Dame Elaine Paige to star at tennis industry event
This year, the annual Tennis Industry Xmas lunch will be attended by Dame Elaine Paige, award winning actress, singer, producer and radio presenter. Dame Elaine has made a unique and major contribution to the stage musical starring in more smash hit West End & Broadway musicals than anyone else of her generation. She has starred in many iconic shows such as Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Billy, Anything Goes, Piaf, Sunset Boulevard, The King & I, Sweeney Todd, Follies, Evita, Cats and Chess.
Dame Elaine’s passion for anything tennis is also well known and she has guided the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust (the TIA UK’s official charity) as its President since 2010.
Dame Elaine has defined musicals, set standards and in 1995 was awarded an OBE for services to Musical Theatre by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. In June 2025 she was made a Dame for services to Music & Charity by His Majesty King Charles III.
The Xmas lunch will be held in the President’s Room at the prestigious Queen’s Club in West Kensington on Wednesday December 3rd. You are advised to reserve your place as soon as possible as spaces are limited and for the last 2 years the event has been oversubscribed!
Tickets can be reserved by emailing phil@tiauk.org
TIA Strategy re-fresh
The TIA UK’s original strategy covered the period 2017-2021 and was updated and extended in 2019 and 2022 to cover the period of the pandemic. With finance and membership emerging largely intact from the pandemic with a range of activities being maintained, the Board determined it would be useful for David Carpenter (former TIA Director) to review and update its strategy for the next 5 years 2025 – 2029.
Professional Tennis and Transnational Law
Désirée Fields of TIA business partner Pinsent Masons, has contributed a chapter on the protection, commercialisation and enforcement of IP rights in tennis published by Cambridge University Press. The book is the FIRST EVER tennis law book and covers a variety of subjects in contractual and regulatory areas.
ITF names ‘Tie Break Tens’ as official partner in short format of sport
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has appointed Tie Break Tens (TB10) as its official partner in short-format tennis, with the format set to be integrated into the governing body’s Junior Tennis Initiative (JTI) programme. Tie Break Tens is a format of tennis which is played in 10-point tiebreak matches, without games or sets, with the winner being the first player to reach 10 points and lead by a margin of two.
Tie Break Tens was launched in 2015 and has hosted 13 events, which have featured a number of high-profile players like Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Rafa Nadal, Iga Swiatek and Andy Murray. “TB10 will be integrated into the ITF’s JTI programme in select nations, ensuring that young players are introduced to the format from the very start of their tennis journey,” ITF said in a statement. Its recognition is understood to potentially allow the format to be included in the Olympic Games in the future alongside standard tennis.
Updates to Padel Code of Practice
The SAPCA Code of Practice for the Construction of Padel Courts has now been updated and can be downloaded (alongside all other codes) from the SAPCA website.
The code now has a new section on maintenance, which is key to ensuring that facilities remain in good condition and therefore fit and safe to use. Elsewhere, there are further enhancements to guidance regarding the design and construction of suitable base works for the UK market.
It is the second update to the code this year and follows the addition of information regarding the supply and construction of covered structures – such as canopies and tensile frame buildings – and guidance highlighting how site-specific designs are paramount.
Colin Corline, SAPCA’s Technical Lead, said: “The recent updates are an example of the importance of the SAPCA Codes of Practice – and the way they are kept relevant and updated to reflect best practice in a dynamic market.”
Padel and Pickleball News
Greenwich
A padel club’s plan to install four outdoor courts on empty land that used to be occupied by Eltham police station has been approved by Greenwich Council. Eltham police station, which was built in 1937 and closed in 2022, was knocked down soon after permission to demolish it was granted, but the plot has been vacant since then.
Alongside four floodlit courts, planning permission has been granted to the London Padel Club to build a bar/lounge and seating area, toilets and changing facilities, office space, storage, outdoor seating and parking for cars and bikes. Although the proposal has been approved, the application was only for temporary planning permission of five years, meaning the club only has permission to operate until 2030.
Greenwich Council has also received an application to build facilities for pickleball, another racquet sport that is growing in popularity. ClubPickle wants to build an indoor pickleball facility and clubhouse by the Greenwich Peninsula Golf Range. The Greenwich pickleball club would have 12 indoor courts alongside a clubhouse, café, toilets and showers. ClubPickle already operates one of London’s largest pickleball clubs in Acton, west London.
Hull
Plans to turn an industrial unit into an indoor pickleball centre has been submitted to Hull City Council. The application launched by We Do Tennis CIC proposes establishing eight indoor pickleball courts. We Do Tennis CIC has numerous sites across Yorkshire.
Edinburgh
Powerleague is to open a padel centre at its Edinburgh football centre. The new padel centre will operate on a pay and play model and will feature three covered courts following a £600,000 investment. Operating on a pay and play model it features three covered courts, allowing year-round play, as well as a viewing area and bar, with prices starting from £7 per person. The opening is part of Powerleague’s expansion into racket sports and follows the business’s announcement of a £2.2 million investment to develop its padel offering across the UK.
Earlier this year, Powerleague opened padel courts in Paisley, Birmingham, Manchester and Shoreditch. Christian Rose, CEO of Powerleague, commented: “Powerleague Edinburgh Portobello is already a vibrant hub for sport and community on Edinburgh’s coast, and our introduction of Padel is a fantastic addition to this.
Farnham
A 13-court indoor padel and pickleball centre is set for Farnham following a £2.75m investment. Work is underway on a new padel and pickleball centre in Farnham, Surrey, following a lease agreement between Rainier Developments and Hurlands Pickleball + Padel Club. The £2.75m project will provide 13 indoor courts – 10 for pickleball and three for padel – at the Farnham Trading Estate. Set to open in January 2026, the plans also include social spaces, yoga, Pilates studios, treatment rooms, changing facilities and a club shop.
Islington
A disused north London car park site could become padel courts. The UK’s first female-founded padel club could soon arrive in Islington after plans were submitted to transform a former car park site.
House of Racquet UK Ltd has filed an application with Camden Council to build four outdoor padel courts on the Black’s Road Hammersmith car park site in Tileyard Road. The application – with a total cost given as up to £2 million – outlines four enclosed courts plus service buildings including a café and toilets. While the planning application has not yet been approved, House of Racquet says it hopes for a decision by mid-October.