An Unmissable Christmas Lunch with Andrew Castle
We’re delighted to announce that Andrew Castle, one of the UK’s most celebrated live sports broadcasters and former Men’s Singles UK No. 1 tennis player, will headline this year’s Annual Christmas Lunch at The Queen’s Club on Wednesday, 2 December.
Following his professional tennis career, Andrew has built an outstanding broadcasting career spanning some of the UK’s most respected media organisations, including Sky, the BBC, ITV, Smooth Radio and LBC.
This promises to be a fantastic afternoon of great company, compelling conversation and festive entertainment, with Andrew providing a unique perspective from an extraordinary career both on and off the court.
🎄 Tickets go on sale in October.
Demand is expected to be extremely high, and this prestigious event is likely to sell out once again.
Don’t miss your opportunity to join us. Register your interest today.
Bullpadel showcases at P1 Padel
The inaugural London Premier Padel P1 took place in August at Olympia, West London. It was GB’s first ever elite pro padel tournament on the Premier Padel Tour and a significant week for Bullpadel in the UK, with its presence around the London P1 delivering a unique opportunity to showcase the brand on a much bigger scale.
Alongside its retail presence at the event with PDH Sports, it hosted the Bullpadel Clubhouse, bringing together retailers, media, influencers and partners with some of Bullpadel’s leading international players, including Paquito Navarro, Gemma Triay, Delfi Brea, Alejandra Salazar and Pablo García.
Jake Whalley, Head of Marketing at Bullpadel said “the week was a fantastic opportunity to bring the global Bullpadel brand closer to the UK padel community, while supporting the continued growth and visibility of the sport here. From a trade perspective, it was particularly valuable to have so many of our partners together and give them direct access to the players and brand. We’re delighted with how the activation went and the response we’ve had since”.
Ian Peacock OBE
The Tennis Industry Association was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of its Honorary President, Ian Peacock OBE.
While we mourn his loss, we also celebrate an extraordinary life dedicated to sport, leadership and, above all, the growth and enjoyment of tennis. Ian was a distinguished sports administrator, business leader and passionate advocate for British tennis, whose energy, vision and generosity left a lasting mark on the sport he loved.
Ian’s career in sport began at Slazenger, where he spent 29 years, rising from salesman to Managing Director during his final eight years with the company. He then brought his passion for sport, commercial insight and infectious enthusiasm to the LTA, becoming Chief Executive in 1986 and serving for a decade.
During his time at the LTA, Ian oversaw a period of significant growth and transformation. His vision and determination played a central role in expanding access to tennis facilities across Britain. The Indoor Tennis Initiative he created brought together funding from public and private sources to develop indoor tennis centres and establish community tennis programmes, helping open up opportunities for countless people to discover and enjoy the game.
His commitment to ensuring tennis could make a positive difference in communities also led to the establishment of an independent charitable foundation during his tenure as CEO, laying important foundations for what is now the LTA Tennis Foundation.
Following his time at the LTA, Ian continued to give generously to sport through a remarkable range of voluntary and leadership roles. He served as Chairman of the Golf Foundation, Chairman of the Torch Trophy Trust and President of the Tennis Industry Association, as well as holding the position of President, Chairman or Chief Executive of 14 different businesses and organisations involved in sport.
His contribution to tennis and the wider sporting community was recognised with an OBE for Services to Tennis in 1998. In 2008, his outstanding contribution to the development of sport in the United Kingdom was further celebrated when he received the Arthur Bell Trophy from His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.
Ian will be remembered not only for his achievements, but for the enthusiasm, commitment and belief he brought to everything he did. His influence can be seen in the facilities, programmes, organisations and opportunities that continue to benefit people across the sporting community today.
The world of sport is undoubtedly poorer without Ian, but his remarkable legacy will live on through the many lives he touched and the countless people who have enjoyed sport because of his vision and dedication. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Ian’s family, friends and all those who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.
Padel and Pickleball News
Peterborough
A new padel club- offering 12 courts, pickleball courts, a golf simulator and a cafe is planned in Peterborough. Groove Padel has begun to advertise for early expressions of interest for a new facility in the city.
At the end of July, Peterborough City Council gave planning approval for a new padel club to be built inside of the former Ideal World HQ in Fengate. The building is in the process of being given a £2.5m investment, dividing the 108,983 square feet of former studios, offices and warehouse of the TV shopping channel into two larger workspaces. The offices and land became vacant following the collapse of Ideal World in 2023 with the loss of 275 jobs.
Padel has grown exponentially in Peterborough in the past year with clubs such as Padel Peterborough, Smash Haus Padel, Padel X Club at Burghley House now open.
Kidderminster
Pukka Padel has submitted plans to turn the former Adam Carpets site at Greenhill Works in Kidderminster into padel courts and a café. The site will also be used for the assembly and distribution of padel equipment. Adam Carpets closed in March 2025 after almost 100 years in the town. The site was sold in November for £4 million.
The padel court in Kidderminster is set to be the “principal showroom” and will be used as a “benchmark for franchise standards and future site deliveries”. Pukka Padel said several other sites across the Midlands have already been secured and are in the process towards opening. This includes facilities in Hereford, Wolverhampton and Tamworth.
Manchester
Plans for a major new Padel facility located near Piccadilly Station in Manchester city centre have been submitted. Padel 16, the padel and wellbeing operator founded by footballer Fabio Borini and Manchester entrepreneur Anthony Bingham, has sent off a planning application for its second venue at Baird Street.
The proposals include seven panoramic padel courts, five indoor and two outdoor, together with a cafe, a dedicated Pilates studio and sauna and ice bath facilities. The venue is being developed in partnership with developer Renaker. The team says the venue has been designed as a ‘community-focused space in which people can meet, exercise, work and spend time together, with the aim of drawing visitors throughout the day.’
Cleethorpes
Plans to create padel facilities at a Humber football ground have been given the go-ahead. An application was submitted to North East Lincolnshire Council earlier this year for development at The Linden Club on Clee Road, the home of Cleethorpes Town Football Club. The plans cover the installation of four padel courts, a canopy roof and floodlighting on the north-west side of the site. The council has now granted approval for the works, subject to conditions, under delegated powers.