Padel is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK. Its mix of energy, social play, and accessibility has made it a hit across cities and clubs nationwide.
Yet in Bath, the sport has run into unexpected resistance. MatchPoint competitions writer Josh Foster takes a deeper dive into the matter.
Across Britain, padel courts are appearing in record numbers. Players love its fast-paced rallies and social atmosphere. But in Bath, local authorities have taken a different approach.
Recent proposals to build padel courts, including those at Odd Down Sports Ground and the Lansdown Tennis, Squash & Croquet Club, have been refused by Bath and North East Somerset Council.
The result: no approved padel facilities anywhere in the city.
The council’s main concern is noise.
Padel produces sharper, higher-impact sounds than tennis, with players hitting off walls and exchanging quick volleys.
Residents living close to proposed court sites described the sound as “gunfire-like” and “unbearable” in planning objections.
One application placed courts just 3.5 metres from neighbouring homes. Environmental noise assessments suggested that the impact could exceed accepted limits, prompting planners to reject multiple proposals.
Officials also cited worries over mental wellbeing and disruption to local tranquillity, all key factors under UK planning and noise regulation standards.
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Technically, Bath has not banned padel. There’s no official policy outlawing the sport.
Instead, the city has created what players and operators call a “planning blockade.” Every recent application for padel courts has been turned down due to location and noise concerns.
This means no new padel developments can proceed unless a design meets strict acoustic and environmental criteria.
Developers say they are working on revised proposals with improved sound insulation and greater distance from homes.
The local padel community has voiced disappointment, calling the situation a setback for one of the UK’s most promising emerging sports.
Many argue that noise mitigation technology and better site planning could easily address residents’ concerns.
Padel UK representatives note that similar challenges have been resolved in other cities through acoustic barriers, enclosed structures, and advanced court surfacing.
They hope Bath’s restrictions will eventually ease once new solutions are presented.
Until new proposals pass the planning stage, padel players in Bath will need to travel to nearby towns to play. The demand remains high, and interest in the sport continues to grow nationally.
The issue in Bath highlights a broader question facing UK cities: how to balance community peace with sporting progress. With careful planning, acoustic design, and cooperation between developers and residents, padel could yet find its place in Bath.
Padel’s rise across the UK shows no signs of slowing. But Bath’s experience is a reminder that even popular new sports must navigate local sensitivities.
For now, the “Bath padel ban” stands as a planning story and not a sporting one. Whether it becomes a lasting barrier or a temporary pause will depend on how well the next generation of proposals can blend performance with peace.
British number one Aimee Gibson and her partner Alba Perez secured their second straight win at FIP Bronze Lyttos III this week.
This follows their FIP Silver Reap Hong Kong win last week to make it two wins in succession, an exciting feat for women’s padel, writes Sports News Blitz’s Shameeka Voyiya.
This week, the CUPRA FIP Tour returned to Crete for the third time in 2025 with the FIP Bronze Lyttos III, featuring both the men’s and women’s draws.
In the women’s main draw, Perez (67) and Gibson (84) won the title, their second in a row after the FIP Silver Reap Hong Kong last week.
They won the final 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 against Monica Gomez (75) and Claudia Escacena (107), who had won the FIP Bronze Lyttos I in June.
“I’m over the moon to win back-to-back FIPs with Alba,” Aimee told The Padel Paper. “I can’t really believe it.
“We played a really good tournament with some tough matches along the way. We were able to play a really high level in the final even though it went to three sets.
“In the third set we played a little bit better than them and took a few more risks.”
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The CUPRA FIP Tour is a professional, international tour of padel tournaments featuring many of the leading players across the world.
Formed in 2019, the CUPRA FIP Tour is just one step below the Premier Padel Tour and it’s where professional players begin as they hone their skills and continue to work up their rankings.
Gibson and Perez are now headed to a FIP Bronze in Bahrain, hoping to secure a title hat-trick before the left-handed Brit teams up with GB number two Catherine Rose at the inaugural LTA Padel National Championship in Bristol from December 4-7.
