Padel is starting to spread into the UK’s less populated areas with several upcoming projects set to fill in the biggest gaps on the British padel court map.
There are currently over 500 padel courts in Britain and although urban areas such as London, Bristol, Manchester and Scotland’s central belt are now reasonably well served, there are still several huge geographical areas where the nearest padel court is up to three hours’ drive away.
So this week’s news of the first ever padel clubs in North Wales, Cumbria and Staffordshire, plus the imminent opening of a club in Mansfield, is welcome news to those in the more remote shires who’ve been desperate to try out the world’s fastest growing sport.
Wales currently has 11 courts, but all are in South Wales (Swansea, Cardiff and Cwmbran) so the launch of three padel courts in late January 2025 at Wrexham Tennis Centre – just around the corner from the world famous Racecourse Ground – is a huge boost for the sport.
The courts are supported by a £2 million investment from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and are part of the Wrexham Tennis Centre Transformation Project which will also overhaul the centre’s reception area, changing rooms, café, gym, and 11 outdoor tennis courts.
Jon Ainge, Chair of the Trustees at Wrexham Tennis Centre commented: “We are incredibly excited to bring padel to the people of Wrexham. Padel is a fantastic social sport that appeals to a broad audience, and these courts are an important step in establishing Wrexham as a top-tier sports destination.”
The good folks of Cumbria probably have the furthest distance to travel to a padel court in the UK, with long trips south to Preston or north to Ayrshire the nearest options to find a 20×10 surface and four glass walls.
However, that’s about to change with news of a £3.8m four-court indoor padel centre set to open at an industrial unit in Workington before Christmas.
Project lead Bill Dixon said: “There are no courts in Cumbria and I realised that it was a long way from Workington to the nearest place to play padel.”
Gavin Stephenson, Cumbria county squash coach, has already completed his padel coaching qualification in anticipation of the opening. He said: “It’s great that we’ve got these padel courts indoors. People will be able to play racket sports all the way through winter. Padel is the fastest growing sport in the world and to have this here in west Cumbria – what a treat.”
Game4Padel, the UK’s largest operator, has announced planning approval for two indoor courts at Draycott Racquet and Fitness Club. When opened early in 2025, they will be the first padel courts in Staffordshire.
Meanwhile, as reported by The Padel Paper almost a year ago, four courts are set to open in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, marking Dubai-based World Padel Academy’s first club in the UK. The club will be based at the One Call Stadium, home of Mansfield Town FC.
Mansfield Town CEO, Carolyn Radford, added: “We are so pleased to be working with World Padel Academy as padel will be a really exciting addition to the football club. This project fits with our vision to provide more for Mansfield and it will doubtless help enhance the mental and physical wellbeing of our community.”
