LTA and Team AD/vantage announce partnership to accelerate growth of padel in UK

The collaboration is designed to build on the recent surge in popularity of padel in Britain and will cover activations and content collaboration.

Author

Jonathan Dyson
January 29, 2025

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the governing body for tennis and padel in the UK, has begun a partnership with the British-owned reigning Hexagon Cup champions Team AD/vantage.

The collaboration was unveiled on the eve of the second edition of the Hexagon Cup, taking place this week from 29 January to 2 February in Madrid.

The two parties said the partnership is “aimed at growing padel across the country.” The sport is enjoying a surge in popularity and expanding rapidly across the UK. According to the LTA, there were 688 courts and over 200,000 participants recorded by the end of 2024, up from 350 courts and 129,000 players in 2023.

The profile of padel in the UK has been boosted by several sports stars and other celebrities playing and investing into it.

Earlier this month, British heavyweight boxing star Anthony Joshua became a new co-owner of Team AD/vantage. With his investment, which was undisclosed, Joshua joined tennis legend Andy Murray, tennis coach Daniel Vallverdú and businessman Arran Yentob as joint owners of the team.

The LTA and Team AD/vantage said its partnership “looks to build on this momentum by raising awareness, expanding participation, and showcasing Britain’s arrival in the sport on an international stage.”

They added: “The partnership will continue beyond this week’s event and will cover activations and content collaboration during the year ahead.

“As part of the partnership, Team AD/vantage will look at expanding its presence in Great Britain, introducing more communities to padel and encouraging greater participation.

“The LTA’s mission to grow padel in Britain aligns perfectly with Team AD/vantage’s vision of connecting fans and players with the sport’s elite talent and competitions.”

The partnership is designed to provide a further boost to the growth of padel across the UK. Image credit: LTA & Team AD/vantage.

This year’s edition of the Hexagon Cup is once again being covered in the UK by free-to-air broadcaster ITV. It became an official rights holder of the Hexagon Cup last year, marking the first time professional padel had been aired on a mainstream TV channel in the country.

For the 2025 edition, ITVX will live stream all Saturday 1 February and Sunday 2 February matches, with ITV4 airing post-event highlights.

Tom Murray, head of padel at the LTA, said: “Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in Britain, and we’re delighted to be working with the Hexagon Cup to raise awareness and demonstrate the potential padel has. We’ll be working with Team AD/vantage throughout the year on further opportunities, as we aim to inspire players of all ages and abilities to pick up a racket and enjoy the sport.”

Team AD/vantage co-owner Arran Yentob added: “This partnership is a great opportunity to show how Britain can play a key role in the global padel community and to work together to further bring world-class padel to new audiences at home.”