The padel season in the UK officially gets under way this Friday with several of Britain’s brightest stars competing in the inaugural event at Stratford Padel club in East London.
The Grade 1 event has received 88 entries from the UK and overseas, a promising start for the LTA who are responsible for administrating and promoting the sport in the UK after seeing a massive increase in the popularity of the sport over the last 18 months.
The Stratford Padel Club is an unsurprising choice of location; it is one of the largest in the UK with 5 indoor courts and over 3,500 players. The trailblazing club was created by players, for players, and offers a comprehensive recreational programme for both adults and children including lessons, tournaments, socials and corporate events. Facilities at the club include gym facilities, bar and beer garden.
Mens Qualifying takes place on Friday May 6, with main men and women’s draws starting on Saturday May 7.
The Padel format is somewhat different to other racquet sports such as tennis and squash, with multiple rounds played on the same day. The Stratford event sees the first round and quarter-finals on the Saturday, with semi-finals and finals played on the Sunday.
Scoring format is a best of two tie-break sets (to 6 games, with a tie-break at 6-6) with a match tie-break at one set all. Matches run from 0900 to 2200 on Saturday and 0900 to 1800 on Sunday.
The 2022 tour includes a number of events held at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, where the LTA are headquartered. Many of the top British professionals train at leading academies in Spain but will be travelling back for the major tournaments.
The launch of the LTA’s tour is welcomed by many who see the UK behind many of its European counterparts where Padel is an established sport with a competitive domestic league and many excellent multi-court venues.
More information can be found on the LTA website
