The 2025 Pro Am Padel Tour rolled into Leeds for an unforgettable two-day showcase of sport, celebrity entertainment and community spirit at Slazenger Padel Club.
Returning with an evolved format and an even stronger focus on social impact, the UK’s leading pro-celebrity padel series once again blended star power with purpose. The event featured a high-octane tournament headlined by two big names in the football world, followed by a Community Day in partnership with the LTA, designed to broaden grassroots participation and inspire the next generation of players.
The Pro Am competition saw Team Dublin, captained by former Manchester United, Aston Villa and England striker and TV presenter Dion Dublin, take on Team Wingrove, led by football freestyler and F2 co-founder Billy Wingrove (pictured below left).
Team Dublin brought together a mix of familiar faces from sport and screen. Among them were Gaz Beadle, TV personality and entrepreneur, and Pien Meulensteen, a rising star with Sky Sports. They were joined by three cast members from Emmerdale: Jonny McPherson, who plays Dr. Liam Cavanagh, Danny Miller, a former I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here winner, and Shebz Miah, who plays Kammy.
Team Wingrove featured a line-up of athletes and high-profile names. West Brom striker Jake Livermore was joined by Alex Lynn, British racing driver, and Johnny Nelson, the former world cruiserweight champion and now a respected boxing pundit.
Also in the squad were Johanna Konta, the retired tennis ace and former world No.4, and Shannon Courtenay, a former WBA world boxing champion.
The day was hosted by dynamic duo Radzi Chinyanganya and Emily Kilner, who kept energy levels high and the crowd engaged from start to finish.
Backing the celebrity squads were some of the UK’s leading padel professionals. GB no.1 Aimee Gibson were joined by Louie Harris (GB No.3), George Weller (GB No.8), and Fredrik Ask, Norway’s No.1. Rising junior stars Chloe and Liam De La Mare, both top-ranked under-18 players, also impressed the crowd.
After an afternoon of matches, culminating in a celebrity-only finale, Team Dublin emerged victorious. Dion now advances to the National Final in London later this year, joining fellow captain Jason Manford.
The winning captain of the National Final will receive a £10,000 Captain’s Fund to donate to a charity of their choice. 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.
Johanna Konta and Alex Lynn were named Most Valuable Players, earning each of them a Certina DS-7 timepiece in recognition of their standout performances.
All celebrity participants received exclusive gift bags featuring products from Yoovy, Skechers, Nox, CUPRA, and Padel Shack.
LTA Community Day
Wednesday’s Community Day, delivered in partnership with the LTA, saw the spotlight shift to inclusion and access. The day was built around a programme of free inclusive padel sessions designed to introduce new audiences to the sport, particularly young people and those from underrepresented groups.
The Leeds United Foundation led a series of engaging sessions, introducing padel to children aged 11–16 as well as adults from South East Asian backgrounds. They were joined by a line-up of community partners including the Jason Manford Academy, Black Heart Foundation, and The Hunslet Club, each bringing groups of enthusiastic young people to try padel for the first time.
Leeds Rhinos Foundation‘s Physical Disability Rugby League club joined an adaptive padel session, which created a welcoming space for people with disabilities to take part in the sport, reinforcing the Tour’s mission to make padel accessible to all.
To keep the momentum going, Slazenger Padel Club offered all participants two complimentary follow-up sessions for themselves and their families, helping to ensure this wasn’t just a one-off experience, but the start of a longer connection with the sport.
The 2025 Pro Am Padel Tour continues in September and October, concluding with the National Final in Central London.
The Tour is supported by CUPRA (Automotive Partner), alongside official partners Skechers, Certina, and Nox.
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