Victoria Nicholas claimed her first tournament win since becoming a mum as she teamed up with Alice Keddie at the LTA Padel British Tour Grade 1 NSM & SPF Cup in Guernsey.
The British duo, seeded fifth, claimed the women’s title after a competitive final against compatriots Chloe De La Mare and Rosie Quirk.
In the men’s draw at Guernsey Racquet Club, Spain’s Jose Domingo Martinez and Manuel Valcarcel Sanchez won the title.
Keddie and Nicholas, finalists at the LTA Grade 1 R3 Bullpadel tournament in Exeter earlier this year, carried impressive form into the event and enjoyed a confident run through the draw.
In a high quality contest against the young top seeds De La Mare, who was competing at her home club, and Quirk, the opening set was closely fought, before Keddie and Nicholas eventually claimed the title 7-6(4) 6-3.
Nicolas said: “I’m really happy to win our first Grade 1 tournament together, we have been getting closer with each tournament recently so it was great to finally win one in beautiful Guernsey.
“Congrats to Rosie and Chloe for a great final. They pushed hard and made us work for every point. Thanks to the club and organisers for an amazing tournament and for being so flexible and accommodating after flights were cancelled and half the draw arrived late.”
Keddie added: “We’re delighted to have won the LTA Grade 1 in Guernsey this weekend. Rosie and Chloe were fantastic opponents in the final, and the standard was high despite the challenging conditions.
“A great deal of work has gone in over the past few years, and particularly this season, so I’m really proud of the level we produced this weekend and the composure we showed in some of the key moments.
“There have been plenty of occasions where the performances have been there but the results haven’t quite followed, so it’s rewarding to see that commitment and consistency beginning to translate into results.
“A big thank you to my coach, Ale Grillo at Rocks Lane, for all his guidance and belief in us. Thank you as well to Sara and the tournament organisers for putting on a great event and being so accommodating with travel arrangements.
“I’d also like to thank Nicki and Gess at Sphera Partners for all their encouragement in helping me balance training, competition and work, and Raquex for their continued backing throughout the season. I’m excited for the tournaments ahead and looking forward to continuing to learn, improve and compete.”
On the men’s side, top seeds Martinez and Sanchez delivered an impressive display to secure the title. The Spanish pair faced a strong challenge in the final from the British second seeds, Rio Hanif and Michael Tolman but overcame the home talent 6-4 6-2 to claim the trophy.
Speaking after the final, Sanchez said, “The island is beautiful, it feels like a holiday! It is incredible to see how padel is growing across Britain and I look forward to playing more LTA and FIP events across the country.”
The competition at Guernsey Raquet Club was the third of seven LTA Grade 1 events in 2026 to take place across England, Scotland and the Channel Islands as part of the British Tour, which encompasses the top padel competitions in Great Britain.
Tournament Director, Sara Woolland, reflected: “We had an amazing weekend for our third NSM and SPF grade one with almost 150 players competing in eight categories from under 14 to 60+ and almost 40 players travelling to the island to compete.
“We had some challenges with the weather on Friday affecting travel but everyone was amazingly understanding and accommodating as we changed the order of play to complete matches where players were on site in the morning while we waiting for the late arrivals! The weather was perfect in the end, and we were treated to some sensational padel in the sunshine.
“The grade one is an inspirational opportunity for Guernsey residents to be able to play against and watch such high quality padel – some of the kids were straight on to court after the final trying to play out of court like the pros!”
