Ripon Tennis Centre opens new £180,000 padel tennis courts

Two new padel tennis courts have opened at Ripon Tennis Centre following a huge wave of support from residents and businesses.

The £180,000 facility is already proving popular with players, who have been taking advantage of taster sessions with the club’s coaches.

The project was put forward to help boost the Park Lane club’s membership in the wake of the pandemic.

It follows a successful crowdfunding campaign, which saw more than £30,500 raised in 28 days.

Additional funding has also been provided by Sport England, alongside a loan from the Lawn Tennis Association.

Carol Tetlow, the club’s honorary secretary, said:

“We had lost a considerable number of members as a result of the pandemic. Many of them dropped out or didn’t come back, so that meant there was significant financial loss. We also weren’t able to use the indoor courts, so we lost financially from that as well.

“So we were looking at a way to come back bigger and better. With padel being an explosive, exciting new sport, we had a look into that.”

The two courts – one indoor and one outdoor – have been built on derelict land at the centre, which also boasts two indoor tennis courts, six outdoor floodlit courts, a gym and a licensed café area.

The new padel tennis courts at Ripon Tennis Centre.

It is a welcome boost for the Ripon area, as prior to the courts’ construction, the nearest padel options were in Harrogate and Middlesbrough.

Ms Tetlow said:

“We’ve already had lots of enquiries.

“It’s clearly a sport that’s taking off in a big way. Anybody can play it, you can walk on a court and just hit the ball and feel like you’re having a good game.

“It’s good for any ability. It’s also good for any age. Because it’s less running around than tennis, people who are less mobile enjoy it. We have a member who is just over 80-years-old and he had a go and thought it was fabulous.”

Read More:

Ms Tetlow started playing tennis seven years ago and has been the centre’s secretary for around two years. She offered to take on crowdfunding campaign, which she described as “hard work, but very rewarding”.

“The best thing was going around Ripon’s shops, cafes and restaurants and asking if they would contribute something and so many people said ‘if it’s for Ripon, yes’.”

Ripon Tennis Centre.

The club has recently taken on a new coach, Christopher Stanford, who will teach padel, as well as tennis.

Future plans for the padel courts include kids’ clubs, social evenings and block bookings. An official launch event is also in the pipeline.

Ms Tetlow said:

“At the moment we are just letting as many people play as possible, so they can have a go and see what it’s like.”

A mashup of tennis and squash that originated in Mexico, padel has been described as one of the world’s fastest growing sports.

It is played between four players on reduced-size tennis courts. Competitors use paddle racquets and can bounce the ball off walls.

The sport ‘anyone can play’ that has exploded across the Harrogate district

A mashup of tennis and squash that originated in Mexico, padel has been described as one of the world’s fastest growing sports.

It is played between four players on reduced-size tennis courts. Competitors use paddle racquets and can bounce the ball off walls.

Since November 2020, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has been the national governing body for the sport when it was officially recognised as a discipline of tennis. This has opened the door for greater recognition, support and funding.

Admittedly, I had never even heard it until around a year ago and since then, it seems to have exploded across the Harrogate district.

Ahead of the curve

Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre, on Hookstone Wood Road, was ahead of the curve, launching its first outdoor padel court in 2019, followed by a second glass-enclosed court in 2021 due to popular demand.

The only courts of their kind in the region, they saw people travel from Hull, Liverpool and Manchester to play.

 Padel tennis at Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre.

The club’s manager James Gaston said:

“It has grown in popularity very quickly and we have approximately 250 padel players.

“It is popular because it is very easy to play compared to tennis and it is great fun as doubles and close together on the court.

“It’s a great game and everyone should try it.”

James Gaston outside Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre.

Then in January Surge Padel, the largest indoor padel tennis centre in the UK with six courts, opened its doors at Hornbeam Park. The International Padel Federation is already considering it as the potential host of its European Championships.

Plans for eight new centres

CEO Stuart Perrin said it had already proved to be so successful in Harrogate, he was now planning to launch minimum of eight additional centres in the UK this year.

One of the padel courts at Surge.

Speaking about why he chose Harrogate to locate his first padel centre, he said:

“There are two reasons really.

“Firstly, I’m a local resident and know the local health and fitness market well. Operating in the town with success previously meant I had a path once trodden that could be replicated and improved on.

“Secondly, the demographics of Harrogate really lend themselves to those of racket sports, giving us a head start on the education piece, with padel being a relatively new sport to the UK.

“It has exceeded all expectations so far with no signs of stopping any time soon.”

Read More:

Mr Perrin said the club currently had more than 820 members, with half of those using it on a weekly basis.

He added:

“We anticipate this number to grow to north of 1,000 members by the end of June.

“I think it has been so popular as we have delivered the UK’s largest premium indoor padel tennis centre and we are unaffected by the weather.

