It was lift-off time for the Pro Am Padel Tour 2024 at Rocket Padel in Bristol on Wednesday as the cream of British padel joined forces with stars from across the professional sporting spectrum.
GB no.1 Tia Norton, GB no.2 Aimee Gibson and Louie Harris (GB men’s no.3) lined up alongside Spanish FIP tour star Gonzalo Rubio (world no.30) as well as 11-year-old local prodigy Ruby Mathias.
They combined with high-profile sporting names: England cricketer Ollie Robinson, England rugby player Max Malins, Women’s Rugby World Cup winner Amber Reed, Scotland and Bristol City footballer Lisa Evans, golf content creator Mia Baker, four-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist gymnast Claudia Fragapane, TV presenter Jenny Drummond and former Strictly Come Dancing star Radzi Chinyanganya all took to the court to showcase their skills.
Aimée Gibson and Bristol local Ruby Mathias won the women’s pro exhibition tournament, beating Hannah Maddock and Jenny Drummond in the final. Gonzalo Rubio and Max Malins (who faces a crucial Premiership match for Bristol Bears this weekend against his old club Saracens) took the men’s title. Ollie Robinson and Jenny Drummond were awarded MVPs.
The Padel Paper was one of several VIP guests invited along to play several hours of padel with pros, celebs and locals and make copious use of the hospitality on offer.
Malins is an investor in The Padel Social Club and has played for nearly six months. After lifting the men’s trophy, he told us (with only a hint of tongue-in-cheek): “This is as exciting as my Premiership title win with Saracens last year!”
He added: “I got into padel while I was at the World Cup in France last year. Our training base was connected to a tennis club which had two padel courts. A load of the boys played for the first time and we’ve become regulars. I love it every single time I play.”
Golf content creator Mia Baker, who was trying out padel for the first time, told us: “It’s one of those sports where you feel like you get it, then realise you have so much more to learn! Every single person I know who’s played absolutely loves it. Actually, it’s not even love, it’s an obsession!”
TV presenter and former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Radzi Chinyanganya (pictured below, left) commented: “It was a privilege to watch professional padel players do their thing. If I play tennis against Rafa Nadal it’s boring for him and impossible for me. What’s incredible about this sport is that the padel pros can still enjoy it while running us ragged. It’s been superb!”
The Pro Am Padel Tour also offered charity sessions in partnership with St Peter’s Hospice, corporate sessions, public taster sessions and sponsor clinics provided opportunities for business leaders and fans to get involved.
Continuing its commitment to fostering the next generation of players, the Pro Am Padel Tour also partnered with Tennis Wales, introducing youngsters to this rapidly growing sport.
Oliver Morgan, Founder of the Pro Am Padel Tour, said: “The first Pro Am Padel Tour event 2024 at Rocket Padel’s world-class facilities exceeded our expectations in every way. Everyone knows that padel’s popularity has exploded in recent years but the showing from pros, celebs, special guests, schools, Tennis Wales, local businesses and regular Rocket Padel players reaffirmed our strong belief that the Pro Am Padel Tour provides a unique format which promotes the sport and introduces it to new audiences.
“We are proud to be at the forefront of padel in the UK, helping the sport gain even more recognition at this very exciting time.”
The Pro Am Padel held its maiden tour in 2023, seeing the likes of Chris Robshaw, John Terry, Jos Buttler, Danni Wyatt, Sam Billings, Carly Telford, Michael Vaughan, Bobby Zamora and Aimee Fuller take to courts at some of the UK’s leading padel venues.
The tour’s new official automotive partner, CUPRA, has been involved in the sport since 2019. Globally, CUPRA has partnerships with several elite organisations including International Padel Federation, CUPRA FIP Tour and Premier Padel. From grassroots to professional level, the brand is dedicated to shaping the sport’s future with a clear goal to propel the international evolution of padel.
Celebrity attendees were gifted goody bags that included padel racket and balls by NOX, a £100 Padel Shack voucher, a Bamford Watch Department watch case and a Wilkinson Sword Hydro 3 razor.
The Pro Am Padel Tour 2024 continues in London (July) followed by Manchester (September) and Derby (November).
