FANCY A PADEL?

IT is one of the world’s fastest growing sports and enjoyed by stars including David Beckham and Sir Andy Murray. 

-  NADEEM BADSHAH

Padel, a cross between tennis and squash, is serving up a storm in the UK.

The game is usually played in doubles on an enclosed court surrounded by glass walls.

And the number of people taking part has soared from around 6,000 in 2020 to 90,000, according to the Lawn Tennis Association.

There are around 350 courts across the country, compared to over 15,000 in Spain – where it is the second most popular sport after football.

The LTA is aiming to have 1,000 courts and 600,000 players by the end of 2026.

But due to rocketing demand some clubs have introduced waiting lists for people wanting to play.

Michael Gradon, chief executive of court developer and operator Game4Padel, said he was receiving “half a dozen calls a week” from interested parties looking to build courts.

He expects there to be “an ever-growing number of tennis clubs” wanting to add padel.

Mr Gradon added: “The types of place you can build a padel court are almost infinite.”