PIC: World Padel Tour
GB no 1 Tia Norton has been announced as the first winner of the Padel Award at the LTA’s Annual Award Ceremony.
Padel was officially recognised as a form of tennis by the LTA in November 2020 and since then has continued to grow in the UK, with 150 courts already built and more being added to that number every day.
The 18 year old from Leamington Spa beat a host of talented British players to secure the award. She first picked up a padel racquet aged 12 as an alternative to tennis and has improved remarkably under the watchful eye of coaches at both the National Tennis Centre and her academy in Barcelona. This culminated in her becoming the first British woman in history to compete in – and win – a World Padel Tour match in August last year.
Norton also recently competed in an event in Stratford, East London, which she won with her partner, Spaniard Carla Fito.
Norton was announced as the winner by LTA CEO, Scott Lloyd, at a live-streamed awards ceremony presented by LTA President David Rawlinson and hosted by the LTA’s Head of men’s Tennis, Leon Smith.
The LTA Tennis Awards are now in their seventh year and celebrate the achievements and contributions of outstanding tennis – and now padel – volunteers, coaches, officials, venues and players across the country.
Tia said: “It’s an honour to be the first player ever to win this award and so exciting that padel is now a key part of the LTA’s vision for the future. It has been a huge challenge to compete in Europe but also a privilege to now be playing more tournaments on British shores; I can’t wait to see the sport take off in the UK”.
Tia competes in the World Padel Tour Mallorca Challenger, with Carla Fito, starting Monday 23rd May.
LTA – Tia Norton Wins Padel Award
