Two young tyros from Bicester who play different sports but met on the padel court are blazing a trail in the UK junior scene and have earned sponsorship from adidas.
Andrew Dunn, 12, is a 13-time Oxfordshire county champion tennis player while Harley Dixon, 13, plays for Oxford United in the Junior Premier League and county-level hockey. They live only two miles apart but had never met until a year ago when they both attended a come-and-try padel social session at their local David Lloyd centre.
Soon after their first meeting, a new three-court outdoor club, Smash Padel Bicester, opened at Bicester Hotel and Spa. Harley’s dad Andy volunteered to run its junior programme. A few months later, he resigned from his job as a reservist in the Royal Air Force and was appointed centre manager!
Smash Padel has a strong ethos of providing opportunities to juniors. Coaches Gonzalo Almanza Navas and Miguel Caramalho have quickly built a gang of highly energised, padel-crazy youngsters.
This has greatly benefited Andrew and Harley, who won the U16 trophy at the Padel Weekend by HOP event at Rocket Padel in Bristol earlier this month, earning themselves the highly coveted prize of sponsorship from adidas.
Andrew, who is already sponsored by Dunlop in tennis, said: “To be sponsored feels amazing, a bit like being famous. It’s also great because I do need some new clothes!”
The pair followed up their Bristol triumph by winning the U16 title in a junior tournament at Rocks Lane in Chiswick the very next weekend.
Harley said: “Padel is very different from anything I’ve played before but very easy to get into. I first saw it when I was at a football trial and there were some padel courts. While we were waiting I had a hit and loved it.
“It was brilliant winning at Bristol. There was a really big difference when we played bigger opponents in the U18s but we still got to the consolation semi-finals which was amazing. It was such a fun event.”
Andrew’s speciality on both the tennis and padel is his touch shots and angles at the net. Harley had no rackets background but brings plenty of athleticism and has learned the technique of retrieving balls off the glass and in the back corners very quickly.
Andrew said: “We complement each other really well. I already had the hand skills and volleying from my tennis background but I needed to learn how to deal with balls off the back, side and corners and Harley really helped me with that. We both bring strengths and we know how to cover each other’s weaknesses.”
Andrew’s first encounter with padel was at a junior tennis tournament in Edinburgh. He remembers: “There were loads of rain delays – it is Scotland after all! They had these indoor padel courts and it was all anyone could talk about. No-one had really seen the sport before, and a couple of my national tennis friends managed to get on court. Within five minutes we were all having a great time.”
After the boys’ first meeting at that session at David Lloyd, Harley’s mum came home and said to her husband Andy: “You won’t believe it – there’s another boy out there who plays padel!” It was the start of what may well prove to be a long and successful friendship and on-court partnership.
“We are extremely proud of them – and I’m a bit jealous!” chuckles Andy. “They have done absolutely brilliantly. They take it all in their stride. The fact we live so close and have padel on our doorstep is quite an opportunity.”
Andrew’s father Gordon is a professional musician and part-time tennis coach. Whilst the boys were winning the U16s trophy in Bristol, he was competing in the Over-40s. He reflected: “Coming from a tennis background, I was staggered at how everyone seemed to get on at the HOP event, sharing tips and high-fives. It felt like a really good, friendly vibe. You’re competing but it doesn’t really feel like you are.
“Smash Padel is absolutely heaving with people playing or sitting and chatting with coffees. It is a great place to be and padel has a really exciting up-and-coming feel.”
Smash Padel now provide Andrew, Harley and a few other of their most promising juniors with free coaching once a week with Gonzalo and Miguel. “They bend over backwards to support the boys,” says Andy. “They are almost fighting over who’s going to coach them! They see a bit of potential and they’re both proud of what they’re achieving.” The duo run a Smashers junior programme and free school holiday sessions.
“Juniors are our top priority and I wouldn’t be working there if it wasn’t,” says centre manager Andy. “The thing I’m most proud about is no-one stops me giving away free padel to children. Our junior programme runs at peak times and the adults can wait. These guys are the future.”
That ethos paid off handsomely for Andrew and Harley in Bristol as they beat Charlie Aldred and Ethan Holt 6-4 6-2 in the U16s final. Barney Brown and Oscar Warneryd won the U18 trophy while Travis Barber and Ethan Holt were the U12 winners, all earning themselves a treasured adidas sponsorship.
Padel Weekend by HOP tournament director Javi Serrats said: “The standard was amazing and we really enjoyed watching the high level. Having more than 30 kids across three categories was a good outcome and we will definitely being doing more junior events in the future.”
