Swansea is set to welcome players from across the country this weekend as the UK PADEL Masters Series gets underway, bringing national competition to the city at a time when participation in the sport is growing rapidly.
The relaunched series will begin at Jaxx Padel Swansea on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October, featuring men’s and women’s competitions across Open, Over 40, Over 50 and Over 60 categories.
The event marks the first of five Masters tournaments taking place during the 2026/27 season, with the competition visiting venues in Wales, England, Scotland and Portugal before the Finals in March.
The expanded format aims to celebrate padel’s appeal across different generations, giving players of varying ages and experience the opportunity to compete at a national level.
Swansea’s hosting of the opening tournament comes as new figures from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) reveal a significant increase in competitive padel participation across Britain.
A total of 6,664 players have already competed in LTA padel competitions during 2026, compared with 5,000 throughout the whole of 2025. This represents growth of 33%, with almost three months of the year remaining.
The sport’s growing popularity is also reflected in the number of people taking part recreationally, with the LTA reporting that more than 1.4 million people now play padel in Britain across 2,353 courts.
Nick Baker, CEO of UK PADEL, said: “The growth of padel in Britain has been extraordinary, and what really excites us is seeing more people wanting to compete. This weekend captures everything that makes the sport so special, with schoolchildren representing their schools in Bristol while players in their sixties are competing alongside younger generations at our Masters Series in Swansea.
“Padel is wonderfully accessible and sociable, it also brings out a competitive spirit in people of all ages. You can pick up a racket for the first time, discover a love of the game and still be competing decades later. With competition participation already up by a third on last year, we want to make sure there are opportunities for everyone to enjoy that experience.
“From schools and universities to county championships and the Masters Series, we’re building a competition calendar that brings people together, creates lasting friendships and gives players something to aspire to at every stage of their lives.”
The new Masters format builds on the success of the previous season, which saw women account for half of the competitors at the Finals.
Interest in age-group competition has also continued to grow, with more than 220 players taking part in last month’s Over 60 Padel County Cup.
While Swansea hosts the Masters Series opener, the next generation of players will be competing at the UK PADEL Schools U18 Championships in Bristol on Sunday 11 October.
More than 25 schools from across England are expected to participate, with boys’, girls’ and mixed teams competing for national honours.
The two events form part of UK PADEL’s expanding national competition programme, which also includes the Padel County Cup delivered in partnership with the LTA.
Matches from the Swansea tournament will be streamed live throughout the weekend on the UK PADEL YouTube channel, with highlights and standout performances also shared across its digital platforms.
Both events are sponsored by Applewood Groundworks and HEAD, UK PADEL’s national championships ball partner.
