Pro Padel Hits London

by Deborah Goldman

I've never been to Centre Court at Wimbledon - or in fact to any court at Wimbledon - but if it's half as exciting as the P1 Premier Padel tournament was last week then wow!

Seeing so many padel icons under one roof was enough to leave me a bit star-struck. Watching Tapia, Coello, Chingotto and Galan battle it out in the final was unbelievable. They left spectators agape with their phenomenal hand speed and edge-of-the-seat rallies. I do wonder whether Coello (the alien) competed in the high jump at school because that man can really launch himself into the air. He delivered pop-out after pop-out, much to the delight of the whooping crowds - he'd be very handy for reaching jars in high places.

Chingotto on the other hand, might not have Coello's stature but the Argentinian darts around like he's being chased by an angry mob of England football fans at the world cup. Run-outs are not something you witness very often at the local padel club - the best one can hope for is a mishit into the carpark - so it was great to watch the master at work.

Coello and Tapia head to the warm up courts

The ladies' final was just as exciting with No. 4 seeds, Claudia Fernandez and Martina Calvo securing a two set win over favourites, Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay. At just 18-years old, Calvo became the youngest player to ever win a title on the highest professional circuit, and her youthful enthusiasm was as infectious as her raw power was humbling.

Kensington Olympia rose magnificently to the challenge of hosting the event, the first of its kind to be held in the UK. The who's who of padel were in attendance, alongside padel enthusiasts from all around the country who descended upon the capital to catch a glimpse of their favourite players.

Y1 Padel takes over the Hand & Flower pub for the entire week!

And it wasn't just the world's best who gave us something to cheer about. There was plenty of home-grown talent showcasing just how far the sport has come over the last few years in the UK. The likes of Aimee Gibson and Catherine Rose (GB Women's No.2 and No. 1) paired up for the main draw on Centre Court in a lion-hearted display against a higher-ranked international duo. Meanwhile, GB men Alfonso Patacho and Chris Salisbury put up a spirited battle as main draw wildcards against a vastly more experienced Argentinian pairing.

After the event's massive success, I sincerely hope that London will become a permanent fixture in the annual padel calendar. Although the game has some way to go before it gets the same level of exposure as

tennis does, televised events like this will only serve to increase its popularity among the masses.

Padel may still be in its infancy in the UK, lagging behind powerhouses such as Spain and Argentina, where youngsters are probably hitting víboras before they can ride a bike, but one day, who knows, we might even see a Brit in the final!