We spoke to David Thomas, the co-founder of Manchester Padel Club to understand more about the sport and the club itself.

Manchester Padel Club has been going since 2023 though the team have been working in padel for over 35 years.

placeholder image — David Thomas | Manchester Padel Club

The club sits right next to a local school and provides daily activity for the children there, David said: “We’re based right next to the school and we work in partnership with them and you can see the kids are already here for their lunchtime club.”

Adding: “The head of our junior programme, she’s a former PE teacher at the International School of Monaco and a padel coach and tennis coach, so the kids have got really high quality coaching.”

When asked why he thinks padel has suddenly become so trendy in Manchester, David said: “I always thought it would be really successful. The first thing is its a really good game and everyone likes to play. I think in Manchester and Cheshire its become particularly popular because people have also played abroad and realised how good it was.”

For those thinking of taking up padel, David said: “We run lots of introductions to padel courses for people that have never played before that want to pick up the game in a friendly environment that’s very positive and easy for people who make be a bit unsure or uncertain or lack confidence to come and join.”

Adding: “We’ve got a community of beginners, people from every level. So, there’s always something for everyone.”

David also explained that the club had some star visits with Usain Bolt playing his first ever padel game there, Brian McFadden frequenting the court and also lots of high-level footballers.

If you fancy a game, make sure to head down to Manchester Padel Club and get ready for some amazing fun!