A FORMER British number one tennis player is to officially open the first padel court in Wales.

Annabel Croft will officially open the first padel court in Wales – based at Windsor Penarth Lawn Tennis Club – on May 18.

Although the court was installed by Game4Padel in April 2021, Covid restrictions meant an official launch was not possible at the time.

At the launch event - which is during the club’s British Tour Tier 1 Tennis Tournament – Ms Croft will be playing several Pro Am padel matches and showcasing the sport to anyone interested in giving the game a go.

Padel is of the world’s fastest growing sports. A padel court is smaller than a tennis court and is surrounded by glass walls and metallic fence. It combines elements of tennis, squash and badminton. The balls are similar to those used in tennis, but rackets are smaller and easier to play with.

Windsor Penarth LTC former chairman, Anthony Phillips, said: “We are very lucky to have these fantastic padel facilities here at Windsor Penarth.

“Padel is a fun, addictive game and it’s easy to learn, so it’s great for players of all abilities. The court has been extremely popular since it was installed and we’re expecting more people to come and try it out.”

Game4Padel already has many venues in the UK – including two in Edinburgh, one in Yorkshire, one in Suffolk, and one in Brighton.

Game4Padel Co-Founder and CEO, Michael Gradon, said: “The sport of padel has huge potential to grow in the UK because it is fun, easy to pick up and highly sociable.

“Other European countries - like Italy, France, Belgium, Portugal, and Sweden - are seeing enormous take up of the sport. 

“We are really pleased to have facilitated the opening of this first court in Wales and are already in discussions with other venues in Wales to open more courts.”

Anyone interested in coming along to the event on May 18 should visit game4padel.com to find out more.