Padel growth continues in Britain, LTA to partner with Pro Am Tour

LONDON (Reuters) - The Lawn Tennis Association will partner with the Pro Am Padel Tour as the racket sport's growth continues in Britain.

Padel was once almost unheard of in Britain but has enjoyed a rapid rise in popularity in recent years and the sport came under the LTA's umbrella in 2020.

The new initiative, announced on Tuesday, will see a new-look tour for 2025 with four major cities hosting tournaments and community-led events.

"We want to break down barriers and ensure that anyone, regardless of their background or experience level, can enjoy the buzz of the game," Oliver Morgan, founder of the Pro Am Padel Tour said.

Incorporating elements of tennis and squash, padel is a relatively easy game to learn and is widely-considered the fastest growing sport in the world.

Britain now boasts 750 courts and the LTA has set a target of 400,000 annual padel players in Britain by the end of 2026.

Padel's growth has led some to suggest it could impact the participation in tennis which can be a daunting game to learn.

But former Wimbledon semi-finalist and British number one Tim Henman thinks the two sports can be mutually beneficial.

"I think it's great if young kids can get a bat and a ball in their hand and be out there exercising," Henman told Reuters. "It's really important for clubs if we're looking at sort of participation as a whole. If padel is bringing more people into tennis clubs, I think that's a good thing."

The third year of the Pro Am Padel Tour will combine leading players such as British number one Aimee Gibson with celebrities from sport and entertainment. Previous years have seen the likes of former England soccer captain John Terry and three-time Olympic swimming gold medallist Adam Peaty involved.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)