back of the greenkeeper’s hut.

Me and my dad [Alan] cleared it and

resurfaced the courts - made them

multi-surface because tennis wasn’t

sustainable on it’s own then. We’ve

come a long way since.”

Padel hunch

But if it hadn’t been for a padel event

in the city and an entrepreneurial

hunch, Chris may not have been

‘in the game’ quite so early, as he

explained: “There was an exhibition

[padel event] in Canary Wharf with

just one pop-up court - the ‘City’

boys got the chance to give it a go.

At the end of the event I spoke to the

boys who brought the court over and

they were taking it back to Spain.

I bought it off them and put it into

Bishop’s Park, Fulham, next to Craven

Cottage. That was the first court in

West London. There might have been

a few in East London but there were

hardly any around.”

Its success led to two more courts

going into Bishop’s Park and all was

going well until noise complaints

from neighbours which required Chris

applying for retrospective planning,

which was refused, leading to the

courts being relocated to Chiswick.

Ethos

Chris has always loved sport; he

played football as a kid for Doncaster

Rovers and excelled at tennis, playing

for his club and school and gaining

a university scholarship which saw

him compete for GB in the European

Collegiate Games, and in the

Wimbledon qualifiers.

His love of sport led him on the long

journey to form Rocks Lane with the

ethos of sport for everyone. Pay a

visit to the centre now and it’s very

clear that children remain a building

block of its success. Padel is included

in that ethos, with promising young

players benefitting from Chris and

his colleagues’ experience and

willingness to develop their talents.

And what he laid down at Rocks Lane

Recreation Ground is being replicated

38


Club feature news

in other padel communities, with

‘Rocks Lanes’ in Trevose, Padstow;

Polzeath in Cornwall and Dyrham

Park in Gloucestershire.

However, the padel net may have

widened but it’s Chiswick where

the party really got started. “We

had six courts and it got more and

more popular, so we got four more

indoors, then we added another

two,” said Chris, who represented

GB in two world and one European

padel championships alongside

brother Andrew.

“Tennis is tough to attract new people

because technically it’s such a steep

learning curve. But it’s different with

padel. It’s about having a laugh with

your kids or your grandparents, it’s

so widely-available to everyone. It’s

easy to play, difficult to master but

so much fun. That’s the beauty of it.

Tennis you have to work really hard to

get to a reasonable level but at padel

you can take it as seriously or not as

you want. We’ve got a really good mix

of younger and older players, as well

as a lot of ladies playing for the first

time. They love it because there’s no

anxiety about the serve.”

Incentive

Prior to Rocks Lane Chris was Tennis

Development Officer at Bishop’s Park,

teaching tennis to local children. This

experience incentivised him to launch

his own tennis centre.

“I looked at David Lloyd centres

and they were spread around the

M25 – I wanted to get inside that,”

he revealed. “I approached local

authorities and Wandsworth and

Richmond got involved and it grew.

“What I love about padel is that

you can make it democratic and

charge, but you can cross-subsidise

it. We give all the courts free to state

schools so they can play as much

as they want. We were also the first

club to do wheelchair padel, we’ve

tried to make the game accessible

to everybody.

“We have based our philosophy at

Rocks Lane on the feelings, desires,

hopes and dreams of every child

Rocks Lane juniors

at the Euros.

who has ever kicked, thrown or

caught a ball. Everyone is welcome

to play, learn, compete and have

fun, with free-to-play programmes

for children and adults to our

professional level performance

academy – everyone has an

opportunity to reach their potential,”

added Chris.

Having been involved in padel for

such a long time is there a secret

to success?

“Sustainability is the most important

thing. There are some facilities

that are stand-alone, they have no

people working in them. In Sweden

they found that was a big problem

because you need to develop a

community around your facility.

Whatever sport you’re doing, if there’s

no community then what’s the point?

“Padel is here to stay so long as

there’s a community. You will see

people settling into a routine to fit it

around everything else they do. They

might have started out playing five or

six times a week, but realistically will

settle back to once or twice.”

European Padel League

Chris is not one for standing still or

resting on his laurels. His latest venture,

the European Padel League, fittingly

concludeed at Rocks Lane this summer.

“The idea was to create something

for high level sportsmen and the

top clubs in Europe,” he explained.

“I wanted it to be like the Champions

League in football, but for amateur

padel players.

Chris Warren (left)

with his brother Drew

“We’ve had more than 30 teams

competing and we’ve visited the top

six [padel] destinations in Europe

each year. Every two months we go to

somewhere new. In July we had the

finale, the Club World Cup, in London

for the first time.

“Players from my club can play in

the EPL, it’s about building on club

loyalty and giving as many people

as possible the opportunity to play

at whatever level they can reach.”

It’s covered

With a total of 24 courts in London

and the South West, the next step

is to further build the academies in

each centre and install more covered

courts for year-round play.

Chris’s vision can only help inspire

the next generation of padel players:

“We’ve helped lay the foundation for

padel to flourish in London, but I’ve

been learning all the time,” he said

with a smile: “But for me it’s always

been because I just love the sport.” •


39

where to play

Powerleague is investing £14

million into padel in its clubs.

Padel’s growth

supercharged

UK padel has charged past the 1,500 court mark, with more clubs planned in

dozens of locations, from floating courts in Liverpool to a countryside hang-out

in the Mendips and the first club in a shopping centre.

Padel’s growth in the UK is nothing

short of phenomenal, with 2025

seeing more courts opened

than in the whole of the preceding

six years and the game cementing

its reputation as the fastest growing

sport, with court booking platform

Playtomic reporting 156,000 active UK

monthly users and player numbers

growing by thousands each month.

It’s breathing new life into

unoccupied buildings, unused

spaces and sports facilities, uniting

people, inspiring business ideas

and creating new communities,

not to mention investment and jobs.

Industry insiders believe the sport has

five more years of growth (we’ve even

heard 10), which will surely put most

people within reasonable travelling

distance of at least one club.

Court Numbers

According to padel court listing

website Trust Padel (see Genius Padel

Ideas p28), the British Isles has almost

1,600 courts and some 466 locations.

It’s great news but not unexpected;

Playtomic’s 2025 report identified the

UK as the world’s fifth padel market by

number of games played, with six of

the top 10 revenue-generating clubs

in the UK. Playtomic founder Pablo

Carro stated that padel is now a

mainstream sport in Britain.

The story worldwide is much the

same, with Playtomic revealing that

every day, somewhere in the world,

nine new padel clubs open. Globally

the number of courts exceeds

50,000 and Playtomic predicts this

number will reach 81,000 by 2027.

Managing director Antonio Robert

Aragonés summed it up: “Padel isn’t

just gaining popularity, it’s driving a

global movement.”


where to news play

UK Growth

Playtomic predicts that regional

chains will develop into nationwide

names. It cited Slazenger, owned

by Mike Ashley’s Fraser Group,

which entered the market with

12 indoor courts in Leeds and has

multi-million pounds plans for

a nationwide roll-out, including

centres in Swindon, Blackburn

and Wolverhampton.