“I am so happy with the progress I’ve made in the last few months. Credit to Alex, my coach at Rocks Lane in London,” said Gibson.
“We don’t get to spend much time together and yet he’s able to help me when I’m back in the UK, even if it’s just for a couple of days in between tournaments. That’s really been helping my game improve.”
Gibson has been in top form this season since her rise in padel, making her way into the world’s top 100 after only turning pro in 2023.
The 34-year-old’s FIP Silver Reap Hong Kong win is her third FIP Silver title of the season, adding to her wins at the FIP Silver Australian Open and FIP Silver Melbourne.
Heineken® 0.0 has announced a multi-year partnership with Playtomic, the world’s largest racket-sports community, set to launch with an interactive event in December.
The partnership aims to provide the brands with a fresh approach to connecting padel players by curating bespoke experiences designed to reflect each brand’s shared belief in quality socialising, writes Sports News Blitz’s Shameeka Voyiya.
A core feature of the partnership will be Open Matches by Heineken® 0.0, an event designed to broaden padel players’ social networks by connecting them to each other, ultimately turning each padel game into a fresh experience.
The feature will be introduced in December at the launch event, set to take place in Barcelona, where the two brands will unveil a pop-up padel court open to the public.
With many padel players choosing to participate in the sport to meet new people, the event is set to celebrate the growing cultural presence and social nature of padel.
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“Playtomic’s dedicated and vast community combined with Heineken’s commitment to quality socializing and refreshing beer will create memorable experiences for millions of players everywhere,” said Bram Westenbrink, Chief Commercial Officer for Heineken, in a press statement.
“Together, we’re building opportunities for players to meet and celebrate authentic moments in an environment that is rapidly growing around the world.”
Socialising is a core characteristic of padel that elevates the sport beyond competitiveness, with many players joining the sport for the social connections it fosters.
Antonio Robert, Managing Director at Playtomic, noted this when he said: “Padel is the fastest-growing sport, and by far the most social sport of our era.
“With so much potential to spark new connections through a game of padel, we’re delighted to have partnered with a global brand like Heineken® 0.0 who are so focused on helping people find others who share their passions.”
A partnership with a major brand like Heineken is a major milestone for the padel community, with Robert stating: “Heineken® 0.0 has recognised the potential in padel and Playtomic, and we want to turn every moment on and off the court into an experience that brings something new and exciting to padel players across the world.”
Playtomic is the world’s largest community for racket sports clubs and players.
Through its platform, users can search and book courts for padel, tennis or pickleball, connect with new players, find opponents, join groups and improve their skills.
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There now are brand sponsorships, celebrity hosted events, official drink partnerships and luxury courts.
Padel is no longer just a sport, it is a lifestyle, writes Sports News Blitz’s padel journalist Vanely Barumire.
The racket sport, unknown to many parts of the world only a few years ago, is rapidly growing and changing the way people view sports and socialising.
So how has padel become a lifestyle not only to take part in but strive for?
Before padel became a global phenomenon, it was part of the culture in a few Spanish speaking nations.
Its popularity in Argentina and Spain was unmatched, explaining the incredible domination of the sports by the two countries.
Popularised in Europe by Spain, the country has always embraced and integrated padel into everyday life long before it was trendy to play the sport.
With it being the second most played sport in the country, behind football, padel in Spain is a lifestyle. It was created as a couple’s favourite pastime and has kept its charm.
The sport, as competitive as it is becoming, is about socialising – something millions of people are getting behind and adding to their daily routines.
Movie stars and influencers are the digital age’s best marketers.
Helping create a whole world around a product, celebrity endorsements are unmatched marketing tools and many have been a promoter for padel without realising it.
With big names such as Tom Holland, Jurgen Klopp, Lionel Messi and more linked to the sport, padel has become aspirational.
