This year’s Australian Open tennis major will feature the first Australian Padel Open held on a court in the shadow of the Rod Laver Arena.
The Australian Padel Open will feature two days of qualifying rounds ahead of a 32-player men’s and women’s draw to be played across four days.
Qualifying and opening rounds will commence at One Padel at Docklands, Melbourne, from Thursday 24 January with semi-finals and finals at Melbourne Park from Friday 27 January.
International players are set to travel and compete against a growing number of talented Aussies all vying for a share of the $20,000 prize pool.
The Australian Padel Open will be the first leg of the 2023 Australian Padel Tour. Players competing in the Australian Padel Open and the Australian Padel Tour earn Australian Padel ranking points.
Take-up and growth of padel in Australia has been slower than in the sport’s European hotbeds. There are only six padel venues across the country; two in Sydney and Perth and one in Melbourne and on the Gold Coast – accommodating an estimated 2000 players.
As in the UK, Australia’s tennis national governing body, Tennis Australia (TA), have jurisdiction over padel. TA Chief Tennis Officer, Tom Larner, said: “The team at Tennis Australia are committed to the growth of grassroots tennis and that extends to complementary formats such as padel.
“Worldwide, padel is enjoyed across more than 90 countries and by more than 20 million players and whilst the sport’s introduction to Australia is only relatively new, there’s already significant uptake in its popularity.
“The viability and expansion of padel in Australia is exciting new territory and we’ve been working closely with the sport’s governing bodies for a number of years to ensure its growth in Australia.
“It’s an exciting and social sport that offers both recreational and professional playing opportunities and is a perfect fit for Aussies who love their sport.
“With an estimated 2000 regular players and a strong indication for continued growth, the current positive momentum of the sport means there is increased demand for venues and professional playing opportunities within Australia,” continued Larner.
“If we look to countries like Spain where the sport has been popular for a very long time and where padel courts are as common as tennis courts then we’re able to draw great confidence for the future landscape and projected uptake of it here.
“With this comes great opportunity for clubs and private operators to service the growing demand for padel and the team at Tennis Australia is excited by what’s in store for the future.”
(Main pic: Tennis Australia)
