Other Sport / Padel
Bristol hosts landmark padel tournament
Have you ever heard of padel?
Combining the best of both tennis and squash, it’s a fast-growing social and competitive sport that generates approximately €2bn a year worldwide.
Bristol has been dubbed the ‘padel capital’ of the UK and this month it cemented its status by hosting the FIP Silver R3 BullPadel Cup.
is needed now More than ever
The tournament, spanning five days from April 9 to April 13, was the most advanced padel competition to ever take place in the UK.
The BullPadel Cup consisted of men and women’s competitions, with 32 pairs in each draw, and the first of three FIP Promises Tournaments for junior players.
Bristol24/7 visited the tournament on its third day to find out more.
32 pairs competed in the FIP Silver R3 BullPadel Cup
Rocket Padel’s club in St Anne’s was the company’s first established venue in the UK, opening just under two years ago in April 2023.
The company now has two more clubs, one in Battersea and the other in Ilford.
Bristol24/7 spoke to Sebastian Gordon, the founder of Rocket Padel, who reflected on how his vision for padel in the UK has transformed from vision to reality.
Rocket Padel’s club in Bristol was the company’s first established venue in the UK
Gordon said: “When I came to Bristol for the first time I jumped in a black cab to this location, and the taxi driver had no idea what padel was.
“Today, I did the same and my cab driver knew all about padel and the event today and was super excited.”
What was once an empty storage unit in St Anne’s is now a state of the arts facility for padel play; with 14 panoramic courts, a spectator area and bar/ cafe area with Sky Sports TV.
Sebastian Gordon, the founder of Rocket Padel, said that hosting the R3 tournament was a “milestone” for the company
Gordon said the tournament was not only significant for the company, but for Bristol and the UK, with the competition attracting players from more than 15 countries including Sweden, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain.
Spectators were able to watch their favourite duos in person or at home as the tournament took innovation further through broadcast, boosting exposure to the game across the world.
Rocket Padel’s St Anne’s location has 14 panoramic courts
Gordon is also committed to working within the local communities his venues are embedded in. Lost and Grounded Brewers was on tap at the cafe/ bar.
The scale and bandwidth of this tournament would not have been possible without collaboration from R3, a sports and entertainment company centred on the development of padel.
R3’s chairman Jonathan Rowland estimated 600 to 700 people signed up to watch the event.
Rowland also said the company is keenly focused on mentoring the next generation of padel players, who they recognise are crucial to the expansion of the game.
The scale and bandwidth of the tournament at Rocket Padel would not have been possible without collaboration from R3
Former tennis player Abigail Tordoff is currently ranked sixth in the UK for padel.
She was playing at the tournament alongside fellow player Lisa Philips.
Tordoff said: “It’s always fun to play in the UK as you get more support and can get family and friends to come and watch.”
She added: “Hopefully there will be a six-year-old child who will come today and watch and say to his parents, I really want to be a professional padel player when I’m older.”
There were separate men and women’s competitions at the BullPadel Cup
In the male event, Italian pair Flavio Abbate and Alvaro Montiel Caruso won the BullPadel Cup in straight sets.
In the women’s division, Spanish duo Monica Gomez Rivas and Camila Fassio Goyeneche similarly took home the cup in an outstanding straight set performance.
The male winners Flavio Abbate and Alvaro Montiel Caruso
The British players at the event did not disappoint either.
Louie Harris and Alexander Loughlan made it to the men’s quarter finals while Tia Norton, ranked first in the UK, also reached the women’s quarter finals with her Belgian partner Helena Wyckaert.
In the UK, padel is still an up-and-coming sport however the picture is different in other parts of Europe.
In Spain, for example, panel is the second most played sport after football.
The women’s winners Monica Gomez Rivas and Camila Fassio Goyeneche
However, British performances at the tournament and its growing ubiquity across the country suggest padel’s competitive performance will only advance in Bristol and the UK.
Companies like Rocket Padel and R3 Sports are pioneering this progress.
The FIP Silver R3 BullPadel Cup was an explosive display of the sport.
All photos: R3 Sports
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