The sport which has "taken the UK by storm" is set to cement its place in Surrey's sporting landscape for decades to come. Subject to planning permission, the University of Surrey is hoping to create the largest padel centre in the county.
Plans for a premium 10 court covered padel centre, complete with an additional show court for elite competition, plus large clubhouse, café, bar, an extensive social area and retail spaces, are in the pipeline. If approved, the centre would be built on scrub land adjacent to two car park areas and tennis courts at Surrey Sports Park (SSP), it would also be the biggest padel court facility in the higher education sector.
The padel centre in Guildford, which could open next year, is the brainchild of a partnership between the University of Surrey and PadelStars, the leading operator for padel centres in the UK.
Georgina Agnies, Director of Sport at Surrey Sports Park, said: "Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports globally, and we're thrilled to bring this exciting game to Surrey Sports Park. With our state-of-the-art facilities, we will offer something special for everyone in the community.
"Not only will our SSP members have access to top-tier courts, but students, staff at the University, and local residents can also enjoy affordable, high-quality facilities."
Padel has been described as a mix between tennis and squash. Played in doubles, on an enclosed court, it is much like tennis, however similar to squash in the fact that the ball can bounce off the walls that surround the court to be played to the opposing team.
Using solid rackets and a ball similar to a tennis ball, padel has become increasingly popular, not only among the public, but also among football and Formula One stars. Footballing greats such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar have all been pictured playing the sport which originated in Mexico.
The sport has exploded in the last few years, in 2020 there were an estimated 50 padel courts across the country, today there are more than 700 dedicated courts and more than 230,000 regular players.
PadelStars already runs nine centres in the UK, including in Egham, Bracknell and Reading, and has plans to open another nine more - including Guildford - soon.
Andy Knee, PadelStars chief, said: "The UK has really woken up to this fantastic sport. Padel is booming in participation, and anyone who steps onto a court for the first time will quickly find out why. It’s a sport for everyone, and we at PadelStars are all about creating a hugely happy, engaged playing community.
"Surrey Sports Park (SSP) is a great partner for us: with a very large number of students on-site, many thousands of members, a broad multi-sport offer and a really progressive team of people driving SSP forward, we know that together we will create an incredibly vibrant home for padel in Guildford and beyond."
Planning permission is not yet in place, with the university expecting to submit an application to Guildford Borough Council at the end of this month.
