“I think it could be bigger than Tennis” is what GB Padel player and local resident Logan Macey said when asked on where he thinks Padel could go in the future.
Padel is a racquet sport played in doubles on a smaller court with 4 walls.
It combines both of tennis and squash.
Padel first come over in 1992 as the British Padel Association was set up, but it didn’t really gain popularity till 2011.
It has got so popular now, that over 400,000 people played Padel in England in 2024.
Only 15,000 people played it in 2019, showing a 385,000 increase.
It still has a long way to go to catch Spain however, as six million people played Padel in 2024.
Manager of the Cross Court padel centre Mike Greer said: “It’s an easily accessible sport, and it’s so easy for people of any ages to get in to.
Greer has seen the centre gain numerous members, with 246 members as of November 2024.
Greer said: “We do a lot of beginner sessions to advanced sessions, and we have other plans to expand beyond where we are now.”
Cross Court Padel is the biggest and busiest Padel centre in the Bournemouth area.
Logan and his dad Nick are regulars at the centre and get discounts to book courts.
Nick Macey said: “Padel is a sport I love and like that so many people are getting involved in it.”
“I don’t think there is a ceiling for padel, its endless!”
The Lawn Tennis Association are the group which now govern the sport, and they have brought numerous things such as pathway programmes to help boost the sport.
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