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Padel Tennis

What is Padel?

Padel is a form of tennis that is:

  • Easy to play, fun and extremely sociable.
  • It is played mainly in a doubles format, on an enclosed court about a third of the size of a tennis court.
  • Can be played in groups of mixed ages and abilities, as it is not power dominant.
  • The rules are broadly the same as tennis, although you serve underarm, and the walls are used as part of the game with the ball allowed to bounce off them.

One of the fastest growing sports across continental Europe, Padel has gained increasing popularity over recent years, with over six million people currently playing in Spain.

Where can I play Padel in Britain?

As of September, 2024 there were around 129,000 active Padel players across Britain. There are also currently 350 Padel courts at 100 venues – a number that is set to grow substantially over the coming years.

But where can I play in Avon?

  • David Lloyd, Westbury, Bristol
  • Padel4All - Lockleaze Leisure Centre, Bristol
  • Redland Green Club - Redland, Bristol
  • Rocket Padel - Riverside Business Park, St Anne's Road, Bristol
  • Surge Padel - Lodge Causeway Trading Estate, Fishponds, Bristol
  • We are Padel - Barrow Court Road, Barrow Road, Bristol

Who can I speak about Padel in Avon?

First and foremost, Avon Tennis support the LTA in their aim of increasing the number of courts and opportunities for people to play this form of tennis. However, as the demand for tennis across Avon continues to increase, we would not like to see the already limited stock of tennis courts negatively impacted nor would we support any requests to convert tennis courts to Padel courts.

We would like to hear from you if you are considering introducing Padel at your club, perhaps by adding Padel courts to complement your tennis offer, so that we can provide support locally where appropriate and use our connections to help you maximise the opportunity.

Ian Alexander has kindly agreed to be a point of contact for anyone in Avon who is considering introducing the sport at their venue. Ian is not a Padel expert, but he has spent some time getting to know the sport, the key players and is available if you would like to discuss how Padel could work at your venue.

If you require technical facility advice, or are interested in an LTA interest free loan (or any support from the LTA), please contact Head of Padel at the LTA, Tom Murray (tom.murray@lta.org.uk)

Find out more about Padel at https://www.lta.org.uk/play-compete/getting-started/padel/

Read the latest Padel Newsletters: https://www.lta.org.uk/news/padel-newsletters/