Welcome to the world of Padel Tennis
The LTA’s vision “Tennis Opened Up” is about making tennis more accessible. It’s about breaking barriers to entry and growing the game of tennis.
One of the LTA’s key strategies is to find new ways to grow participation and padel is an innovative format of tennis that’s fun, flexible, easy to play and extremely sociable.
What is padel?
Padel is a form of tennis that is easy to play, fun and extremely sociable. It is played mainly in a doubles format on an enclosed court about a third of the size of a tennis court and can be played in groups of mixed ages and abilities, as it is not power dominant. The rules are broadly the same as tennis, although you serve underhand and the walls are used as part of the game with the ball allowed to bounce off them.
One of the fastest growing sports across continental Europe, padel has gained increasing popularity over recent years, with over six million people currently playing in Spain.
Where can I play padel in Britain?
As of November 2021 there are around 89,000 active padel players across Britain. There are also currently 150 padel courts at 66 venues – a number that is set to grow substantially over the coming years.
Padel courts
Padel courts are designed for four players and are roughly 25% smaller than the size of a tennis court. The speed of the game, combined with the smaller size of a padel court, makes singles play difficult, and most padel matches feature two pairs of players.
Some padel courts are designed especially for singles, but around 90% of all padel courts in the world are doubles specific. At a professional level only doubles is played on the World Padel Tour, the leading competition for elite players.
Padel in Cambridgeshire
St Ives Golf Club
2 outdoor courts
Needingworth Rd, St Ives, St. Ives PE27 4AD.
University of Cambridge Sports Centre
2 outdoor courts
Philippa Fawcett Dr, Cambridge CB3 0AS
David Lloyd Cambridge
3 outdoor courts (members only)
Coldham's Business Park, Coldham's Lane, Cambridge CB1 3LH
Explore more
For further information about Padel Tennis, please visit the LTA website by clicking here or contact our County Padel Ambassadors, Paul Hansgate and John McComish, on padel@cambstennis.org.uk