Operators currently accounting

for the majority of courts include

David Lloyd (80 courts at 30+

clubs with plans for more than 100

sites/220 courts, including European

locations), Game4Padel, The Padel

Hub, The Padel Club, Padel United

and Rocket Padel. All have plans

for more locations - Game4Padel

(almost 50 courts across 23

locations) intends to double its

court numbers in the next year.

Ones also to watch include Social

Sports Society, Soul Padel, Pure

Padel, PadelStars and PowerLeague.

Social Sports Society: Derby is

already a padel trail-blazer thanks

to We Are Padel opening what was

then the UK’s largest indoor padel

centre (11 courts) at Pride Park and

the city is about to score another

first - permanent padel in a city

centre shopping centre, with Social

Sports Society installing 10 courts in

the Derbion’s former Eagle Market.

It’s not the only ground-breaking

project coming from S3 - four

courts are opening shortly at the

new London Cancer Hub in Sutton.

Further S3 plans include clubs in

Glasgow, Bristol and Manchester’s

Peary Street. With an extra court

going into Wembley (its first

location), S3 will go from 13 to

47 courts this year with ambitious

plans for one new club per

month in 2026.

Loughborough University. Publicly

it has plans for venues in St Helen’s,

Bolton and Braehead, Scotland.

Expect more to follow.

Pure Padel: launched its first site in

Alderney Edge, Cheshire, followed by

Manchester’s first city centre indoor

club. It has since added Darlington

(six indoor), Stockport (five indoor),

Moor Allerton Golf Club, north Leeds

(four outdoor), with plans for clubs

in Solihull, York, Nottingham and

Lightwater, Surrey. It’s definitely one

with big plans and is well-funded;

founder Sammy Arora’s dad Bobby

(of the B&M retail chain) is an investor.

Also shooting up the club charts

is PadelStars, with eight venues

open and as many again in the

pipeline, including a ten covered

court centre in Guildford for the

University of Surrey. It will be the

largest padel facility in the UK higher

education sector if given the

planning go-ahead.

Powerleague: a company with padel

now firmly in its sights having lost its

indoor five-a-side pitches in Derby to

We Are Padel several years ago. It has

£14 million plans to develop padel at

17 sites in the next year or so, adding

By Hove

it’s busy!

Padel players in the Brighton area

are making the most of new outdoor

courts at Hove Beach Park, pushing

court usage to an average of 97%

from March to the end of August.

Game4Padel operates the courts

- which opened in December - on

behalf of Brighton & Hove City

Council, with more than 390 hours

of court time available each week.

some 76 courts. The latest padel

opening is Edinburgh Portobello,

where £600,000 has been invested

in three courts.

And keep an eye on the Bannatyne

Group. Two outdoor courts installed

at its club in Ingleby Barwick, near

Middlesbrough, may be testing

the water. Chairman (and former

Dragons’ Den investor) Duncan

Bannatyne said: “Padel is not just a

game, it’s a social experience. We

are thrilled to introduce this sport,

which is growing in popularity all

the time.” •

Soul Padel: it was clear from the

off that founder Mark Hewlett had

big plans, launching in partnership

with Decathlon with pop-up courts

beside its store in Stockport. This

is now a six court venue (four

covered) and Soul Padel has since

opened its first campus courts at

Footballers Joleon Lescott and Phil

Jones on court at the Pro Am Padel Tour.


41

where to play

Padel

Parx

Padel Parx founders Rik

Bennett and Roger Lingard.

The North West of England

is cementing its reputation as

a padel hotspot, with clubs

opening almost monthly.

One of the newest is Padel Parx

in Wigan, a three-court venue

within the town’s Cotton Works,

a 16 acre site undergoing redevelopment

into a new urban neighbourhood with

apartments, offices, a hotel etc.

Its courts (two doubles, one singles,

bookable via Playtomic) sit adjacent

a Grade II listed mill, a pub and FEAST

foodhall, making it a location that

Padel Parx co-founder Rik Bennett

described as ‘pretty special’.

The New Zealander, who moved into

padel from a career in hospitality

(including running a steak restaurant

in Manchester and the Walkabout bar

in Wigan), has plans to enhance the

venue’s ambience further with wintertime

candles on tables, blankets on

chairs and s’mores toasting on fire pits.

If this all sounds enticing there may be

a Padel Parx heading your way; Rik and

business partner (as well as brotherin-law)

Roger Lingard have plans to

open sites across the country, with a

number of locations in the pipeline

working with a variety of partners.

But while player experience is key, at

the heart of Padel Parx is community -

both the playing and local community

- with a ‘padel partners’ programme

in place aimed at giving back. The

club had barely opened its doors

and four businesses had signed up,

getting the partners programme off to

a flying start with commitments worth

thousands of pounds.

Money pledged by partners is used

to buy court time, with an initial

focus on young people. Rik explained

further: “Partners get a listing on our

website and mention in socials etc

but, more importantly, their name is

linked directly with court time. We book

courts on Playtomic on their behalf

and that court time is then used by a

local school, for example, to bring 20

kids down to play. The partner’s money

has very transparently booked that

time and those kids have experienced

padel for the first time. It’s a really

easy and very clear way to show what

people’s money is doing, what time

it’s bought and how many kids it’s

exposed to padel.”

Interestingly (and cleverly) as well as

branded hoodies, rackets etc, partners

also receive an ESG (environmental,

social and governance) certificate.

Vege-might

And the giving back doesn’t end there

- Padel Parx has been running an

initiative on Fridays asking players for

a food donation instead of payment

to rent a racket. The donations go to

Wigan’s Community Grocery, which

supports families struggling to afford

food and household items.

Rik added: “I couldn’t do it any other

way. It’s not even something I think

about in terms of giving back. It’s just

natural. I wouldn’t be doing anything if

we weren’t doing some form of giving.”

Padel flying high with Mad Swans

And the best name for one of the newest padel

locations goes to... Mad Swans, a ‘countryside

hang-out for mavericks’ complete with three

floodlit padel courts nestled in The Mendips

around 20 minutes from Bath. The courts are

pay-to-play (£36/hour) and open to all but

you may find yourself wanting to make a

night (or three) of your visit to fully appreciate

the Mad Swans ‘breath of fresh air’ ethos -

luxuriate in the open air bath of a top-spec

eco-cabin, enjoy carefully curated dishes in

onsite restaurants or mix up your sports with a

spot of golf, pickleball or even darts. A second

Mad Swans is planned for the South Downs,

with a total of 10 locations in due course.

And all with padel. Not such a mad idea!

42


news

TRUE PADEL: BRINGING

PREMIUM PADEL TO THE NORTH


43

advertorial

THE NEXT

GENERATION

BUILDING CONFIDENCE, COMMUNITY & FUN


advertorial

At Surge Padel we believe sport is

about more than exercise - it’s about

creating safe, exciting spaces where

young people can build confidence,

connect with each other, and

discover something new. That’s why

our mission is simple: Move More.

Connect More. Play More.

