A GRADE one Lawn Tennis Association event is on the horizon for Island Padel.
The inaugural event will run across two days this weekend, giving Islanders plenty of opportunity to come down and watch the talent on show.
Island Padel, backed by Rathbones, have funded a huge £4,000 prize pot for the tournament – which includes a men’s and ladies’ open draw, and a men’s and ladies’ veterans 45-plus draw.
The facility underwent a £1 million expansion earlier this year, to bring it up to speed with the top centres in the United Kingdom.
The St Clement-based club now boasts three indoor courts and two outdoor courts and it is the right time to attract the best talent the country has to offer, says founder Scott Clayton.
He said: ‘I am really excited to see and welcome some amazing players come over to Jersey. Not only so they can play at our facility, but also so that the local community can see what high-class padel looks like.’
The sport enjoyed a massive uptake during the pandemic and Clayton saw the opportunity to expand and provide Islanders with the opportunity to play in a state-of-the-art facility.
The former Wimbledon player became very passionate about the young sport, following his retirement from professional tennis and feels that this event is what locals need to fuel their love for a growing game.
Among the attendees is British number one Jorge Martinez, number nine Nikhil Mohindra and Rafael Vega (15).
The field is also littered with local talent, who have been provided with the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with the padel elite.
The likes of Clayton, Jon Southern, Bero Bobus and Emma Devenport will all have hopes of making a deep run into the event.
Clayton said: ‘We have always placed family ethos at the forefront, so we encourage all locals to get down to St Clement’s Golf & Sports Centre to watch the event unfold.
‘There will be catering on site and a bar throughout the weekend.
Play gets under way at 9am Saturday through to 8pm, while on Sunday play begins at 9am also, but concludes at 2pm.
Island Padel is backed by Rathbones and together they have funded a huge £4000 prize pot for the tournament – which includes a men’s open draw, ladies Open draw, a men’s veterans 45 plus draw and ladies veterans 45 plus draw.
Island Padel places family ethos at the forefront, so they are encouraging Islanders to go down to the St Clement Recreation Grounds to watch the event. There will be food and a bar for spectators.