It is something people want to try as a way to understand how their favourite footballers use it to help with their mental health – or why their go-to influencer swears by it as the best new form of cardio.
Padel is slowly being integrated into the lives of people, at a rate that not many sports have done.
Many people’s love of sports is generational or from a young age, but padel, with an emphasis on accessibility, has come along and placed itself the ‘it’ sport.
And much of it has to do with the famous faces attached to it.
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”It’s a way of connecting. It’s a way of feeling connected. It’s a whole new way of socialising;” says Andi Neugarten-Maio, founder of 6LoveSports. And she’s right.
Padel is becoming one of top choices for professional networking.
Its combination of a physical activity in a relaxed manner is replacing traditional pub setting for work catch-ups, especially in an era hyper focused on fitness and wellbeing.
Appealing to different demographics and ability, a padel court has become one of the go-to places for office catch-ups and socialising.
What was once just a fun sport is now part of the professional landscape and crucial for networking.
And, perhaps the popularity of padel as a lifestyle would not be possible without one thing – social media.
Lending itself well to the clean girl aesthetic of the last few years and embracing a more relaxed, wellbeing look at sport due to its social aspect, padel has taken over social media feeds.
Every other video, this summer, was about people trying padel for the first time or a player’s journey to becoming professional.
The racket sport has become a part of many young people’s lives, with 19% of players being Gen Zers and social media has helped promote it.
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International Padel Federation (FIP) and its continental body, Padel Asia, announced a historic milestone in the development of the sport on Monday: padel has officially been recognised by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and is set to be included as an official sport in the upcoming editions of the Asian Games.
The Council noted that the recognition will further support the growth of padel globally, and particularly across Asia, through its formal inclusion in future Asian games, according to a press release.
The milestone follows padel’s recent inclusion in the European Games 2023, the South American Games 2022 and the upcoming Mediterranean Games 2026, writes Sports News Blitz‘s Shameeka Voyiya.
Luigi Carraro, FIP president, expressed his excitement in a press release, stating: “It is with great enthusiasm and pride that we welcome the news that the OCA has unanimously decided to recognise Padel as an official sport of the Asian Games.
“The timing of this announcement, coinciding with the FIP World Cup Pairs in Kuwait, is perfect — a testament to how padel is increasingly becoming a global sport and a major presence both in Asia and around the world.”
Padel has experienced significant growth in Asia, with now over 4600 courts across 1700 clubs in more than 30 countries.
This has been supported by the establishment of Padel Asia through strengthening governance and accelerating the development of the sport.
“FIP will keep working night and day for the nearly-100 national federations we represent – and all stakeholders in the Padel ecosystem – developing men’s, women’s, youth, amateur and professional Padel in all five corners of the world,” said Carraro.
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Dr. Husain A. H. Z. Al-Musallam, who is the Director General at OCA, stated: “[Padel’s] inclusion in the Asian Games reflects our commitment to embracing emerging sports that unite people and embody the Olympic values of friendship, respect, and excellence.”
The inclusion of padel in the Asian Games aims to provide a platform for athletes to showcase their talent on a global sporting stage, and the announcement coincides with the highly anticipated inaugural FIP World Cup Pairs held last week in Kuwait.
The next Asian Game editions are scheduled for 2026, with two major events on the calendar: Asian Beach Games in China (22–30 April 2026), and the Asian Games in Japan (19 September–4 October 2026).
Read next: England hosts its first padel event for deaf and hard of hearing players
Bristol hosted its first padel tournament for deaf and hard of hearing players at Rocket Padel in St Annes on Sunday, the first of its kind approved by the Lawn & Tennis (LTA), highlighting inclusivity spearheaded by this fast growing sport.
The tournament kicked off at Rocket Padel – the largest indoor centre in England – with about 52 participants from around the country, writes Sports News Blitz’s padel journalist Shameeka Voyiya.
Padel is one of the country’s fastest-growing sports, with courts being built across the country at a rapid rate and over 400 000 people participating in the UK alone.