Recently at our Bristol club we saw

this mission come to life in the

most inspiring way. One of our loyal

members, passionate about the

value of padel for his community,

worked with the Surge team to create

a unique opportunity. As a member

of the local mosque, he wanted to

help kids - and particularly girls -

from the community experience the

sport for the very first time.Working

with Gary and Scott, our team agreed

to close the club to the public for a

special session. For many of the girls,

it was their first time in a sports club

like ours and walking in they were,

naturally a little shy and unsure. But

within minutes the courts were alive

with movement, laughter and a fair

few stray balls flying around. Scott,

one of our site managers, told us

how wonderful it was to see their

confidence grow:

“By the end of the session the

energy and noise had grown as

much as their confidence.

Every court was buzzing.”

The best part? They came back.

This time while the club was open

to the public - and the atmosphere

was even more electric. Managing

Director Rich Wingfield was visiting

the club that day: “As I walked in I

could feel the excitement and see the

confidence shining through. I spoke

to the leaders of the group, who

told me how valuable it had been to

have the right environment to help

the girls step into a completely new

Scott and Gary, Surge Padel, Bristol.

sport. That spark has rippled through

their community, with the boys’

group coming to play the following

week.”None of this happens by

accident. It comes from a shared

vision to get more people moving,

connecting and playing more. And it

takes great people - like Gary, Scott,

Bogdan and the wider Surge team

- to drive these initiatives forwards,

make them engaging and ensure

people not only try padel once, but

keep developing and coming back.

This story is just one example of

the role padel can play in inspiring

the next generation. This summer

Surge has hosted buzzing kids’

camps across our clubs, helping

children stay active during the

holidays. And our Harrogate site ran a

brilliant Kids’ Americano Tournament.

Seeing the smiles, the energy and the

friendships forming on court shows

us exactly why padel is the future of

accessible sport in the UK.

At Surge Padel we’re committed to

getting more young people moving,

connecting and playing. Whether

it’s through school programmes,

community partnerships, holiday

camps or grassroots tournaments,

our vision is clear: to make padel a

sport for everyone.

Exceptional places to play

We’re here to create exceptional

places to play, from premium indoor

venues to inclusive community

courts, where people from every

background can move more,

connect more and play more.We’re

actively looking for opportunities

to create more Surge Padel clubs.

If you’re a club, school, hotel or

landlord with a suitable space for

padel get in touch.

Fancy A Game?

Book your visit today.Scan the QR code or visit surgepadel.co.uk.Interested in partnering with

Surge Padel, then email rich.wingfield@surgepadel.co.ukor visit surgepadel_uk


45

where to play

Chiquitita

for chiquitas

for Lily

Given that Birmingham was an early

adopter of padel thanks to Matty Thomas

opening indoor courts at Padel Nation,

Yardley in, we believe, 2013, it’s perhaps a

surprise that it’s taken a while for the sport

to really take off in the West Midlands.

But that’s changing fast, with big names

moving in (Pure Padel and The Padel

Club are opening multi-court centres in

Solihull and Sutton Coldfield respectively,

and Slazenger in Wolverhampton).

The city itself has also seen a flurry of

padel openings, including star-spangled

Connect Padel UK (four covered courts at

Moseley Rugby Club) which is backed by

Hollywood actress Lily James. She joins

an elite club of ‘names’ investing in British

padel, including Spotify’s Martin Lorentzon

(Padium), Stormzy (Padel Social Club)

and Andy Murray (Game4Padel).

For Connect Padel founder Charlie

Thomson, having Lily onboard marks an

exciting step for the business – not least

because she’s his sister! The siblings

share a passion for padel and making it

more accessible.

Lily, whose credits include the title role

in Disney’s 2015 Cinderella, Donna in

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and

Lady Rose MacClare in Downton Abbey,

explained: “Padel is a sport that brings

people together. We want to support and

champion local communities and players

of all levels, from schools, to parents, to

casual players and professionals all over

the UK.”

To this end Charlie and his team have

committed to providing 1,000 hours of

free court time each year for schools

and charities in the greater Birmingham

area. Moving forward, Connect Padel UK

has plans for four club openings in the

coming 18 months.

Padel in the

North East

Padel is on a roll in the

North East, with new clubs

opening, regional operators

expanding and emerging

padel ‘super brands’

moving in - at least 16

clubs and some 74 courts

are open or planned

(and these numbers may

be conservative).

Middlesbrough Tennis World was

first on the scene, introducing padel

to the region in 2019. It is in the

process of replacing a tennis court

with three padel courts to bring

padel provision to five courts.

Then came True Padel in 2024.

‘Padel addict’ brothers Adam

and Alex Carr opened their ninecourt

venue in Durham’s former

Soccarena football centre, notable

for its roof height of 14m at its

maximum. It remains one of - if not

the - loftiest indoor padel centres

in the UK.

The Carrs have since taken the

True Padel brand to Sunderland

(seven courts including the North

East’s first singles) with plans for

more locations.

Just north of Middlesbrough, The

Padel Club (one of the emerging

‘super clubs’) is opening five outdoor

courts at Wynyard Park, Billingham.

True Padel, Durham

South of the town

health club Bannatynes has installed

two covered courts at its Ingleby

Barwick site.

In Darlington Padel Project has

opened four outdoor courts and

Manchester-based Pure Padel -

another super club brand in the

making - seven indoor.

Padel Project has also opened in

Newcastle, delivering the city’s first

padel facilities (three indoor). It will

shortly be joined by Pure Padel

(eight indoor). Following next year is

The Padel House, a two indoor court,

24/7 club limiting membership to

100 players. Newcastle Padel Club,

which has planning for a four-court

indoor centre, will be an interesting

one to watch.

Others to mention: The Padel Barn

(four indoor courts in Sedgefield),

Hexham Tennis Club (one outdoor)

and Padel Up (four indoor, Teesside).

DHM Padel, in Spennymoor, is

scheduled to open shortly.

46


feature news

IN 2025!!!

COMING IN 2025!!!

COMING

FROM 13 COURTS

TO 47 THIS YEAR

- DERBY - MANCHESTER - BRISTOL - GLASGOW

SUTTON - DERBY - MANCHESTER - BRISTOL - GLASGOW

SUTTON

...PLUS 1 MORE COURT GOING INTO WEMBLEY

1 MORE COURT GOING INTO WEMBLEY

...PLUS

UNDER CANOPIES


47

UNDER CANOPIES

where to play

Padel passion

in Yorkshire

Sheffield has gone mad for padel! The city’s two

dedicated padel venues, offering between them more

than 1,000 hours of court time each week, are often fully

booked days in advance.

Play Padel was the first to open, putting

three doubles and a singles court into a

purpose-built centre at Abbeydale Tennis

Club. Playtomic showed that, at the time

of writing, it had just nine free sessions

(one hour or 90 minutes) available to

book for seven days. The singles court is

booked up for 11 days straight.

