Pro Am Padel Tour 2026 launches with talkSPORT
The Pro Am Padel Tour returns in 2026 and opens its fourth season on Wednesday, 22 July, at Pure Padel in Stockport. Britain's celebrity padel format once again brings together sporting legends, TV stars and top professionals on court, setting a new tone in the UK's growing padel landscape. With a new talkSPORT media partnership, the tour reaches its biggest audience yet.
talkSPORT will broadcast the Grand Final live on its YouTube channel, which has almost two million subscribers, and deliver interviews and behind-the-scenes coverage. This marks a significant step in padel's journey into mainstream British sports media. At the same time, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) remains on board as strategic partner, driving grassroots expansion and increased padel participation across the country.
Community and inclusion at the heart
Last year, the LTA partnership delivered inclusive access to the sport through youth clinics, adaptive sessions for SEND athletes and teacher training initiatives. Schools in East London, Leeds and Manchester were involved, alongside organisations such as the West Ham United Foundation, the Jason Manford Academy, Padel & Prams, the Leeds Rhinos Foundation, the Manchester United Foundation and Foundation 92.
The 2026 event day begins with community-focused sessions run by the Pro Am Padel Tour and supported by the LTA. Local schools and community groups – including the Manchester United Foundation, the Richard Whitehead Foundation and the Jason Manford Academy – experience the blend of accessibility and social gameplay that defines padel. The aim is to inspire young people and provide access at every level.
A special highlight is adaptive padel sessions with Andrew Simister, who competes internationally on the Inclusive Padel Tour after a serious accident in 2022, and Louis Telford, Britain's number one wheelchair padel player. Both demonstrate how inclusive the sport can be and the energy that emerges when accessibility and competition come together on court.
Celebrity Pro Am and Pro Masterclass
The evening centrepiece is the Celebrity Pro Am: British padel professionals team up with sporting icons, entertainers and broadcasters in a fast-paced tournament format. Pro Masterclass sessions then give club members the chance to play directly with the pros. The format combines entertainment, competition and hands-on learning in a compact event day.
Star-studded Manchester line-up
Manchester welcomes a broad mix from football, cricket, rugby, Paralympic sport, entertainment and broadcasting. The 2026 team captains are due to be announced shortly. It is already clear which personalities will shape the field.
Football and cricket
From football come Toni Duggan, former England international with 79 caps and spells at Manchester City, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid, Danny Simpson, Premier League champion with Leicester City in 2015/16, and Izzy Christiansen with over 30 caps, now active as a pundit. From cricket, Monty Panesar, former England spinner with 167 Test wickets, and Dom Sibley, England Test opener at Surrey, are set to take part.
Rugby, Olympic sport and entertainment
Alex Goode, England international with over 300 Saracens appearances, and Emily Scarratt, England's all-time leading points scorer in women's rugby, represent the rugby world. Richard Whitehead MBE and Matty Lee MBE bring Paralympic and Olympic experience. From entertainment come Will Mellor, known from Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps and Strictly Come Dancing, and reality TV personality Callum Jones. Kyle Walker and Katie Shanahan will present the event.
Padel pros at the top
On the professional side, Catherine Rose (British number one), Louie Harris (number two), Alex Loughlan (number three), Cameron Dollimore (number four) and Josep Aymerich (LTA number one) are in focus. They form the sporting backbone of the format and provide the required level on court.
Four events to the Grand Final
Stockport opens a four-event series culminating at the Padium in London in October. The Grand Final takes place on Wednesday, 21 October. Each team captain competes not only for victory but also to raise funds for their chosen charity through the Captain's Fund. A share of revenue from VIP experiences and Pro Masterclass tickets flows into the fund throughout the tour. The full amount goes to the winning captain's charity at the Grand Final.
Last year, Team Lescott claimed victory and secured £11,500 for Birmingham Children's Hospital Charity – a cause close to Joleon Lescott's heart after he was treated there as a child following a serious car accident.
Media reach and partnerships
Alongside talkSPORT, Planet Sport delivers social media and digital content, The Padel Paper provides specialist coverage, while Frankie Langan (Into Padel) and Nikhil Mohindra (Behind The Glass) produce behind-the-scenes material as Pro Creator Partners. Tour founder Oliver Morgan said: "Manchester has become a true hub for padel in Britain – the perfect launch pad for our 2026 season. With talkSPORT, our star line-ups and LTA support, we're showcasing padel's journey from grassroots participation to mainstream entertainment."
Performance brands accompany the tour again: Skechers as Official Footwear Partner, Certina as Official Watch Partner, Crew Clothing as Official Performance Apparel Partner, NOX as Official Racket Partner and the LTA as Strategic Partner. Together they underline the professional ambition of a format that unites sport, charity and media on one stage.
