LTA announces national padel championships
LTA Padel National Championships
Britain’s best padel players, from juniors through to seniors, will be battling it out for national glory this December following the LTA’s announcement that it is launching the LTA Padel National Championships.
Entries have opened for the competition, which the LTA is describing as a ‘landmark event marking a significant milestone in the growth of padel as a major sport in Britain’, with a total prize pot of £10,000 up for grabs across Men and Women’s Opens, 18U Girls/Boys, 50s Women/Men and 60s Women/Men.
Fourteen-court Rocket Padel, Bristol, has been selected to host the championships (December 4th-7th) following a tender process.
Competition draws & schedule:
Event Men’s Open Women’s Open 18U Girls 18U Boys 50s Women 50s Men 60s Women 60s Men | Draw Size 32 Draw 32 Draw 16 Draw 16 Draw 16 Draw 16 Draw 16 Draw 16 Draw | Schedule 4th – 7th December 4th – 7th December 6th – 7th December 6th – 7th December 5th – 6th December 5th – 6th December 4th – 5th December 4th – 5th December |
The tournament is set to be the largest meet of British padel talent yet, with the potential of more than 350 players contesting the various titles. Wild cards and/or qualifying places will be available across all categories.
Any player who fulfils the criteria can enter, with the final draw for each category prioritising pairs’ combined FIP and/or LTA rankings ahead of unranked partnerships.
LTA Head of Padel Tom Murray: “This event will bring together top talent across four age categories for both men and women, with the chance to compete for national titles, ranking points and prize money, all on home soil. It’s a major step forward in showcasing British padel at the highest level and further boosting the sport’s profile nationwide.”
Seb Gordon, founder of Rocket Padel, described the championships as a ‘milestone moment’ for British padel, adding: “We are incredibly proud to be hosting the very first LTA Padel National Championships in Bristol. We will do everything we can to deliver a fantastic event for all padel aficionados.”
Admission for spectators will be free, with tickets available closer to the event, which will be streamed via Padel-TV. LTA Advantage members will be offered preferential access to the channel in time for the tournament.
LTA Padel Manager Steve Yeardley said it was ‘massively important’ that the LTA hosted the junior, open and senior titles together for the inaugural championships but considered that, in years to come, the categories could grow to encompass more age groups for juniors and seniors, leading to stand-alone championships.
FIP results
News of the national championship follows a strong weekend of padel for GB players participating in the FIP Bronze tournament in Italy.
GB No 4 Lisa Philips made it through to the finals with Swiss partner Karin Hechenberger, losing to Justine Pysson/Rosalie van der Hoek 6-3, 6-3.
GB No 2 Catherine Rose, with partner Puck Bernard, went out in the semis to Justine and Rosalie, scuppering a final with two brits across the net.
In the men’s, GB No 8 Theo Garton (with partner Rafael Marquet) went out in the first round to Juan Manuel Lasgoity/Patricio Belluati, who went on to beat GB No 4 Louie Harris/Miguel Martin Cano in the quarter finals. GB No 5 Cameron Dollimore and partner Daniele Catina reached the second round.🎾