The pay-to-play club has been founded

by five friends - Alex Fleming, Joe Root

(England cricket international), Cameron

Dawson (Rotherham Utd goalkeeper),

Chris Millard, and Harry Bliss - all united by

their love of sport and their ambition to

bring something new to their home city.

Alex told The Bandeja: “It’s been amazing.

Genuinely overwhelming! We knew

opening a club in our local community

would be successful, but to see the wider

South Yorkshire community support us

so much has been incredible. We

need more courts!”

Joe added: “Padel is such an exciting,

social sport - and seeing so many

people get involved already has been

amazing. Bringing something like this to

Sheffield with people I’ve grown up with

is really special.”

Brewery

Club de Padel, one of the coolest

padel brands to come out of the UK,

has expanded from its Manchester

base into Sheffield, opening five courts

in September within the rejuvenated

Capital&Centric’s Cannon Brewery

warehouse in Neepsend/Kelham.

Matt McKinlay, co-founder said: “It’s

been a real labour of love and it’s looking

brilliant. From the moment we stepped

into the space we knew it had something

special and Neepsend has this urban,

creative energy that really fits with what

we’re about. We’re here to create a

unique and inclusive club that

Olympic

heptathlete Jessica

Ennis-Hill at Play

Padel Sheffield.

adds to all the exciting stuff that’s already

going on in the city.”

The city also has courts at Hillsborough

Park (two covered), Hallamshire Tennis &

Squash Club (one outdoor) and Eccleshall

Lawn Tennis Club (one outdoor). •


products news

Spanish padel brand Siux pushed the boundaries of racket construction

with its angle-edged Fenix range and it’s doing it again with a racket

faced in sustainable flax fibre. Working with Swiss ‘clean tech’ company

Bcomp, Siuz has developed the GEA racket using Bcomp’s Amplitex

natural fibre composite. The flax offers what’s described as ‘exceptional’

mechanical properties with minimal environmental impact. It’s resistant

to breakage with damping properties reducing vibrations.

Read more about the Siux GEA on our

website, www.thebandeja.com

Siux x Bcomp

RRP: around €161

ww.siuxpadel.com

objects

of desire

MÓ x NOX

RRP: €49.99

www.noxsport.com

Spanish brand Nox has partnered

with eyewear specialist MÓ on a

collection of sunglasses, with

world No 1 Agustín Tapia fronting

the launch. MÓ x NOX has two

models, both with polarised lenses

and available in red or black.

Keep the cold out with the Clyde

hoody from Reflo, the sustainable

sportswear brand part-owned

by footballer Harry Kane. Reflo

recently dropped its Autumn /

Winter collection (named Rooted

Energy). From beanies to socks,

Reflo has you covered.

Reflo

RRP: £79

www.reflo.com

Royal Padel

RRP: £50

www.royalpadel.co.uk

If you sling your hoodie into

your sports bag it’s worth

checking-out the Royal Padel

premium hoodie - it’s made

of a soft neoprene style fabric

making it pretty resistant to

creasing. Men’s colours are

red or black and women’s

white or baby blue.

thebandeja.com | SEPTEMBER 2025 49

products

padel pro

Oldan

RRP: £70

www.oldan.co.uk

Oldan is a new British apparel

company taking its name

from the family of its founders

Max, Oliver and Daniel. It’s a

premium brand influenced

by their background in design

and architecture. The Heritage

Crew (pictured) is warm

yet breathable.

Socks with grippy soles to keep your

feet precisely in place are gaining

popularity - and this unisex version from

Cuera has been engineered specifically

for padel players. Silicone grips not only

stabilise feet in padel shoes, they help

prevent blisters and bruised toenails.

Compression enhances blood flow

to aid recovery and support around

the ankle/Achilles tendon ensures

maximum stability.

Cuera

RRP: £25

www.cuera.co.uk

Adidas

RRP: from £240

www.adidas.co.uk

The Adidas Cross It Light Pro EDT is World

No 8 Marta Ortega’s signature racket,

inspired by Venus - the planet of balance

and harmony. This limited edition model

features a lightweight handle for exceptional

manoeuvrability, delivering agile and

precise play.

The racket is equipped with a ‘Power Extra

Grip’ for enhanced control and power and the

innovative 11 Thirteen hole pattern for superior

rigidity and control (11 holes in the centre of

the racket are smaller in diameter than the

remaining 13, providing greater rigidity, power

and durability according to Adidas). In addition,

the racket’s ’Dynamic Air Flow’ system ensures

smooth handling and comfort.


products news

ducts

Wilson

RRP from: £115

www.wilson.com

Wilson’s women’s On-Court

pleated jacket and men’s

Technical Popover are perfect

for the change of seasons.

The ladies On-Court jacket is

lightweight and breathable

and the men’s Technical

Popover wind-resistant and

water repellent.

Teddy Padel

RRP: £58.99

www.expresspadel.co.uk

Are you ready to Teddy? It’s a coaching

movement with its own rackets. The

mid-balance rackets are designed for

children aged three to seven years,

featuring 10 bear characters across the

range. Weighing in at 230g, they are

perfect for little hands.

Tecnifibre

RRP: from £115

A racket really can improve

your game - that’s the findings

of Tecnifibre, which measured the

performance of its new teardropshaped

Curva range using Trackman

radar technology and found that 91% of

players benefitted from using the racket,

optimising ball trajectory, spin and power.

It particularly improved the ‘negative angle’,

refining downwards shots thanks to strategically

placed perforations and air channels.

They’re good enough for Jamie Redknapp, Myleene Klass

(and even Mr T) and now Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins

are good enough for padel players, with the Viper Court

2.0 offering all the advantages of Skechers ‘Heel Pillow’

tech (no bending to put them on, just slip-in and go).

Available in both women’s and men’s.

Skechers

RRP: £115

www.skechers.co.uk

thebandeja.com | AUTUMN 2025 51

products

Bas3line

targets pain

points

Bas3line has released its second generation of

rackets with performance, comfort and injury

prevention at the heart of their design.

The three models in its lightweight

performance range - the Nova,

Vega and Orion - all feature

Bas3line’s new Hollowbridge

frame technology, which delivers

strong but light rackets with great

manoeuvrability, power and control.

Bas3line founder Wesley Teixeira,

a specialist sports physiotherapist

working out of his practice Physio

Vita at The Queen’s Club in London,

identified an increase in padelrelated

injuries to arms, shoulders

and wrists and wanted to develop

rackets to address this.

By focusing on innovative design,

high quality manufacturing and

a desire to deliver lightweight

performance rackets, Wesley has

created a range geared to injury

prevention and performance for

players of all standards.

“Our new range represents a

significant step forward in racket

design,” said Wesley. “Our goal is to

provide players with the best possible

equipment to perform at their best

while minimising the risk of injury,

powering the padel community by

focusing on progression, coaching

and matching product to player.

We’re confident that our new racket

range will disrupt the global padel

market and set a new standard for

performance and player comfort.”

Hollowbridge design

The Nova, Vega and Orion rackets

are designed around Bas3line’s

trademarked Hollowbridge frame

design, a high-strength double

tubular frame matched with carbon

fibre racket face materials and antivibration

foams to deliver light but

strong rackets.