This is a stark rise compared to only 129 000 players at the end of 2023.
“Padel is one of the fastest-growing activities that I have ever seen in my life,” Mark Gill, community development officer at the Centre for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People (CfD), told the BBC.
“It’s provided an opportunity for deaf people in the deaf community to be role models and to demonstrate [that] there is a thriving world here, there’s a thriving community.”
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Growing up, Mr Gill said he had always loved sport, but it was not always easy to get involved.
“There [were] a lot of barriers to communicating with hearing people and that led to a lot of frustrations at school,” he said.
He said he would like for coaches to have mandatory deaf awareness training, so that they can adapt their activities to be more inclusive for deaf people.
Organised after CfD was awarded the government’s Small Communities Grant, the tournament was the first-ever LTA-sanctioned deaf padel tournament where players could get ranking points.
Additionally, the grant money led to the establishment of Bristol Deaf Padel, which launched earlier this year.
Sebastian Cunliffe, organiser of Bristol Deaf Padel, said he said he feels “proud” of the collective that they have built and that their numbers are ever-growing.
“We’ve brought in people that necessarily would not have played sport, but also a diverse mix and all genders,” he said.
Cunliffe said that padel has a “great benefit on mental health and fitness”.
“There’s something about padel. When you play it, you’re just in the moment, engrossed,” he said.
“I’ve also noticed some people that weren’t necessarily involved in the deaf community now regularly come to padel and I can see how much that benefits them.”
Meanwhile, the European Deaf Padel Championship is set to take place in May 2026 to highlight the popularity of the sport in the deaf and hard of hearing world.
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Gareth Evans’ padel portfolio is one of the most expansive in the UK, and he’s taking things up a notch by launching Vibora, a stylish apparel brand that caters for the sport and its vibrant lifestyle.
Cheshire-based Evans is the founder and CEO of Padel Ventures, which handles all aspects of building a padel venue – from design, planning and court installation to supporting operators after the launch of a padel court, writes Sports News Blitz‘s padel journalist Shameeka Voyiya.
Vibora is the latest branch of Evans’ empire, a clothing brand that features sleek, minimal designs fit to wear while playing the world’s largest growing sport, or just hanging out after a game with friends.
Evans was also one of the partners working on launching the UK’s first ever floating padel club at Liverpool Waters in spring 2026.
He explained how Vibora became a product of the groundbreaking Liverpool Waters project.
“We were discussing the retail offering for Liverpool and started sketching out some of our own designs,” Evans told The Padel Paper.
“Vibora works well as a lifestyle brand, not just padel. It’s an e-commerce play that will appeal to a broader scope, not just boxing ourselves into that padel corner.”
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Indeed, brands like Prada and Versace have jumped on the padel fashion bandwagon, releasing limited-edition padel products while others like Richard Mille and Dunhill sponsor exclusive tournaments.
Earlier this year, Pulco, which was founded in 2022 by Joe Middleton, former President of Levi’s EMEA and CEO of Canterbury, became the first padel apparel brand to launch at Harrods in Knightsbridge, London.
From monochrome matching sets to technical mesh overlays and sleek silhouettes, padel looks are very editorial.
Players often attend matches in mirrored sunglasses and ensembles that transition seamlessly from the padel court to the clubhouse.
As Prestige Online notes, padel gear doesn’t just impact how the game is played, it influences how the sport feels, who shows up, and how it connects to culture beyond the court.
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Ahead of the FIP Euro Padel Cup Final this week, Great Britain’s No. 1 player Aimée Gibson and GB No. 3 Tia Norton have shared their top tips to elevate your padel game.
The 2025 FIP Euro Padel Cup Final 8 is currently underway and set to conclude on Saturday 25 October in Cadiz, Spain.
This marks the final phase of this year’s Padel Cup, which began in July, writes Sports News Blitz’s Shameeka Voyiya.
