Tennis Establishment in Uproar as Olympic Venue Surrenders to Padel Movement

Paul Riverbank, 6/29/2025As Britain's sporting landscape evolves, padel's meteoric rise presents both opportunity and challenge. With player numbers tripling and 400,000 active participants, this 'tennis cousin' is reshaping recreational sports culture. While some fear it threatens traditional tennis, the real story may be about complementary growth rather than competition.

The British Sporting Revolution Nobody Expected

While London's headlines fixated on an overturned vehicle at Piccadilly Circus last week, a quieter revolution was taking place on courts across Britain. Padel – tennis's scrappy, accessible cousin – has been steadily infiltrating the nation's sporting DNA, and the numbers are starting to turn heads.

I've spent the past month visiting padel facilities across the country, from makeshift courts in Liverpool car parks to sleek new installations in London's financial district. What strikes me isn't just the tripling of player numbers (now hovering around 400,000), but the distinctly different vibe these venues carry compared to traditional tennis clubs.

"Think of it as tennis meets squash in a cage," laughed Mark Hewlett at Soul Padel's newest facility in Manchester. "No stuffiness, no all-whites rule – just people having a blast." His description isn't far off. During my visit, I watched suited professionals mixing with teenagers in hoodies, all sharing the same court space without the social barriers often associated with tennis clubs.

But this democratic approach to racket sports isn't sitting well with everyone. Novak Djokovic recently threw a verbal forehand at padel's expansion, warning that traditional tennis clubs might be "endangered." He's not entirely wrong – the Olympic tennis centre's recent decision to swap indoor tennis courts for padel facilities sparked fierce debate in sporting circles.

Let's put this in perspective, though. Tennis still dominates the British racket sports scene, with 9.5 million people picking up a racket last year. Padel's 150,000 monthly players might seem like small fry in comparison, but it's the growth rate that's raising eyebrows in sporting boardrooms across the country.

Neil Percival from UK Padel makes an interesting point about synergy rather than competition: "We're not stealing tennis players – we're creating new ones." During my visit to his Brighton facility, I watched complete beginners pick up the basics in under an hour, something rarely seen in traditional tennis.

The contrast between old and new couldn't be starker as Wimbledon approaches. While Paris's Roland Garros has embraced padel with open arms, the All England Club remains conspicuously silent on the sport. Yet pop-up padel courts are appearing in the shadow of St Paul's Cathedral and beside Tower Bridge, suggesting London's sporting landscape isn't waiting for establishment approval.

From where I'm standing, this isn't just about two sports competing for court space – it's about British sporting culture adapting to changing times. Whether the traditional tennis establishment likes it or not, padel's accessible, social approach seems to be striking a chord with a new generation of players.

Mind you, as someone who's covered sporting trends for two decades, I've seen plenty of "next big things" come and go. But there's something different about padel's trajectory. It's not trying to replace tennis – it's creating its own space in Britain's sporting landscape. And that might just be its secret weapon.

The British Sporting Revolution Nobody ExpectedWhile London's headlines fixated on an overturned vehicle at Piccadilly Circus last week, a quieter revolution was taking place on courts across Britain. Padel – tennis's scrappy, accessible cousin – has been steadily infiltrating the nation's sporting DNA, and the numbers are starting to turn heads.I've spent the past month visiting padel facilities across the country, from makeshift courts in Liverpool car parks to sleek new installations in London's financial district. What strikes me isn't just the tripling of player numbers (now hovering around 400,000), but the distinctly different vibe these venues carry compared to traditional tennis clubs."Think of it as tennis meets squash in a cage," laughed Mark Hewlett at Soul Padel's newest facility in Manchester. "No stuffiness, no all-whites rule – just people having a blast." His description isn't far off. During my visit, I watched suited professionals mixing with teenagers in hoodies, all sharing the same court space without the social barriers often associated with tennis clubs.But this democratic approach to racket sports isn't sitting well with everyone. Novak Djokovic recently threw a verbal forehand at padel's expansion, warning that traditional tennis clubs might be "endangered." He's not entirely wrong – the Olympic tennis centre's recent decision to swap indoor tennis courts for padel facilities sparked fierce debate in sporting circles.Let's put this in perspective, though. Tennis still dominates the British racket sports scene, with 9.5 million people picking up a racket last year. Padel's 150,000 monthly players might seem like small fry in comparison, but it's the growth rate that's raising eyebrows in sporting boardrooms across the country.Neil Percival from UK Padel makes an interesting point about synergy rather than competition: "We're not stealing tennis players – we're creating new ones." During my visit to his Brighton facility, I watched complete beginners pick up the basics in under an hour, something rarely seen in traditional tennis.The contrast between old and new couldn't be starker as Wimbledon approaches. While Paris's Roland Garros has embraced padel with open arms, the All England Club remains conspicuously silent on the sport. Yet pop-up padel courts are appearing in the shadow of St Paul's Cathedral and beside Tower Bridge, suggesting London's sporting landscape isn't waiting for establishment approval.From where I'm standing, this isn't just about two sports competing for court space – it's about British sporting culture adapting to changing times. Whether the traditional tennis establishment likes it or not, padel's accessible, social approach seems to be striking a chord with a new generation of players.Mind you, as someone who's covered sporting trends for two decades, I've seen plenty of "next big things" come and go. But there's something different about padel's trajectory. It's not trying to replace tennis – it's creating its own space in Britain's sporting landscape. And that might just be its secret weapon.