Nova: this 355g hybrid teardropshaped

head-heavy racket with 15k

aluminised carbon fibre face is perfect

for attacking players. The combination

of 75% Eva soft black and 25% Eva Hard

black foam ensures the racket has

great feel, with control boosted by its

3D spin surface. Nova is best suited

to advanced players who like to use

power to win points but want the speed

that comes from using a lighter racket.

Vega: a 345g hybrid teardrop-shaped

racket with neutral head balance,

mid-level weight and medium density

foam is a good all-round racket. The

12k aluminised carbon face combined

with the tubular frame ensures power

when it’s needed. Medium density Eva

soft black 28 foam and the 3D spin

surface ensures great control.

Orion: the lightest racket in the range

at 335g offers comfort and control.

Balance is slightly head light and,

combined with softer foam, results in

great manoeuvrability and control.

A 12k carbon face delivers power.

Suitable for all standards of player

- the large sweet spot makes it

particularly suited for intermediates/

good intermediates.

RRP: from £195

www.bas3line.com


products news

New rackets

throw shade

on injuries

Specialists at Spanish brand Bullpadel have also turned

their attention to minimising arm and shoulder injuries,

launching the Cloud range to offer players lighter and more

forgiving rackets. The Bandeja finds out more…

Bullpadel’s Cloud range responds

to this by reworking some of the

manufacturer’s most popular

rackets - the Icon, Neuron and

Pearl - with a focus on comfort

and injury prevention.

Cloud rackets are built with a

lighter, softer construction, including

Cloud EVA, a low-density core with

increased shock absorption. This is

paired with ElasticFiber, a new racket

face outer layer that’s more flexible

than carbon or traditional glass fibre,

helping to reduce vibrations and

improve feel.

Each Cloud model retains the

playing characteristics of the original

version but is fine-tuned for a less

aggressive impact.

Icon Cloud

Designed for attacking players (like

the standard Icon) but with a gentler

touch on the body.

Neuron Cloud

Maintains the control and precision

of World No 3 Fede Chingotto’s

preferred racket, but with added

softness and a slightly lower balance

for easier handling.

Pearl Cloud

Created with World

No 6 Bea González, offers a

more agile and forgiving version

of its namesake, ideal for players who

train or compete regularly.

Bullpadel’s grips have also been

rethought. The Tour Grip Gel offers a

soft, adaptive feel that cushions each

shot, while the Hesacore Gel improves

grip stability and claims to reduce

muscle fatigue.

RRP £250

www.bullpadel.com

Two friends,

two obsessions

Friends Mel and Abi have combined

their love of padel with a passion

for style to create Maison Padel, a

fashion brand borne from friendship,

transformation and the unexpected

power of padel.

The women discovered padel at

Rocks Lane’s courts at Dyrham Park

Country Club in Hertfordshire, playing

up to five times a week. The more they

played the more they realised it wasn’t

just the game that had them hooked,

it was the community.

But there was something missing.

As two fashion-obsessed women they

were frustrated by a lack of stylish,

age-appropriate padel wear for

women who wanted to look and feel

amazing without compromising on

comfort or self-expression.

So Maison Padel was born

Based in North West London, and inspired

by the women they play alongside,

Abi and Mel believe they have created

a clothing label that is a celebration of

fun, friendship and finding your people.

The brand is built on the idea that padel

isn’t just a sport, it’s a lifestyle and a space

to thrive, connect and feel unstoppable.

From graphic hoodies to vests, tees, caps

and leggings, Maison Padel delivers

quality pieces designed for women who

play hard on - and off - the court.

www. maison padel.net


53

health

Giving the

elbow to lateral

epicondylitis


Padel elbow (tennis elbow, just trendier) is the scourge of many players.

The Bandeja editor Emma Kimber has firsthand experience having been

struck down with the dreaded complaint. She reports on what helped

with recovery – and what didn’t.

Tennis elbow, it happens to other

people right? Er no, and it really,

really hurts.

The NHS has various regional websites

giving advice about tennis elbow.

I’d had a twinge for a few weeks

and general tenderness around my

elbow but figured it would sort itself

out with rest (a week or so seemed

more than generous).

How wrong was I. During an afternoon

playing at Padel4All’s Garon Park in

Southend, Essex, the twinge snapped

into a sharp burning pain, rendering

me barely able to hold my racket

yet alone hit a ball. I’d suffered from

carpal tunnel syndrome years earlier

and it was a little reminiscent, the

feeling of angry nerves kicking back

when (very easily) aggravated.

Driving home hurt and I couldn’t

even lift the kettle to make a

consolation cup of tea. So began

months of recovery and a dive into

advice, treatments and conversations

with other sufferers, of whom there

seem to be many.

Tendons

Lateral epicondylitis, to give it its

medical name, is inflammation of

tendons connecting the muscles of

the forearm to the elbow. Symptoms

are tenderness on the outside of the

elbow, pain radiating down the arm,

a weak grip and burning nerve-type

pain. It’s caused by repetitive strain

on arm muscles and tendons. So,

basically, too much padel.

But there was more. My arm also

hurt on the inside of the elbow joint,

diagnosed by a physio as golfer’s

elbow, which is pretty much the same

as tennis elbow just on the other side


health news

of the joint. And it seems it’s

not uncommon for padel players

to suffer from both.

Rounding up anecdotal

evidence gives this top five of

padelelbow causes:

1. Padel is addictive and there’s

a tendency to play too much,

often when you first start, putting

stresses and strains on parts of

your body that aren’t used to it.

2. Poor technique - another

reason why it’s wise to sign

up for coaching

3. Using a racket that is too heavy

(or head heavy) or too light

4. Failing to warm up

5. Using a grip that is too small

The one thing that came through

loud and clear is that opinions vary

when it comes to definitive causes of

tennis elbow, as evidenced by point

three above.

For me the eye opener was grip

size. Padel rackets, regardless of

brand, generally have a grip of 4

1/4 inches (around a size 2 grip in

tennis). Jake Whalley, of Bullpadel,

said the logic behind this is partly

due to padel rackets having shorter

handles and that the sport is played

with more wrist action, touch and

manoeuverability than tennis.

But he added: “Too small a grip

can lead to over gripping and excess

The Hopkins Medicine

website has a useful video

explaining tennis elbow.

My (now grubby) arm strap,

which I used when returning

to the game and for a good

while after. I was advised to

spend on quality to ensure

the strap stayed in place

and didn’t work its way loose

during games.

tension, putting strain on the

forearm muscles - a key contributor

to both lateral (tennis) and medial

(golfers’) epicondylitis.

“In padel, since the default grip

is small, players with larger hands

or previous elbow issues should

consider customising their grip size

using overgrips or padded grip

tape,” he added.

Overgrips (not re-gripping, the

important thing here is to make the

padel handle thicker, so go over the

existing grip) are easy enough to

apply, with plenty of tutorials on the

web. It might only add 0.5mm or so

but it makes a world of difference.