“Being underpinned by a brand like Coach and associated with Adidas has also cemented us as the market leader within the sector very quickly.”

Surge at Hornbeam Park is the largest indoor padel tennis court in the UK.

Next month, two new padel tennis courts will launch at Ripon Tennis Centre following a successful crowdfunding campaign, which saw more than £30,500 raised in 28 days thanks to the support of residents and businesses.

Membership boost

The project was put forward to help boost the club’s membership in the wake of the pandemic and will see the new courts, plus canopies and flood lighting, built at the centre on Park Lane.

Additional funding has also been provided by Sport England alongside a loan from the LTA.

Carol Tetlow, the club’s honorary secretary, said:

“It’s all very exciting and we can’t wait to get playing.

“Fingers crossed, our courts should be up and ready for play by the end of April. There will be two courts, one with a roof, guaranteeing all year round play.

“Covid-19 took its toll on Ripon tennis club, like many other sporting venues, and we saw membership numbers drop by a fifth and also lost a lot of income.

“Our centre manager, Diane Hutchinson came up with the great idea of not simply trying to recoup our losses but seize this opportunity to expand the centre with a new venture – padel tennis.”

Ripon MP Julian Smith visiting the padel site at Ripon Tennis Centre, with Diane Hutchinson (left) and Carol Tetlow (right).

Ms Tetlow put the sport’s rapid growth and popularity down to it being easy to play and therefore accessible for all ages and abilities.

A game for everyone

She said:

“Even beginners can go on court and enjoy a game, unlike some sports where techniques have to be acquired and learned.

“The less mobile players who find it difficult to get around a tennis court can have challenging games.

“At the other end of the scale, highly experienced players can amaze spectators with their agility and skill.”

Ms Tatlow said the club had recently taken on a new coach, Christopher Stanford, who will coach padel, as well as tennis.

She added:

“We’ve had lots of enquiries as the word has spread and as a result of our crowdfunding campaign. Membership is growing again and I’m sure padel is one of the reasons for this.

“With the nearest courts in Harrogate and Middlesbrough, Ripon has to be the ideal place for more courts.”

‘Really social’

Stuart Jones, from Harrogate, has been playing padel for two years after picking up the sport while on holiday in Spain, which has more than 20,000 padel courts. Behind football it is the country’s second-most-popular sport.

He said:

“I really enjoy the competitive nature of the game, the fact it’s doubles and really social.

“I started to play at the courts at Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre and now also play at Surge, where they also have coaching for adults, as well as juniors, which is perfect for me as my eldest son also enjoys the game.”

Here are ten facts you might not know about padel tennis, from the LTA:

Ripon padel tennis courts given the go-ahead

Plans for two new padel tennis courts in Ripon have been given the go-ahead.

The proposal will see the new courts, plus canopies and flood lighting, built at Ripon Tennis Centre on Park Lane.

The centre will become the latest padel venue in the Harrogate district as the popularity of the sport increases.

Ripon Tennis Centre said in documents submitted to Harrogate Borough Council that the proposal would help to improve facilities.

It said:

“Ripon Tennis Centre are keen to provide these facilities as part of the ongoing improvement to the club which will be enjoyed by all age ranges and can be played on throughout the year.”

Boom in popularity

Padel tennis has seen a boom in popularity in recent years, including in the Harrogate district.

The sport is played between four players on reduced sized tennis courts. Competitors use paddle racquets and can bounce the ball off walls.

As well as the Ripon centre, a court is planned for Hornbeam Park which is earmarked for six dedicated courts.

Meanwhile, Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre on Hookstone Wood Road saw an increase in demand for the sport during the first covid lockdown.

Read More:

The local boom has been reflected across the country.

With more than 6.000 padel players in the UK, according to the Lawn Tennis Association, the sport is one of the fastest growing in the country.

Ripon Tennis Centre seeks local support to build padel courts

Ripon Tennis Centre has asked locals in the Harrogate district to help fund two padel tennis courts.

The sport is growing in popularity and the crowdfunding project hopes to raise £30,000.

Sport England is making a donation of £10,000 and the Lawn Tennis Association will also be contributing with a loan.

The LTA has recognised padel tennis as an official sport.

Diane Hutchinson, centre manager, said:

“Padel is a great sport, we would love for it to accompany tennis at our centre”

“£30,000 is a lot to raise, we welcome any support whether it be big or small”

“The club welcomes people from all walks of life”

Read More:

Padel is a cross between squash and tennis. A padel court is one third the size of a normal tennis court and has glass around the court for the balls to bounce off.

Padel tennis racquets

The crowdfunding campaign has already received some attention, with Rudding Park donating a one night stay and spa day, as well as a golf day, to be sold by Ripon Tennis Centre to help raise money.

Ripon Tennis Centre said it has started to see a rise in new memberships post the pandemic and hopes even more will join after Emma Raducanu’s historic US Grand Slam win.