National stars excel at UK PADEL County Championships

Surrey, Essex & East Scotland take major prizes as County Champs deliver unforgettable padel action

The UK PADEL County Championships produced some exhilarating sport in Bristol last weekend, and with 34 counties plus more than 300 players represented, it was proof once again that the intense interest in competitive padel shows no signs of diminishing.

Essex were the team everyone was looking to take down. Last year, their long journey west to Rocket Padel, Bristol had produced the perfect conclusion – trophies in all three divisions (mixed, women’s and men’s) to take back down the M4.

But there were different stories to be written in 2025. And they began when Surrey produced a magnificent performance to take the mixed title on Saturday night.

In the semi-finals they were taken deep by the Channel Islands, advancing them into a final showdown against Yorkshire. This produced extraordinary tension, as a marathon battle went all the way to a shoot-out.

Here, Surrey built up a lead before Yorkshire steeled themselves to whittle it down point by point. Finally, Oscar Warneryd and Daisy Dickinson eventually got over the line in a real battle of wits.

Next, it was onto the women’s competition, and once again the Surrey team proved they meant serious business. They went all the way to the final, where they faced Essex in a fascinating match-up.

Essex went for a classic blend of youth and experience. Junior internationals Rosie Quirk and Aimee Connolly teamed up with Denise Negro and Sarah Lochrie.

In the final itself, Surrey and Essex shared the two rubbers, forcing another shoot-out decider where Negro and Quirk sealed the win in the shoot-out to complete a successful defence of their title.

This year’s men’s competition showcased some fine individual talents, with a notably strong field. The squads produced by Warwickshire, Sussex, Middlesex, and South Wales – who were led by one of the most exciting young players Louie Harris – set the stage for a competition of unprecedented high quality.

As the knockout stages wore on, South Wales defeated Warwickshire to reach the final, while on the opposite side of the draw, a “tartan derby” featuring East Scotland and North Scotland was won by the East.

The final gave everyone watching a magnificent conclusion to two thrilling days of padel: East Scotland’s top pair Sam McNeill and former UK No.1 Jorge Martinez edged a nail-biting first rubber 7–5, 7–5, before Alan Macdonald and Ross Murdoch clinched the title with a 7–6, 7–5 victory.

Full results can be viewed at the LTA competition site, and full match recaps are available on Nothing But Padel, the official UK PADEL YouTube channel.

UK PADEL CEO Nick Baker reflected on a tremendous weekend by congratulating the three winning teams, before adding: “Padel in the UK is growing at an extraordinary pace, and it’s our mission at UK PADEL to help shape our growth in a positive, sustainable way.

“The County Championships are a great example of what happens when strong community spirit meets quality infrastructure and ambitious players.”

Mark Ayers, director of events at UK PADEL, said: “The County Championships are truly a players’ event. The atmosphere, the team spirit, the rivalries, seeing both new faces and established counties performing at this level shows exactly why this event is so special and why it continues to grow every year.”

A huge thank you goes to all sponsors, supporters, players and counties who made this exceptional weekend possible. They include Lauralu, Punchy, HEAD Padel, Shandy Shack, ACT Sports, Hexa Padel, Bilko and of course host venue Rocket Padel, Bristol.