I no longer play with a standard grip,

they feel far too skinny and it’s easy

to see how forearm muscles can

get strained from over tight gripping.

An alternative is shock-absorbing/

cushioned grips to reduce vibrations

transferred into the arm.

Treatments

I tried acupuncture (not sure it helped

much), anti-inflammatories, ice, heat,

a manure and nettle poultice

(I made that up but I was almost

that desperate), rest and more

rest. An interesting approach was

suggested by a friend - she used

her ‘personal massager’ to ease the

pain. Just don’t leave it on the sofa

when you’re done…

Seek medical advice and you’ll

likely be advised to stop doing

what made it hurt, ice the arm,

take anti-inflammatory meds,

stretch it, consider an elbow strap,

invest in physio and massage the

arm. For stubborn cases steroid

or platelet-rich plasma injections

can be considered.

More than a year later and I was

still getting tell-tale twinges, with

lingering tenderness under the

elbow. Rest was the ultimate cure.

Returning to padel I invested in

a decent elbow support with

integrated pressure points. Whether

this helped or was psychological I

can’t say. I also took heed of advice

to use my left hand to support

the racket head between points,

relieving pressure on my right arm.

Two years later and (touch wood)

neither tennis nor golfer’s elbow has

reared it’s head again. •

Tight fit

Cuera says its Oncourt

compression sleeve enhances

circulation, reduces muscle

fatigue and improves

recovery. It’s not specifically

aimed at helping or preventing

tennis elbow but the

compression may prove

useful for some players.

£35

www.cuera.co


55

health

Padel re-brands

tennis elbow

By Wesley Teixeira BSc MCSP, sports

physiotherapist, founder of Physio Vita

at the Queen’s Club in London, and

physio at LTA and FIP tournaments

in the UK.

I

treat a wide range of racket

sport players at Physio Vita and

frequently encounter tennis elbow,

now increasingly referred to as

padel elbow.

The unique biomechanics of padel

increase injury risks due to heavier

rackets, smaller grips and repetitive

forearm strain, often amplified by

the sport’s highly addictive nature,

prompting players to engage

regularly in long playing sessions.

In padel both lateral epicondylitis

(tennis elbow) and medial

epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow)

are commonly observed. Pain,

inflammation and swelling are

typically noticed around the outer

or inner elbow, resulting from

repetitive stress on the tendons

attaching to the elbow.

Effective management starts with

accurate diagnosis. For tennis elbow

I employ Cozen’s test, where the

patient grips and extends their wrist

against resistance, typically resulting

in tenderness and pain on the outer

elbow. For golfer’s elbow a similar test

is used but the patient bends and

pronates their wrist simultaneously.

Common treatment options

in my practice

• Immediate: rest and ice are

essential to relieve initial pain and

inflammation. Short-term use of

anti-inflammatory medication can

help manage acute symptoms.

• Physiotherapy: manual

therapy techniques such as

myofascial release and instrumentassisted

soft tissue manipulation

(IASTM) reduce tension and

promote circulation.

• Electrotherapy: ultrasound and

shockwave therapy increase blood

flow, targeting deeper tissues and

aiding tendon healing.

• Eccentric strengthening

exercises: critical for tendon

recovery, involving controlled wrist

extensions using weights

or resistance bands.

• Stretching: regular forearm muscle

stretches maintain wrist flexibility

and prevent tension build-up.

Advanced treatment options

• Corticosteroid injections: in

severe cases to swiftly reduce

inflammation and help patients

engage with physio.

• Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

therapy: uses the patient’s blood

plasma to stimulate tendon healing.

• Surgery: rarely considered, typically

reserved for persistent cases

unresponsive to other treatments.

Preventive measures

• Technique: proper technique

reduces the risk of muscle and

tendon strain.

• Warm-up: Comprehensive routines

before playing are crucial for

muscle and tendon preparation.

• Equipment: choosing lightweight

rackets, appropriate grip size and

rackets with balanced weight

designs reduces tendon load and

vibration.

• Preventive exercises: regular

conditioning such as wrist curls,

reverse curls and shoulder

stabilisation exercises significantly

enhance tendon resilience and

muscular balance.

Rackets

Selecting the appropriate racket

is crucial for injury prevention.

Factors like weight distribution, grip

size and material quality play key

roles. Rackets that are too heavy or

head-heavy can increase forearm

strain, while poorly sized grips lead to

incorrect techniques and heightened

injury risks. A balanced, lightweight

racket designed for optimal vibration

absorption is ideal.

Integrating tailored physiotherapy

treatments with strategic equipment

selection and regular preventive

exercises ensures players effectively

manage and prevent padel elbow,

preserving both performance and

long-term health. •

56


health news


A right pain

in the…elbow

When Philip Pereira was hit with

padel elbow, the pain was so bad

he couldn’t pick up a mug or even

squeeze the toothpaste tube.

It was a new experience for Philip,

who in 40 years of playing squash

had done so without enduring an

injury that forced him to stop

playing. Padel elbow sidelined him

for six months.

“I noticed that my elbow was a little

bit tender after playing, but initially

it didn’t stop me from playing,” said

Phillip. “I went to Gibraltar to see

family and friends and I’d arranged

a padel match. I didn’t want to

cancel the match as it had been

arranged a long time.

“The next morning I couldn’t squeeze

the toothpaste without pain. I

couldn’t lift a mug. I couldn’t lift

anything without discomfort and

pain. I’d just retired and was looking

to play a lot of padel so the timing

couldn’t have been worse.

“My physio identified where the

tendon damage was, on the

outside of the elbow. The pain

wasn’t just in the tendon, but down

the arm as well.”

Treatment

The physio prescribed exercises

using bands that Philip had to

do for 10 minutes a day, while

applying ice to the elbow three

times a day. The final element to

aid recovery was a regular

massage. But Philip’s tentative

return to padel four months later

- playing for an hour - sidelined

him again for another month.

While the physio exercises

continued, another solution came

on a visit to the Padel Hub in Slough,

as Philip explained: “I saw young

guys playing and they were all

wearing support sleeves along the

whole arm. They were also wearing

small elbow supports, which I

decided to try.”

Philip Pereira

wearing his padel

elbow arm support.

It had an impact and Philip stuck

with the sleeve and support until he

his elbow felt recovered enough to

play without.

Grip & hold

“The other change I made is

increasing the width of the grip

on my racket, which I would

recommend. I’m also playing with a

different racket which is a bit lighter

and does have a wider grip.

“I’m also conscious not to hold the

racket with one hand all the time, so

that there’s additional support and

less strain over may be an hour and

a half or two hours of playing. Touch

wood it seems to be working.” •


57

The Bandeja is delighted to announce that

it is partnering with The Padel School to

bring you the very best in padel coaching for

beginners though to expert players.

Hitting

a better

bandeja

The bandeja is a shot unique to padel and comes from Spanish for the

word ‘tray’. It references the way the racket was positioned - like a waiter’s

tray flat behind the shoulder - in the early days of the game.

