New padel Europe vs Americas ‘Ryder Cup’ coming to London this year
The padel equivalent of the Ryder Cup will hold its inaugural edition in London later this year, organisers confirmed on Tuesday.
The FIP Intercontinental Cup will see Team Europe take on Team Americas in male and female competitions in July.
It is testament to the rise in popularity of the racket sport across the capital, with courts popping up from Canary Wharf to Battersea to Queen’s Club. But London missed out on the revamped Premier Padel Tour.
There are an estimated 200,000 amateurs in the UK playing each month, fighting over just 750 courts at 300 clubs.
It is no surprise, then, that there is no British man or woman in the top 20 of the FIP world rankings.
Nearly 75 per cent of the men’s top 20 are Spanish and it is the same figure for women. The rest of the men’s top 20 are made up of players from Argentina and Brazil, with the women’s equivalent from Argentina and Portugal.
London key padel spot
Luigi Carraro, president of the International Padel Federation, said: “Hosting the FIP Intercontinental Cup in London is a landmark moment for the international expansion of professional padel.
“Bringing the world’s very best professional players to the UK for the first time – one of padel’s fastest-growing markets – reinforces our vision to bring new experiences of our sport to new fans and partners all around the world.”
The president added that London’s affinity with iconic sporting moments will help padel reach Olympic inclusion, and that the Hexagon Cup and Premier Padel are behind the FIP project.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, chairman of Premier Padel, said: “We are delighted to see elite women’s and men’s professional padel players compete in the UK, one of most significant international sports markets in the world, this summer
“London is a natural next step and international stage for professional padel, being one of the leading capital cities of world sport – with fantastic infrastructure and facilities, commercial opportunities and brand exposure, and brilliant fan appetite for the fastest growing sport in the world.”