One man's quest to bring padel to his home town

TL;DR

Callum Slater has successfully opened Haverhill's first padel courts after years of driving an hour for the sport. His initiative aims to make padel more accessible to local residents.

Key points

Callum Slater opened Haverhill's first padel courts
He became obsessed with padel 10 years ago
Slater previously drove an hour to play padel
The initiative aims to increase local access to the sport
The courts are located at the New Croft hub

Mentioned in this story

HaverhillNew Croft hub

Callum Slater

Callum Slater has worked with the New Croft hub in Haverhill to open the town's first ever padel courts [Contributed]

When Callum Slater became obsessed with padel while on holiday about 10 years ago, he grew frustrated when he could not find any local courts to play at.

As the years went on and the sport grew in popularity, the 33-year-old from Haverhill in Suffolk would drive about an hour to get his fix of the sport each weekend.

Fed up of having to drive so far, he took matters into his own hands and set about bringing padel to his local town.

After months of graft, his vision has now almost come to life as Haverhill's first courts open to the public on 3 May.

Slater was introduced to the sport in 2016 when holidaying in Spain and said he was "instantly hooked", thanks to the ease of the game and its social aspect.

But he said every time he came back to the UK over the years he could not play as there were very limited courts.

The sport, which is a blend of tennis and squash, started to rapidly grow in popularity in the UK over the past five years.

Research from the Lawn Tennis Association last year shows 860,000 adults and juniors in the country now play the sport, more than double the previous year.

Three padel courts being constructed on a sunny day. Three large domes have been constructed above the courts. Construction equipment can be seen below the domes.

Q&A

Who is Callum Slater and what did he achieve in Haverhill?

Callum Slater is a 33-year-old from Haverhill who opened the town's first padel courts after years of traveling to play the sport.

Why did Callum Slater decide to bring padel to Haverhill?

He was frustrated by the lack of local courts and the long drives required to play, which motivated him to create accessible facilities in his hometown.

What is padel and why is it becoming popular?

Padel is a racquet sport that combines elements of tennis and squash, and its popularity is rising due to its social and accessible nature.

Where are the new padel courts located in Haverhill?

The new padel courts are located at the New Croft hub in Haverhill, Suffolk.