The Pro Am Padel Tour returns for 2026 at Pure Padel Stockport on Wednesday 22 July, uniting sporting legends and screen stars with elite padel pros.
The UK’s premier celebrity padel circuit opens its fourth season by reaching its biggest audience yet, with talkSPORT covering the Grand Final on its YouTube channel, which has almost two million subscribers.
talKSPORT will bring live coverage and interviews to its audience and beyond, marking a significant milestone in padel’s journey into mainstream British sports media.
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) returns as Strategic Partner, helping to expand grassroots engagement and grow padel participation across the UK.
Last year, the partnership co-delivered inclusive access to the sport through youth clinics, adaptive sessions for SEND athletes, and teacher training initiatives, inspiring a new generation of players.
This included engagement with local schools in East London, Leeds and Manchester, alongside community organisations such as West Ham United Foundation, the Jason Manford Academy, Padel & Prams, Leeds Rhinos Foundation, Manchester United Foundation and Foundation 92.
Event overview
The day begins with community-focused sessions delivered by the Pro Am Padel Tour and supported by the LTA, welcoming local schools and community groups including the Manchester United Foundation, Richard Whitehead Foundation, and the Jason Manford Academy to experience padel’s unique blend of accessibility and social gameplay.
These sessions reinforce the tour’s mission to inspire young people and provide access to padel at every level.
The community session will also feature adaptive padel sessions run by Andrew Simister (who competes internationally on the Inclusive Padel Tour after losing his right leg above the knee in a 2022 road accident) and Louis Telford (GB No.1 wheelchair padel player).
The action culminates in the signature Celebrity Pro Am, where top British padel players pair up with sporting legends, TV stars and broadcasters in a fast-paced tournament format, followed by evening Pro Masterclass sessions where club members can play directly with the pros.
Star-studded Manchester line-up
Manchester will welcome an exceptional line-up spanning football, cricket, rugby, Paralympic sport, entertainment and broadcasting, with this year’s Team Captains due to be announced:
Football
Toni Duggan – Former England Lioness with 79 caps, ex-Manchester City, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid striker
Danny Simpson – Premier League champion with Leicester City’s historic 2015/16 title-winning squad
Izzy Christiansen – Former England international footballer with over 30 caps, best known for her time at Manchester City. Now a respected broadcaster and pundit.
Cricket
Monty Panesar – Former England spinner with 167 Test wickets and Ashes winner
Dom Sibley – England Test opener, now playing county cricket for Surrey
Rugby
Alex Goode – England international with over 300 Saracens appearances and multiple European Cup winner
Emily Scarratt – England’s all-time leading points scorer in women’s rugby and two-time World Cup finalist
Olympic & Paralympic Sport
Richard Whitehead MBE – Double Paralympic champion and world record-holding sprinter, one of British Paralympic sport’s most recognisable names
Matty Lee MBE – Olympic gold medallist diver (Tokyo 2020), one of Team GB’s most recognisable athletes and podcast host.
Entertainment
Will Mellor – Actor and television personality, best known for Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and his run to the final of Strictly Come Dancing
Callum Jones – Reality TV personality
Presenters
Kyle Walker – Television presenter and broadcaster
Katie Shanahan – Sports presenter and broadcaster
Padel Pros including
Catherine Rose (British No.1), Louie Harris (British No.2), Alex Loughlan (British No.3), Cameron Dollimore (British No.4) and Josep Aymerich (LTA No.1).
Road to the Grand Final and Captain’s Fund
Manchester opens a four-event series building towards October’s climactic Grand Final at Padium in London on Wednesday 21st October.
Each team captain competes not only for victory, but also to raise funds for their chosen charity through the Captain’s Fund. A percentage of revenue from corporate team VIP experiences and Pro Masterclass ticket sales contributes to the fund throughout the tour, with the full accumulated amount awarded to the winning captain’s charity at the Grand Final.
Last year, Team Lescott claimed victory, securing the Captain’s Fund of £11,500 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity. A cause close to Joleon Lescott’s heart after he was treated there as a child following a serious car accident.
More awareness for padel
The 2026 tour benefits from expanded media partnerships delivering coverage across broadcast, digital and specialist channels. talkSPORT provides broadcast coverage, Planet Sport leads social media and digital content, The Padel Paper offers specialist industry coverage, and professional player (former GB No.1) Frankie Langan (Into Padel) and Nikhil Mohindra (Behind The Glass) create behind-the-scenes content as Pro Creator Partner.
Oliver Morgan, Founder of the Pro Am Padel Tour, said: “Manchester has become a true hub for padel in Britain, making it the perfect launch pad for our 2026 season. With talkSPORT broadcasting the tour, our fantastic celebrity and pro line-ups, and the LTA’s continued grassroots support, we’re showcasing padel’s journey from grassroots participation to mainstream entertainment.”
Strategic partnerships
The Pro Am Padel Tour continues its partnerships with performance-driven brands:
Skechers – Official Footwear Partner
Certina – Official Watch Partner
Crew Clothing – Official Performance Apparel Partner
NOX – Official Racket Partner
Lawn Tennis Association – Strategic Partner
