Padel: First ever UK pro tournament begins in London

The first ever professional padel tournament held in the UK has begun.

The London Padel Open, part of the Cupra FIP (International Padel Federation) Tour, is being held on 4-7 August at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, south-west London.

Played in pairs on an enclosed court, the competition will feature both men's and women's events.

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) said it was a chance to "move the sport forward".

Former British tennis player Laura Robson will be making an appearance alongside her partner Sian Bayliss.

Other high profile players, including Tia Norton, Ricardo Martinez Sanchez and Jeremy Scatena, will also be in action.

The game, described as a mixture between tennis and squash, is played in teams of two on a court that allows players to hit the ball after it bounces back off the wall.

Padel was invented in Mexico and is growing in popularity around the world, now being played in 90 countries by more than 20 million people, according to the Cupra IPF.

It also has been growing in popularity in the UK with 89,000 players and 200 courts, says the LTA.

Tom Murray, Head of Padel at the LTA, said: "We are delighted to welcome some of the world's best padel players for the London Padel Open.

"The National Tennis Centre is ready for the first professional padel tournament ever staged in the UK and this is a huge opportunity to support our players on our pathway and promote the sport moving forward."