Ten players from the UK travelled to Stockholm for a Femme Open padel tournament for the first time – and one pair from Stratford Padel Club came home with the trophy!
Femme Open is the Swedish-created initiative seeking to build a padel community and tournament series for all standards – exclusively for women.
Five players from Stratford Padel Club, one from the National Tennis Centre, one from Fairmont Windsor and three from London’s Hurlingham Club all set off for Padel Royale in Bromma on 28 January, led by Pepita Stonor, Femme Open’s UK director.
Sixty-two women competed across B and C categories, with Paola Pernice and Rosa Alonso from Stratford Padel Club winning the top category.
Paola said: “Playing in Femme Open was an amazing opportunity for us to play great padel and meet amazing femmes – not to mention the fantastic goody bags and prizes!”
After leading the British team, Pep said: “This was the first time a UK team had entered a Femme Open in Stockholm and it was wonderful that 10 ladies from the UK could travel and play.
“For several of the UK ladies, this was their first ever competitive tournament. The venue and level of padel was amazing so we were thrilled when Paola and Rosa won the top category!”
Femme Open Padel tournaments began in 2018 created by Johanna Livijn and Johanna Aybar. Last year there were over 40 tournaments alone in Sweden.
Pep met Johanna when they worked together in luxury marketing in London in 2006. A love of padel has reunited them to bring the Femme Open concept to the UK.
Their vision is to deliver padel tournaments for women of all levels from beginners to national level and allow women a space to connect, have fun and enjoy some pampering too with luxurious goody bags and prizes.
