Sheffield’s first dedicated indoor padel venue opened last weekend with co-owner Joe Root amongst a star cast of attendees at its glitzy launch party.
Play Padel Sheffield, located at Abbeydale Tennis Club, has three doubles courts and one singles court, and is now open 6am–10pm on weekdays and 7am–10pm on weekends, operating on a pay-and-play basis with no membership required.
The club has a coffee bar and licensed drinks, social lounge-style seating, a fully stocked retail area for padel gear and apparel, and a packed calendar of coaching sessions, social events and leagues.
Some of the Sheffield sporting scene’s best-known faces were there to celebrate the launch including co-owner Root, the former England Test cricket captain and England’s all-time leading run scorer.
He was joined by popular news and sports broadcaster Dan Walker, Sheffield United legend Billy Sharp, Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill, three-time world and Commonwealth Games squash champion Nick Matthew, Sheffield Wednesday and Scotland international Liam Palmer, co-owner and Rotherham United goalkeeper Cameron Dawson. Also present were patrons of The Children’s Hospital Charity, a cause the venue proudly supports.
Root and Dawson are part of a group of five local friends who founded the club, which also includes Alex Fleming, Chris Millard and Harry Bliss. Together, they’re united by their love of sport and their ambition to bring something new to their home city.
Founder Alex Fleming said: “We’re Sheffield through and through, and we’ve built this club to reflect the city – welcoming, energetic and full of personality. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a regular player, we’ve created a space that’s yours to enjoy.”
Root added: “Padel is such an exciting, social sport – and seeing so many people get involved already has been amazing. Bringing something like this to Sheffield with people I’ve grown up with is really special.”
Dawson said: “Sport has shaped all of our lives – and now we want to give something back to the city that gave us so much. Play Padel is about fun, movement, and community. We can’t wait to see it grow.”
