The Pro Am Padel Tour returns for 2025 next week — with a new two-day format, teams led by Joe Marler and Jason Manford and a fresh focus on community engagement delivered in partnership with the LTA.
The first leg takes place at Rocket Padel Beckton in East London, followed by three additional two-day events across the UK, culminating in a spectacular Grand Finale in Central London in October.
Next Thursday (5 June), the UK’s leading pro-celebrity padel series returns with a star-studded line-up. Top British padel professionals will team up with famous faces from the worlds of sport and entertainment in a round-robin tournament.
New for 2025, the tour introduces team captains, with former England rugby player and Celebrity Traitors finalist Joe Marler facing off against comedian and founder of JM Padel Academy Jason Manford. Joe is currently training to become a padel pro, while Jason’s academy is focused on inspiring the next generation through padel court builds and school-based events.
Joining them are celebrity participants including Joe Wilkinson (comedian & Celebrity Traitors contestant), Richard Fleeshman (actor), Gabriel Agbonlahor (ex-Aston Villa striker and TalkSport host), Jorgie Porter (actress) and Charlotte Dawson (TV personality) with more names to be revealed.
They’ll be partnered with leading padel pros including Pro Am Padel Tour ambassadors Aimee Gibson (GB no.1), Tia Norton (GB no.3), Louie Harris (GB no.3 – pictured above) and Rafa Vega (LTA no.1).
The first Pro Am Padel Tour event of 2025 also sees the launch of the Captain’s Fund, a new charitable initiative. Each celebrity team captain will nominate a charity close to their heart, with the Pro Am Padel Tour kickstarting the fund with a £10,000 donation. Throughout the tour, a series of celebrity challenges will offer opportunities to grow the fund further. At the Grand Finale in London, the winning captain will secure the total amount raised for their chosen cause.
Also making an appearance will be Pro Am Padel Tour ambassadors and the sport’s most promising next-generation talent including Guernsey’s Chloe De La Mare (girls under 18 no.1) and brother Liam De La Mare (boys under 18 no.1), Oxfordshire’s Harley Dixon (boys under 16 no.2) and Andrew Dunn (boys under 14 no.2) and Buckinghamshire’s Elizabeth Vellacott (girls under 14 no.1), who will feature in a Next-Gen exhibition.
Oliver Morgan, Founder, Pro Am Padel Tour said: “We’re incredibly excited to kick off the 2025 Pro Am Padel Tour with fresh energy, a new format, and even bigger ambitions. Welcoming Joe Marler and Jason Manford as our first-ever team captains brings a brilliant new dynamic to the competition. They’re both passionate about the game and committed to growing it in their own unique ways. We’re also proud to be introducing our partnership with the LTA, whose support is instrumental in helping us open up padel to more communities and inspire the next generation of players.”
The tour’s opening day next Wednesday (4 June) features the inaugural Community Day, developed and delivered with the LTA as Strategic Partner. This day is dedicated to grassroots engagement, offering inclusive sessions developed to broaden access and increase youth participation in the sport.
Local schools, clubs, and community organisations will be taking part, including Rackets Cubed, a charity providing integrated STEM education, racket sports, and nutrition programmes in underserved areas, currently supporting over 1,000 children per week nationwide.
Gallions Primary School in Newham will bring 60 five and six-year-olds for their first-ever padel experience. Padel & Prams, founded by GB pro Victoria Nicholas and Emma Powell, helps new mums return to exercise in a supportive and social setting. The West Ham United Foundation, which delivers life-changing opportunities to 50,000 people across east London and beyond, will support local young people aged 17-25 with their first introduction to the game.
The Jason Manford Padel Academy, launched by the comedian himself, will also be present, promoting padel among young people. A SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) session will be held for The Newham Ability Camp – the only pan-disability multi-sports club in Newham providing sports coaching to children and young adults with any disability from 8 to 38 years old. This will involve an adaptive padel session, a modified version of the sport designed for players with disabilities, led by GB No.1 female wheelchair padel player Kristen Paskins and GB No.4 male wheelchair player Louis Telford.
Additionally, BADU, which works with schools across London to get children, particularly those from global majority backgrounds, active and engaged in sport, will be participating.
To build on the momentum of Community Day, Rocket Padel will offer two free sign-ups per child for their after-school padel programme at both their Beckton and Ilford clubs, alongside 25% off court bookings and coaching sessions for all participants. The LTA will further support schools through its LTA Youth Schools initiative, providing free teacher training and £250 vouchers to help fund equipment or coaching.
This initiative continues the tour’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and youth development. In 2024, the Pro Am Padel Tour worked with schools, local organisations, and regional bodies, to host padel coaching and taster sessions for children and underserved communities.
Tom Murray, Head of Padel, LTA said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Pro Am Padel Tour to deliver community days to open up padel across Britain. One of our key goals for the sport in this country is to grow participation, and working with the Pro-Am Padel Tour, who have been increasing the sport’s profile through engagement with celebrities and some of this country’s best players, will help us raise the profile of the sport, and encourage more people to pick up a racket.”
The tour also celebrates its continued partnership with CUPRA as Official Automotive Partner. CUPRA has been involved in the sport since 2019. Globally, CUPRA has partnerships with several elite organisations including International Padel Federation, CUPRA FIP Tour, and Premier Padel. From grassroots to professional level, the brand is dedicated to shaping the sport’s future with a clear goal to propel the international evolution of padel.
Skechers join the Tour as the official footwear partner, with Swiss watchmaking brand Certina and Nox both returning for a second year.
