New court openings by Game4Padel last week in very different London locations illustrated the growing diversity of the sport’s target audience.
A three-court venue, The Padel Yard, opened last Thursday (14 September) on Armoury Way in the centre of Wandsworth on a site previously used for a pop-up cinema. In partnership with property developer Sha Jenab, Game4Padel has renovated the area to prioritise the social benefits of the club, including a licensed bar with WiFi and on-site parking.
Anyone can sign up via the Game4Padel website and book courts up to seven days in advance via the Matchi platform. Rackets and balls will be available for hire alongside coaching sessions and clinics. Game4Padel will also help find playing partners and will organise regular events.
Game4Padel CEO Michael Gradon said: “In Europe, padel does really well in urban settings where there is not much space, but plenty of demand for sport and healthy activities. We know the demand is there for padel courts in London as we are inundated by requests from Londoners wanting to play, so we expect this new club to be really popular from day one.”
Sha Jenab added: “I picked up padel relatively recently but quickly became addicted to it and then struggled to find anywhere to play in London. The sport itself is great, but the social side is also a major factor in making it a success. We are aiming to replicate a Spanish style model of padel where people play the game but also hang out with friends between matches and socialise with people from all walks of life.”
Tristan Phipps, star of Made in Chelsea, and Team GB player Nikhil Mohindra took to the court to celebrate the club’s official opening.
Meanwhile, a few miles west in Heathrow, Game4Padel also opened two new courts to attract a slightly different demographic of player at the Bloom Heathrow business park.
Padel at Bloom Heathrow officially opened last Tuesday (12 September) with padel clinics, an exhibition match, free food and music.
Tom Webster, Senior Asset Manager at Henley Investment Management, commented: “Padel is going to be a great addition at Bloom. We have seen how popular the game is becoming all around the UK and can see the courts being in high demand from people who work at the office park, as well as people who live in the local area.
“A key part of our proposition at Bloom is to provide exemplary workspace alongside extensive amenities, including a range of sports facilities to encourage healthy lifestyles and social interaction.”
Michael Gradon added: “Padel is a highly social game so we think it will do really well here at Bloom, where work colleagues can play during the day or after work. We are seeing more business parks planning to add padel, because they can see the sport has so many positives such as building communities and improving the physical and mental health of the workforce.”
Game4Padel offers to partner with a wide range of venues, including sports clubs, leisure centres, parks, schools, universities and, increasingly, commercial venues. The company also creates bespoke coaching and playing programmes, events, tournaments, and engagement activities for children and schools.
Backed by investors including mulitple Grand Slam winner Andy Murray and Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, Game4Padel has the most venues of any UK operator, with several in Scotland and a new facility opening soon at the innovative GolfIt! venue in Glasgow. They opened another new London venue recently at Crystal Palace Sports Centre and have new clubs in the pipeline at Better Gosling Sports Park in Welwyn Garden City, Grappenhall Sports LTC in Warrington, Cheshire, and Liverpool Cricket Club.
