Stormzy Impact Reaches Holmer Green
The smart entrance archway to Holmer Green Padel is officially called “The Stormzy Entrance” in homage to the superstar rapper who is arguably the biggest celebrity ambassador of the sport in the UK. Stormzy has invested heavily in padel and has also taken it away from the country club associations of tennis towards a more relevant younger audience.
Our Stormzy Entrance has transformed people’s mood as soon as they arrive. Director of Clubs Phil Cornhill says: “Walking through, it feels like entering an arena. The energy changes, the noise of the outside world fades, and suddenly you’re somewhere that means something. Somewhere that buzzes. We’ve added fencing to give our outdoor club an indoor soul – a sense of enclosure, of belonging, of a world within a world. The pressures of work, the stress of the week – all of it starts to dissolve the moment you pass through.”
The Best Padel Getaway Ever?
All four UK PADEL clubs combined for the first time for a fun-packed few days at the SeaSpace hotel, a stunning on-site hotel and padel resort. From the start, it was clear this was going to be something special. Three to four hours of padel a day, perhaps the quickest Americano ever, yoga on the beach, and a chilly sea dip that bonded the group in a way only shared suffering can. Off court, superstar padel player Darren Kelf brought us Cornish pasties each day, DJ Palmercano’s 90s bangers kept energy sky high, and the Cornish beer flowed freely. It was such a success that we’re highly likely to do this again next year!
Growth: The Stats Beyond the Stats
There is always a focus on growth metrics for padel, but stats alone don’t tell the full story. The most meaningful metrics are around retention, utilisation and ecosystem maturity. At UK PADEL, we’re looking closely at repeat participation rates, peak and off-peak court usage, league and tournament participation and whether clubs maintain strong occupancy levels as more venues enter the market. Another major indicator is a broadening demographic: if we can maintain growth in female, junior and family participation that means the sport is getting deeply ingrained in UK culture. Stay tuned for more!
Your Rallies: Best of the Action
Get the bird’s eye view as a PUSH IT camera gets taken out by a smash, watch an interesting rally prematurely ended because somebody left the door open, enjoy a super point from a Scotland v Wales women’s match (the Welsh defence is pure fire), and then bask in a no.1 that probably has a contender for short of the season! Some great energy on the courts this week.
And the Medals go to…
Padel is officially storming – or should that be Stormzying? – the global stage. Earlier this week, it was officially added to the roster of medal sports for the South American Games in Argentina this September, while it will also be showcased at both the Asian Games later this year, and at next year’s European Games in Istanbul. This powerful show of support would suggest the sport’s march toward full Olympic status in 2032 is firmly on course to be realized.
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