Padel Racket and ball on a padel court.

Credit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

The inaugural British Padel Awards are set to take place at Victoria Warehouse in Manchester to shine the spotlight on the sport’s rapid rise. 

Padel is becoming an increasingly popular sport in Manchester, with the British Padel Awards aiming to play a major role in championing its progress and recognising the sport’s development. The awards will celebrate players, coaches and clubs, as well as those working to grow the sport on a larger scale. 

There are now over 350 padel venues and more than 1,000 courts in the UK, highlighting its increasing demand and investment. The awards aim to raise the sport’s visibility while continuing to elevate standards across the padel community, both in participation and infrastructure. Speaking ahead of the event, founder and CEO Anthony Daulphin said, “the sport is still relatively new in the UK, with people just catching onto it,” adding that there was “no better time” to launch the awards and recognise its development.

More than 800,000 people now play padel in the UK, with the British Padel Awards marking one of its first forms of national recognition. Featuring 21 categories, the awards celebrate contributions across the sport, honouring everyone from players and clubs to brands, partnerships and media figures, highlighting its increasing influence within the sporting landscape.

Daulphin said events like this remain important, as individuals are investing heavily in the sport, driven by its profitability, demand, sociability and lifestyle appeal, as well as a strong market interest, including celebrity involvement. This is all largely motivated by their passion to see the sport grow.  

While padel is growing across the UK, Manchester has been placed at the centre of its development. Daulphin said, Manchester is “probably biggest area within the North-West for padel,” with the most clubs.” The city has become a leading force of the sport’s expansion, becoming the first in Britain to develop a local padel plan alongside the Lawn Tennis Association, Manchester City Council and Manchester Active. The initiative aims to strengthen the sport’s significance in the city with plans to develop new facilities, work with local clubs and schools, reflecting Manchester’s role in the sport’s continued expansion. 

The sport’s increasing presence is also creating new opportunities across Greater Manchester.  Plans by Soul Padel to launch new courts at the University of Salford in spring 2026 will improve accessibility for both students and the local community. This further highlights how the sport is becoming embedded within local communities. 

Salford University 

Credit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The sport shows no signs of slowing, with continued interest, and Manchester playing a leading role in shaping the sport’s future. By celebrating and giving people a platform for recognition, the awards aim to highlight the individuals and organisations contributing to padel’s development. Daulphin added: “people are putting a lot on the line to start different ventures all because they love the sport.”