'Padel will grow if it becomes a spectator sport'

One of the UK's top female padel players says the game needs to become "more of a spectator sport" in order for it to keep growing.

British number three Tia Norton is among eight women who have been selected in the Great Britain squad for the Euro Padel Cup in Madrid next month.

The 21-year-old, from Leamington Spa, said: "Bigger tournaments are gradually being played in the UK, but if we can get a premier padel event, which is the highest ranked tournament, that will be a really big moment for the sport here".

"At the end of the day you need money in the sport to make it bigger, so I think that would be a big step."

Norton is also aware of the limited training facilities in the Midlands and the game's rising cost.

"To install padel courts, get planning permission, to get everything around building padel centres is very very expensive, I think the courts themselves are a minimum of £15,000," she said.

She added the Lawn Tennis Association had "taken right steps" to help implement more facilities, but there needed to be "a better way to get padel courts into deprived areas and make it accessible to everyone".

Norton said the sport had been "very very unknown" when she started to play in 2015.

"I had to travel to Spain a lot to train, which was of course a big expense, and I was going almost once a month on weekends and then driving to London from Leamington to train as well.

"I was fortunate to have my parents fund my Padel when I started out.

"Nowadays it is becoming more accessible and the sport is on the rise, but it is still expensive."

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