Now the racket is held

higher and at an angle in

preparation for a bandeja,

which sits between a smash and a

forehand volley and may also be

referred to as a defensive smash

because it’s often hit deep.

It is also one of the most difficult

shots to learn, especially for tennis

players, as the technique, contact

point and shot objectives are very

different to the tennis smash.

The primary objective of the

bandeja is to achieve/regain

the net, with secondary aims of

ensuring you are not attacked

on the next ball and changing

a defensive position into an

attacking position.

There are three key actions for

a successful bandeja:

Move into position early

Make contact with the ball in

front of your body

Get back into position fast

(at the net)

And two key court target areas:

Into the corner

hitting single or double glass gives you

more time to recover the net, as the ball

slows down off the glass. Forcing your

opponent into the corner of the court also

puts your opponent on the defensive.

Down the middle

hitting between your opponents so

that the second bounce is near the

back glass will force them out of

position, moving them to the back

centre of the court.

Shot preparation

As soon as you see your opponent

preparing to hit a lob it’s time

to get ready to play a bandeja.

Turn your shoulders and hips and

prepare to move backwards, almost

sidestepping (it’s faster than running

backwards). You want to go straight

into this position, with your racket

up high pointing to the sky, its face

pointing to the side of the court. The

left arm needs to be up, it doesn’t

necessarily have to point at the ball

but you need to keep it up so that

your chest and shoulders are up.

Move your feet into position to make

contact with the ball in front and

to the side of your body at eye or

forehead level. Keep your momentum

moving forward; the point of the

58

SUMMER 2024 | thebandeja.com

The Padel School was founded

by brothers Sandy and Tom

Farquharson, both GB padel

internationals committed to

delivering the highest quality and

most accessible padel coaching

through their online-platform,

YouTube channel, academies at

leading clubs around the world

and in-person on courts in the UK

and globally.

They have transformed the game

of more than 10,000 players and

surpassed 100 million views of

coaching content, testament to

how highly regarded they and their

training methods are. Now, for the

first time, you can access their

brilliance through The Bandeja. And

we’re starting in what seems the

most natural place - looking at the

bandeja shot.

The bandeja:

three top tips

1Move immediately

As soon as you see your

opponent go for a lob, coming

underneath the ball with their racket,

turn immediately into the side-on

position and start judging how deep the

lob is going to be. Quite often players

watch the ball before they’ve moved a

muscle and then try to prepare for the

shot when it’s already on their side of

the court and they don’t have time to

get into position properly. Regardless of

what type of overhead you hit, you will

have to turn into a side-on position - so

get there early.

bandeja is to take the net, so if your

body weight is going forward it’s

much easier to do. Keep the follow

through controlled and short.

Think of the bandeja almost like a

high forehand volley, coming through

the ball and then getting your body

moving forward up the court. You

may find it difficult, especially if you’re

from tennis, to get that contact to

the side of the body at eye level or

forehead level but it is important;

if contact is too high the trajectory

of the ball will be too low and it’s

going to bounce, hit the glass and

come up, making an easier shot for

your opponent to return. If contact is

around the eye/forehead level, and

to the side, the ball should stay lower

off the glass, making it more difficult

to defend.

When to use the bandeja

If you’re new to padel, any lob that

goes up you’re probably trying to

belt it for a winner, hitting it past your

opponent. If you’re from tennis you’re

definitely trying to do that because

that’s the objective. This is fine if you

are playing opponents relatively new

to the game - you’re probably getting

away with it because they haven’t yet

realised that they can let it bounce

off the back glass and wait for it

to come forward before hitting a

winner past you. Once your game

progresses you have to be more

selective with the shots you smash

and, if the lob’s deeper, you need to

be sensible and work to retain your

court position. This is exactly when

you should use the bandeja.

So the lob goes up that’s a bit deeper

and you decide to use the bandeja:

immediately turn sideways, sidestep

back, racket up, chest up, control the

ball from about forehead level and

then a fast recovery to get to the

net. Hit the shot into the corner of the

court (forcing your opponents back),

or down the center (giving yourself

time to get back into net position).

When playing a game continue to try

and hit controlled bandejas into the

corners of the court and once you

get it, you’ll realise that it’s so good

for controlling the speed of the game

and keeping the net position, the

most dominant position on court.

Practice

Sandy and Tom

Farquharson.

One of the best ways to practice the

bandeja is to throw balls up for yourself.

Start with your racket high, position

your body side to court, toss the ball

and control it so that, ideally, you get a

second bounce in the corner. •

2Make contact

with the ball in front

of you

You can only do this if you’ve moved

back quickly enough. When in position,

make contact with the ball just in front of

your body. That way you can use a little

bit of slice or hit flat and guide the ball

into the right part of the court. If you’re

contacting behind you, you’ve less

control of the ball and more than likely

the ball is going to go up and be easy

for your opponent to hit.

3

Recover fast

Get back into position fast after

hitting the shot, which is much

easier if you’ve made contact with the

ball in front. There’s no point hitting a

good bandeja and then standing back

and watching it - your opponents will

take advantage and you probably won’t

get the net position back.

www.thepadelschool.com

The Padel School has

compiled a YouTube

play list of its videos

talking about the

bandeja, how to do

it, how to improve it,

why it’s different from the vibora

etc. Use this QR code to go straight

to the list.


59

last word

The Last

Word

with Kristen Paskins

The Inclusive Padel Tour (IPT) landed in the UK for

the first time this month – and it’s all thanks to Kristen

Paskins, the UK’s top female wheelchair padel player.

Kristen with IPT

founder Alessandro

Ossola (right) and

Diego das Neves,

general manager of

Dubai Racket Sports

at ISD Dubai.

The 29-year-old, a regular at

Padel Maidenhead where

the IPT event is being held

on September 20th, saw her life

change almost overnight three

years ago when she developed

Functional Neurological Disorder, a

rare condition that means she now

uses a wheelchair. Padel, along with

basketball, has been her saviour,

with Kristen competing around the

world with the IPT, founded by Italian

Paralympian Alessandro Ossola.

Her she explains more about the IPT

event, which will be supported by 13

adaptive padel athletes from the UK.

What is the Inclusive Padel Tour?

The IPT brings together players with

disabilities from different countries

to compete. It’s run by the Italian

non-profit Bionic People Association,

founded by Paralympian Alessandro

Ossola. His mission is to show that

disability doesn’t limit you in sport

and that sport can be a catalyst for

confidence, community and so many

positive things.

How did you get involved

with the tour?

Wheelchair player Jack Binstead

suggested me to its founder

Alessandro Ossola. In October 2023

I travelled to Venice for my first

IPT. It was nerve-wracking but also

life-changing. The IPT community

is incredibly welcoming. I knew I’d

found something special - not just a

sport I love, but a platform to change

perceptions of disability and show

what’s possible.

Why bring the IPT to England?

By the end of 2024 I’d played IPT

events in Venice, Dubai and Lugano.

Each was life-changing. To be

travelling internationally, competing

and being part of this incredible

community was transformative. It

made me realise how important it

was for others in the UK to have the

same opportunities.