With a record 37 men’s teams and 31 women’s teams entered this year, the tournament has now been divided into three phases, beginning with Europe’s smaller nations battling it out in Phase 1 (7-10 July).
The top five men’s and top four women’s teams from Phase 1 move on to Phase two, which immediately follows at the same venue in Madrid.
Phase 2 was organised into four groups of four (4×4), playing a round-robin format, which involves every player battling every other participant an equal number of times.
This is a popular format in padel that ensures each player gets to play against each other and with different partners.
Each of the four men’s and women’s group winners will qualify for Phase 3, known as The Final 8.
World No. 1 Aimee Gibson and World No. 3 Tia Norton are set to represent GB at this week’s Final 8, and they shared top tips to improve one’s skills in this fast-growing sport.
Both Gibson and Norton shared excitement to compete with the likes of padel powerhouses Spain and Italy.
“It was amazing for us to qualify, to be amongst Spain and Italy,” said Gibson, according to Sports Gazette.
“It’s going to be tough but we’ve all said it will be interesting to see how our level compares to the likes of Spain. Hopefully we can get some wins as well.”
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Unlike in tennis, padel features glass walls that surround the court where the ball is allowed to hit the back glass after one bounce.
Gibson and Norton emphasised that using the glass is essential to amping up your padel playing skills.
“The glass is your friend,” said Gibson, according to Sports Gazette.
“I would suggest trying to let the ball hit the glass when you’re starting. Even if you miss it, just get used to letting the ball go past you.
“Coming from tennis, I was always trying to volley it or hit it before the glass. But once you get more confidence and you get used to it, it’s easier to deal with.”
Norton agreed: “Try to use the glass as quickly as you can.
“It is really foreign to have something behind you so people tend to neglect it and then get into the habit of hitting everything before the glass.
“I would say just try and use it as fast as possible and get into the habit of doing it. The more you do it, the easier it will become.”
The pros also advised against attempting to overpower your opponent, despite it being tempting.
“My top piece of advice is to not hit the ball as hard as you can,” Gibson said.
“When people step onto a padel court they tend to want to smack it and win the point as fast as possible, like tennis.
“But padel is a little bit more about control and building the point more so that you’re able to finish it. If you hit it too hard the ball’s going to come back easily for your opponent.”
Above all, Norton highlighted the importance of having fun on the padel court.
Speaking at the Pro Am Padel Tour National Final last week, she said: “Have fun! Padel is a really big community sport.
“Like you can see here today, we’ve got pros, we’ve got celebs, we’ve got a big community feel to the environment.
“That’s one of the reasons I started playing – you almost feel like a little family.
“With the padel space growing a lot, there’s lots of new cultures and diversities coming into it. The biggest one is to enjoy it.”
Gibson said the supportive nature of the sport is one of the reasons she looks forward to representing GB at The Final 8 this week.
“The team is so nice, we all support each other, especially on the side,” she said.
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Matchpoint competitions writer Joshua Foster, a member of the UK’s home of padel, tennis & pickleball competitions, provides all you need to know about padel, one of the most popular sports on the planet.
Padel is one of the fastest-growing racket sports in the world, combining the strategy of tennis with the fun and pace of squash.
Played in doubles on an enclosed court surrounded by glass and mesh walls, padel offers a fast, social, and tactical way to stay active.
Each player gets two serves, just like in tennis.
Padel uses the same scoring system as tennis:
Matches are typically best of three sets.
One of the most unique padel rules is that players can use the walls.
This adds a tactical layer that rewards positioning, anticipation, and creativity.
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If the ball clips the net but still lands in the correct service box, it’s called a “let”, and the serve is replayed.
Once the serve is in, players can hit volleys, groundstrokes, or use the walls strategically. The ball remains in play as long as it:
You win a point when your opponents:
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We want the winner to be ready from day one. That’s why the prize includes three tubes of HEAD Padel Balls, no add-ons, no extra cost. Just get on court and play.
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