Pro Am Padel Tour explained: how it works, celebrity players & opening up padel to the community
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Now into its third year, the Pro Am Padel Tour pairs professional players with celebrities from the worlds of sport and entertainment in a series of team competitions, as well as getting rackets in the hands of under-served community groups.
While the appearance of Olympic gold medal winners, Premier League footballers, TV stars, actors and influencers at Pro Am Padel Tour events helps generate publicity for the sport, the real impact is felt in the local communities of each city the Tour visits.
Taking padel to the people
In 2025, each Pro Am Padel Tour event has expanded across two days, starting with its Community Day devoted to activities that engage with local under-served groups, giving them opportunities to play padel that they may never otherwise have experienced.
To do this, the LTA has come on board as a Strategic Partner to deliver sessions with local schools, charities and community groups at each leg of the Tour.
In the first event of 2025 at Rocket Padel Beckton in East London, for example, over 200 children and adults got their first taste of padel after invites went out to four nearby primary schools, the West Ham United Foundation, Rackets Cubed, BADU Sports, Greenhouse Sports, Newham Ability Camp for children with disabilities and special needs, and a local LGBTQ+ group.
Pupils from North Beckton Primary School enjoyed a padel session with the Jason Manford Padel Academy led by the comedian himself, while Padel & Prams — founded by trainee coach Emma Powell and GB padel player Victoria Nicholas — led an introductory padel session for new mums while their infants were looked after in the 'Baby Zone' on an adjacent court.
Giving children their first padel session is all well and good, of course, but it's also about providing opportunities to continue playing in the future. That's why the Tour, the LTA and the host venue of each event partner up to offer each child two further complementary padel sessions and each participating school and community group an invite to join the LTA Youth Schools programme which gives them a £250 voucher to spend on equipment and/or coaching.
In this way, the Pro Am Padel Tour helps lead locals to their nearest padel club, kindling a love of the game and then empowering them to continue playing.
Celebs take centre stage
Theo Walcott, John Terry, Jill Scott, Chris Robshaw, Jos Buttler, Michael Vaughan, Joe Marler and Adam Peaty are just some of the sporting icons that have starred in Pro Am Padel Tour events in its first three years alongside TV personalities, actors and influencers.
In the competitive part of each event, each celeb is paired up with a padel pro. GB's Aimee Gibson, Tia Norton, Louie Harris, Alfonso Patacho and Rafa Vega are all regulars and international players such as Gonzalo Rubio and Jon Sanz have made guest appearances. The pros are joined by Britain's best 'Next Gen' players from the junior ranks.
In 2025, the Pro Am Padel Tour has introduced a new team format, with two celebrity captains each leading a team of six celebs, six pros and two Next Gen players.
The winning team progresses to the Grand Final later in the year and the Grand Final winner earns the Captain's Fund, which starts at £10,000 and is topped up through the season by celebrity challenges.
Across three sessions, different combinations of timed pro/celeb, pro/pro and Next Gen/Next Gen pairs play matches with each win earning one point for the team. The points tally then determines the handicap for the all-celebrity showdown (e.g. if the score is 16-12, the first team has a four-point head start).
The all-celeb showdown is a rolling score with third, second then first pairs each playing for 15 mins. The winning team goes through to the Grand Final later in the year to fight for their charity.
Pro Am Padel Tour founder Oliver Morgan said: “The celebrity engagement that Pro Am Padel Tour achieves is important because we channel that profile into growing the sport at grassroots level. The LTA are the perfect partners to enable us to achieve that, benefiting communities and introducing the game to a host of new demographics.”
LTA Padel Manager Steve Yeardley added: "The LTA was proud to collaborate with the Pro-Am Padel Tour and the London Borough of Newham to deliver a truly exceptional community padel event, introducing over 200 local adults and children to the sport—many for the very first time.
"With participants from local schools, clubs, charities, community groups, and the Jason Manford Academy, the day was a celebration of inclusivity and inspiration. We’re especially grateful to Rocket Padel for their generous follow-up offers and to WimX Learning for their invaluable support in making the event a success.
"At the LTA, we are committed to giving as many people as possible a great first experience of padel. By working closely with local venues and operators, we help ensure there are accessible follow-on sessions and lasting opportunities for everyone to deepen their love for the game. We look forward to building on this momentum and continuing our partnership with the Pro Am Padel Tour to grow padel across Great Britain."
