David Lloyd is to add over 60 new padel courts to its leisure clubs in the next year as it chases an objective to become “the UK’s largest padel operator.”
The health, wellness and racquets group operates 133 clubs (103 in the UK and 30 more across mainland Europe) with over 750,000 members and 10,000 staff. All its clubs feature gyms, heated indoor and outdoor pools, racquet facilities, exercise studios, luxurious spas, clubrooms, kids’ club facilities and crèches.
Currently, the operator offers padel in eight of its UK clubs: Chigwell, Bushey, Raynes Park, Bicester, Cheadle, Harbour Club Chelsea as well as Rugby and Edinburgh Shawfair, which opened in the summer.
By the end of 2023, the premium health and wellness group will have added 33 more new courts across 14 of its facilities across the UK. This will add to its worldwide portfolio of 90 padel courts across 133 clubs in nine countries including Spain, Italy, Belgium and Switzerland. By mid-2025, it is targeting 170 courts.
David Lloyd have gradually scaled down the number of squash courts at its facilities over the last few years and are investing heavily in padel. The sport is growing at a furious rate in the UK and in many countries around the world, fuelled by the star appeal of fans such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Jurgen Klopp, Elle McPherson, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.
Simon Pearson, Group Racquets Manager at David Lloyd Clubs, said: “We are predicting that padel will be huge in the UK over the next few years, which is why we are investing in the sport to bring it to clubs across the nation as well as Europe.
“It is easy to learn, but is also a dynamic and thrilling game and so it’s easy to see why our nation is captivated by this emerging sport. We hear more and more from our members that they are interested in padel and so with our expertise in racquet sports, it naturally made sense to invest in this exciting game and give them the chance to discover a new passion.”
The Lawn Tennis Association officially recognised padel as a discipline of tennis in Britain in 2020 and there are currently around 89,000 players in the UK.
