This weekend sees the highest calibre pro padel event ever held in the UK as Rocks Lane in Chiswick, west London, hosts Britain’s first FIP RISE competition of 2023.
FIP Rise events are part of an international tour of competitions, the Cupra FIP Tour, with players competing from all over the world for prize money and ranking points. The event at Rocks Lane begins on Friday 7 April, and is the first of three FIP RISE events in Great Britain this year.
The tournament will host a men’s and women’s event, with 32 pairs competing in both draws. In the women’s draw, British No.1 Tia Norton will compete alongside Margarida Fernandes of Portugal.
Other British females in the draw include Lisa Phillips/Abigail Tordoff and the wildcard pairing of Amy Cairns/Laura Deigman.
Men’s GB No.1 Christian Medina Murphy will be there as well as Sam Jones, Richard Brooks, Chris Salisbury and Louie Harris. Francis Langan and Nikhil Mohindra have received a wildcard.
2023 sees an uplift in investment from the LTA into padel performance competitions in order to further develop the sport in Britain and to support the pathway for British professional padel players.
This year’s calendar also features seven Grade 1 British Tour competitions. Acceptance onto British Tour events is based on players’ leaderboard position in a circuit of tournaments designed to give up and coming players the opportunity to gain experience and provides competition for professional players in the UK in-between competing in professional events both in the UK and abroad.
Chris Warren, founder of Rocks Lane, said: “The FIP RISE International Padel Tour 2023 will be showcasing Britain’s best players – including UK No.1 and former FIP RISE champion Tia Norton and a number of local Rocks Lane players.
“It is a great opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the world’s best padel players. Our aim is to bring sport to all, and this event is the perfect way to inspire the next generation of young padel stars! With reserved seating available, book yourself a ticket and treat yourselves to some outstanding padel.”
Full draws and further tournament information can be found here:
Men’s main draw: Download (PDF)
Women’s main draw: Download (PDF)
