As the UK’s fastest-growing sport, padel has exploded in recent years with 2025 seeing a raft of new openings right here in Sheffield. 

The sport, often described as a mix of tennis and squash, is easy to play and open to everyone, regardless of age or ability. The LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), the national governing body for padel, reported that 400,000 people took part in padel in 2024 -a figure that will continue to grow. At the time of writing there are around 900 courts nationwide split across 300 venues. 

Padel originated in Mexico in 1969 before really taking off in Spain in the 1970s. The sport is now the second most popular sport in the country (behind football) with 20,000 courts and six million players.

It is played on a court roughly 25 per cent smaller than a tennis court, which is walled on all sides by glass and mesh fencing. Padel is designed for four players and is much more tactical with a firm emphasis on placement rather than power. With less technique required than tennis, for example, beginners can pick up one of the foam-covered bats and be knocking the ball across the net in minutes. 

Ecclesall Lawn Tennis Club (ELTC) was one of the first venues in Sheffield to install a padel court although it proved to be very much a leap of faith for head coach Rich Furness who had had little interaction with the sport up to that point.

“I was half aware of what was going on with it, that it was a new sport and was getting quite popular, but it wasn’t until my cousin came down here to look at our tennis club – he’s installing courts all over the country for a company called Padel Specialists – that I thought it could work. 

“We had a few conversations with the committee and ended up going for a six-month trial. After about two months we realised – wow.”

The padel court at ELTC occupies what used to be a tennis court (the club still has three others), has proved extremely popular and is often booked up in advance. 

Rich started playing the sport himself – as a good-level tennis player he picked it up really quickly – and has already started playing in some national competitions. Working alongside his tennis, he offers coaching sessions for those looking to take up padel or for those looking to progress their game. 

“I’m in a good position to see how padel is progressing more than tennis,” he said. “With padel, it doesn’t take that long [to pick up]. It’s easy, it’s more accessible, it’s more social and people are getting into points games almost straight away.

A lot of tennis people see it as a bit of a threat. Personally, I’m in a sweet spot at the minute and do a bit of both. With our club here, it’s perfect for that.”

Word surrounding ELTC’s padel court spread quickly and Rich has welcomed a Wimbledon winner, a world champion boxer, numerous Premier League footballers and a certain England cricket captain who already had his own designs on the sport. 

Alongside a group of childhood friends, Joe Root has helped to establish Play Padel, a new purpose-built centre in what was former indoor courts at Abbeydale Tennis Club. 

Home to three padel courts and a smaller singles court, as well as a licensed bar and café, Play Padel opened at the end of March and has hit the ground running. Alongside Joe are former Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Cameron Dawson, Harry Bliss, Chris Millard and Alex Fleming, who is very much involved in the day-to-day running of the centre. 

“Harry and I had played a bit over in Manchester, Leeds and Derby and were saying ‘how on earth is there nowhere to play in Sheffield?’, so we made it a priority to get somewhere open for us to play more than anything,” said Alex. 

“That turned into a business model and then turned into a business. I used to come to half-term camps at Abbeydale, Joe grew up playing cricket around the corner… it was the first place we rang.”

It took two years to get everything in place but the group had something very specific in mind when they decided to open. 

“There’s a lot of models out three where businesses have put padel courts in a car park, you get out of your car, play, then go home. We saw that as 50 per cent of the business,” added Alex. 

The social side has been huge for Play Padel and they’ve already stated introducing specific sessions such as ‘Coffee and Padel’, ‘Prosecco and Padel’ and Friday night socials – but always make sure they keep plenty of hours free for anyone who wants to pay and play.

Play Padel have kept things simple when it comes to booking. It’s all done online via the market-leading Playtomic app; courts can be booked up to 14 days in advance and are £10 per player, per hour (inclusive of equipment). An additional subscription service (£10 per month) is available which allows players to book 21 days in advance.

ELTC also use an online booking system with courts priced £24 per hour with additional charges for equipment hire.

“Padel is such an exciting, social sport – and seeing so many people get involved already has been amazing,” commented Joe Root. “Bringing something like this to Sheffield with people I’ve grown up with is really special.”

Both Ecclesall Lawn Tennis Club and Play Padel don’t see themselves as working in competition with one another, more they see it as building a Sheffield padel community that is only going to get bigger. This is indicative of similar clubs all over the country where the emphasis is on encouraging participation and the social side as much as sporting prowess. Competition seems to be on the friendly side and more about friends having fun than having a seriousness to it. Maybe that’s why it’s been so popular. 

Play Padel aren’t resting on their laurels and are already looking at further venues in Sheffield and beyond. 

Padel enthusiasts can also look out for two courts opening in Hillsborough Park as part of current upgrades and leading brand, Club de Padel, have already secured a Kelham Island location which will include five courts alongside a club shop, coffee and juice bar and additional social and wellness spaces. 

This all points to a sport that is clearly on the up. If you haven’t played yet, what are you waiting for?

To find out more, visit clubspark.lta.org.uk/EcclesallLawnTennisClub or playpadelgroup.com