Liverpool’s Largest Padel Courts Have Opened To Meet Demand For The UK’s Fastest Growing Sport

Peter Eric Lang
7 days ago
3 min read

STONEYCROFT, CITY OF LIVERPOOL, LIVERPOOL CITY REGION.

Liverpool’s largest padel courts have opened to meet demand for the UK’s fastest-growing sport

A racquet sport cross between tennis and squash, padel has well over 30 million players worldwide and has seen its popularity explode over the past few years.

Now, Ignite Padel has created six brand new courts in Liverpool and an exclusive WhatsApp community to bring players together for practice and matches.

Launched this Spring 2025, Ignite Padel is based at the site of one of the city’s oldest tennis clubs, Vagabonds, on Queens Drive in West Derby.

It has Championship Level floodlit courts, open from 7am for early morning sessions through to late evening, and offers expert coaching for beginners or more experienced players wanting to take their game to the next level.

“Although it’s similar to tennis, and many players crossover and love both, a major advantage of Padel is how simple it is to learn. There are no complicated rules or grips, the court is smaller, and it is easier to build rallies than most other racquet sports.” - A spokesperson for Ignite Padel.

Ignite Padel runs regular tournaments where players of a similar standard, divided into bronze, silver or gold racquet skills, can compete in a fun social way, earning personal points and teaming up with different partners.

There are also plans to launch Padel teams to compete inter-club with other venues around the region.

A spokesperson for the Liverpool-owned business says Padel is becoming the City’s favourite sport because of its accessibility and social atmosphere.

A spokesperson for Ignite Padel, said: “It’s taking over from football, which is why we felt Liverpool needed more Padel courts because it’s growing so fast and so many people are engaged with it.”

They added: “One of the main attractions of Padel is the social side so alongside our top tier courts we are really trying to build a community. We currently have the biggest ‘Whatsapp Padel’ group chat in the North West which we set up to help people find other players of similar abilities.”

They said: “Every time you play, you’re in a four, you’re working together as a team and you’re building a relationship with someone who you’re playing with, either regularly with friends or you can play with different people every time.”

They added: “Our booking system allows you to instantly find other people who’ve got open matches and join them so it’s a great way to meet other players and get a game.”

They said: “Although it’s similar to tennis, and many players crossover and love both, a major advantage of Padel is how simple it is to learn. There are no complicated rules or grips, the court is smaller, and it is easier to build rallies than most other racquet sports.”

The spokesperson, said: “Tennis can have a reputation for being elitist, where padel feels much more inclusive, which is why people of all backgrounds and ages are enjoying it so much.”

At Ignite Padel, racquets are free to hire on site, and there are vending machines to buy balls in pressurised tubes of three so no specialist equipment is needed.

“Every time you play, you’re in a four, you’re working together as a team and you’re building a relationship with someone who you’re playing with, either regularly with friends or you can play with different people every time.” - A spokesperson for Ignite Padel.

Courts can be booked in time slots, with 60-minute and 90-minute being the most popular. Ignite Padel Liverpool is the business’s first venue, however, it has already proved so popular that its owners have plans to open more across the North West and nationwide.