University padel comes alive at championships

Players from across the country came together in Bristol recently for the UK Padel University Championships, with 67 teams from 23 universities competing across men’s, women’s and mixed events.

The Championships highlighted not only the rapid growth of padel within higher education, but also the unique culture that makes the sport so appealing to students. Many players already knew one another through UK Padel’s NUPL or LTA-sanctioned events, creating a sense of familiarity, rivalry and mutual respect that lifted the weekend to another level.

Mark Ayers, Tournament Director, said: “The atmosphere across the whole weekend was exactly what university padel should be about. There was a real raw energy from the players and a great sense of community between teams.”