How important is bringing

the IPT here?

It is a huge milestone. Padel

is growing so quickly here but

accessibility is often overlooked -

we have the chance to build

inclusivity into the sport from the

ground up. Too many venues still

have narrow court entrances, no

step-free access or inaccessible

bathrooms and parking, which

can make it almost impossible for

disabled players to take part. My hope

is that this event acts as a launchpad

for adaptive padel in the UK. I want

disabled people to see that padel is

genuinely a sport for everyone.

Why hold the event at Padel

Maidenhead?

Padel Maidenhead got it right from

the beginning: wide court entrances,

step-free access, proper accessible

facilities. That’s why I’ve been able to

play at the level I am now — because

the environment was accessible and

welcoming. By hosting the IPT they can

showcase what true inclusion looks like

in practice. Its whole team - owners

Phil and Chantelle Basford, along with

Jade, Alex and everyone at the club -

genuinely care about inclusivity and

community.

How does the IPT work?

Each ‘bionic player’ - that’s what

we call the players with a disability

- are partnered with a non-disabled

player. Their role is to facilitate the

game, not dominate it. Disabled

players get two bounces. On court

we’re fiercely competitive, off court

it’s like a family, many of us have

become lifelong friends.

Your best padel moment so far?

At the IPT in Dubai I was awarded

the Most Valued Player prize of the

tournament. At that stage I was

still rebuilding my confidence and

learning to overcome the fear of new

experiences, so to be recognised in

that way was incredibly affirming.

Standing on stage, prize in hand,

I realised how far I’d come. It will

always be one of the most meaningful

moments of my padel career. •

Read Kristen’s full interview on our

website, www.thebandeja.com


XXXXXXX news

Padel Court

Construction

Free, independent consultancy

service for installing padel courts.

Why use iPadel

The only UK company to offer an

independent advisory service

All courts supplied by leading manufacturers

in Spain, Sweden and Italy

A variety of options to give you choice

depending on your requirements

Finance and investment solutions available

We have done the research for you

“Ian is one of the industry leaders when it comes

to the padel industry. A pioneer in padel, who has

amassed an amazing knowledge and expertise in

this field. If you have an interest in developing padel

at your club or facility, speaking with Ian is a must!

I can’t thank him enough for all the help, support

and encouragement he has given me. It has been

invaluable in building may first padel venture.”

Gordon Watson

Padel Verse

07765 403 769

Email: ian@ipadel.co.uk | www.ipadel.co.uk

Lane End, Little Common Lane, Bletchingley, Surrey RH1 4QF


61

the

PadelClubBuilder

b2b supplier directory

ACOUSTICS & SOUND CONTROL

Padel Alba has sound barriers designed

specifically to reduce noise pollution from

padel & pickleball by up to 35 decibels,

significantly minimising impact on

nearby homes. Everyone deserves to play

& rest in peace, and our sound barriers

are the next step in making that possible.

www.padelalba.com

SOLUTION SOFTWARE

OpsPal is a smart operation

software solution that optimises

business processes and enhances

efficiency. We’ve already partnered

with padel operators and are eager

to assist the padel community.

www.opspal.co.uk

Courts & Canopies

PRO Padel Courts is the UK’s leading

premium padel court supplier,

delivering Spanish and Italian courts

with full project management. We

have six years’ experience and more

than 120 courts installed.

www.propadelcourts.com

COURTS & CANOPIES

Padel Plus is a UK distributor for Jubo,

the world’s second largest court maker,

offering a nationwide complete solution

from groundworks, supply & installation

of courts, lighting, canopies, ongoing

maintenance and advisory services.

www.padelplus.uk

COURTS & CANOPIES

Padel Alba manufacture premium padel

courts, and are committed to innovation.

As padel & pickleball continue to be

among the fastest growing sports

worldwide, a new challenge has

emerged - sound pollution.

www.padelalba.com

COURTS & CANOPIES

Padel Tech is the most experienced

padel court installer in the UK having

completed over 200 courts at 100

locations across the country. We are

exclusive distributor for AFP Courts

in Barcelona.

www.padeltech.co.uk

COURTS & CANOPIES

Portico Sport UKs’ goal is to remain one

of the UK’s leading suppliers. Capable

of managing projects of any size, whilst

ensuring the build quality & execution

the UK construction industry strives for.

www.porticosport.com/uk.

COURTS & CANOPIES

As a top grade court provider and

installer, Hexa Padel ensures your padel

facility is built to the highest standards

- whether it’s for a club, residential

area or commercial complex.

www.hexapadel.co.uk

COURTS & CANOPIES

Padel Galis, global leader in

padel court construction. Building

over 8,000 courts in more than

50 countries. we have installed

numerous courts across the UK.

www.padelgalis.uk


directory

The Padel Club Builder connects club developers & operators

with service providers. To promote your company here

email emma@thebandeja.com

INSTANT & TEMPORARY

padel COURTS

Instantpadel by Instantcourts is a

world unique modular padel court

construction that doesn’t require any

major groundwork, less permits and is

very easy to install (4-6 hours).

COURTS

Looking to add a new dimension

to your padel club? Touch Padel

courts are the perfect addition. These

condensed courts unlock a new, fastpaced

version of padel, offering a fresh

experience for players at every level.

COURT TURF

TigerTurf UK, a leading artificial grass

manufacturer. Our padel surfaces

enhance performance, durability &

player satisfaction, catering all skill

levels. With cutting edge technology,

ensuring superior playing experience.

www.instantcourts.com

www.manchesterpadel.club

www.tigerturf.com/uk

CANOPIES

Fordingbridge is the UK’s leading

canopy and walkway manufacturer,

offering commercial or competitive

padel and spectator structures,

specialising in turnkey solutions

perfect for client specifications.

www.fordingbridge.co.uk

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Leading provider of financial solutions

for the fitness & leisure sector, boasting

over 15 years of trading. Specialised in

offering tailored funding options for the

installation of padel courts, ensuring

your facility can expand its offerings.

www.satellitefinancelimited.com

CONSULTANTS

iPadel is the leading consultancy for those

developing padel facilities in the UK. We

work closely with investors, leading court,

turf, covers and canopy manufacturers,

suppliers and installers together with non

permanent court providers.

www.ipadel.co.uk

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Make savings across your food &

beverage purchasing? Equinoxe Solution’s

Procurement Proposition is all about finding

the best price, quality & service across your

food & non-food supply chain.

www.equinoxesolutions.com

PADEL HOLIDAYS

Discover the fastest growing sport in

the world. Coaching from 3 times world

champion Pitu Losada’s academy, then

let the Padel Tripper team help you

explore Alicante during your spare time.

www.padeltripper.com

Padel gear

Pādel Nuestro is the global leader in the

distribution and sale of padel equipment.

Founded in Spain, the brand has expanded

to more than 30 countries, becoming a

trusted reference for players worldwide.

www.padelnuestro.com/uk


63

editor’s cover star comment

64


The Bandeja UK padel magazine Autumn 2025

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