LTA Announces Drive to Boost Female Participation in Rapidly Growing Padel
The Lawn Tennis Association has vowed to significantly increase the number of women and girls playing padel as the tennis-squash hybrid continues its explosive growth across the United Kingdom. New figures reveal a concerning gender disparity, with only 30 per cent of current players being female, prompting urgent action from the sport's governing body.
Gender Imbalance Threatens Padel's Inclusive Potential
Padel has experienced remarkable expansion throughout Britain in recent years, with participation rates and court construction showing no signs of slowing. However, statistics indicate women and girls risk being left behind during this period of rapid development. The LTA, which oversees padel governance nationally, will release updated participation data next week, but the standout figure remains troubling: fewer than one-third of players are female.
This represents a significant equality challenge for a sport emerging during an era of increased focus on gender balance in athletics. Tennis, padel's close relative, stands as the world's leading sport for women, with tennis players dominating female sports earnings globally. Yet padel has thus far failed to replicate this gender parity.
Strategic Initiatives to Create Inclusive Environments
Tom Murray, the LTA's head of padel, emphasized the organization's commitment to addressing this imbalance. "As the national governing body, the LTA is dedicated to opening up padel and breaking down barriers to create meaningful opportunities for women and girls to discover, play, and thrive in the sport," Murray stated.
The association's "She Rallies" plan aims to transform both tennis and padel into truly gender-balanced sports. This involves collaborating closely with venues nationwide to ensure fully inclusive spaces, including implementing dedicated women and girls-only sessions. These specialized sessions are designed to foster welcoming, supportive environments that build confidence and connection among female participants.
Grassroots Movement Champions Female Participation
Pepita Stonor, founder of Empower Padel, recognized the demographic issue shortly after taking up the sport in 2020. "It was social and fun but there were no women," Stonor recalled of her early experiences. After organizing tournaments for friends and identifying substantial interest, she established Empower Padel in September 2024 specifically to encourage women to embrace and continue with the sport.
Stonor sees tremendous potential in padel as an accessible activity for women to flourish. "When I reached my late 40s and encountered women who had never played sport before, I realized quickly that taking up tennis or golf at that age requires extensive coaching because they're very technical and challenging," she explained. "Whereas with padel, it's easy to begin—though difficult to master—and I witnessed women genuinely loving it and gaining confidence when we introduced them to the sport."
Critical Window for Establishing Gender Equality
Empower Padel now maintains a database of 2,500 women, operates numerous events, and aims to become the world's largest community of female padel players. Stonor believes the sport must address its gender imbalance swiftly while padel remains in its relative infancy within the UK.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Stonor asserted. "Contacts at Women in Football have noted that while football is working to undo historical imbalances, padel has the chance to start fresh, which is truly remarkable."
She highlighted that even in established padel nations like Spain and Argentina, where social participation shows better gender balance, competitive levels reveal persistent issues. A recent report indicated only 28 per cent of top players were women. "There's definitely an issue there, and particularly for juniors, because many UK competitions cancel girls' events due to insufficient participants," Stonor noted.
Stonor called for broader societal involvement, urging: "It's down to parents, aunts, uncles, and anyone playing padel to consider whether their sisters, nieces, or goddaughters play. We need to make a genuine effort to bring girls onto the court."
The combined efforts of governing bodies and grassroots organizations signal a determined push to ensure padel's growth benefits all potential participants equally, transforming the sport's current demographic challenges into opportunities for inclusive development.
