Finally... PADEL tennis arrives in Cambridge!
We're open to everyone, BOOK TODAY.
Our courts a due for completion and available to book now to play from Saturday 28th September!
Padel
Padel is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. In the UK alone, last year has seen an increase of 120% with 250 additional courts built.
You may be asking yourself, what exactly is Padel and why is it so popular?
Padel is a unique sport.
Played on a smaller court than tennis with glass walls, Padel uses solid, stringless racquets. Unlike other sports that require a lot of technique or power, padel is about reactions, strategy and teamwork.
Padel’s best attribute is that everyone regardless of age and skill level anyone can enjoy playing the game and rally with their opponents. This game is exciting to play and keeps you constantly on your toes.
Played in pairs, Padel is sociable, fun and is an engaging way to be active.
Grab a partner and come find out why Padel is becoming one of the most popular sports in the world.
Learn to Padel
If you’ve never played Padel before, don’t worry! Our instructors are on hand to guide you during one of our ‘learn to padel’ sessions. With a number of learn to padel sessions a week available to book, there’s plenty of opportunity to get started. These sessions are 60 minutes long, where the first 30 minutes are spent teaching you the rules, demonstrating and practising some basic technique, and the second 30 minutes for you to have a go and play a game. The best part: these sessions are completely free for Cambridge Sport and Padel members. Non-members are welcome for a charge of £5 per person.
Book your Learn to Padel Session These sessions are bookable 7 days in advance.
Finding Other Players to Play With
Many people who play Padel do so because of how social the sport is and the fun they can have with their friends. However, we know it can sometimes be tricky to find three other people to play with, who are available at the same time.
We’re looking into ways we can make this easy for our members, engaging with 3rd parties and software development companies. In the meantime, we’re pleased to launch our Padel WhatsApp Communities. These WhatsApp communities will be grouped in line with LTA guidelines, meaning you’ll be matched with players of a similar ability. You can find out more and request to join the WhatsApp community here.
Open Padel
On Monday evening’s between 6pm and 7pm and 7pm and 8pm, we’re hosting our Open Padel night. This is a drop-in session, which can be booked on the app, giving you the chance to be matched with others and enjoy playing Padel. These sessions are free for Cambridge Sport members and Padel members, or £5 for non-members.
Book Open Padel These sessions are bookable 7 days in advance.
Coaching
We’re expanding our Padel Programme with more ‘Improve your Padel’ sessions. These instructor-led group session are delivered by our qualified coaches who will assess your technique and guide you through technique and practice to improve. They are now split between beginner sessions and improver sessions. Sessions cost £12 per person and are available to book on the CamUniSport app.
Tuesday 1pm – 2pm
Book Improve your Padel These sessions are bookable 7 days in advance.
MatchPlay Sessions
We're introducing some MatchPlay sessions. These sessions are designed to allow you to play against other people, taking away the hassle of organising a time and splitting payments. Listed as Beginner or Improver, find a session that works for you and book one of the four avaiable spaces. Costs for this are adjusted depending on if you have a membership. Members can book at £7 per person, with non members booking at £9 per person.
Membership & Prices
Our Padel courts are open to everyone. Being a Padel member or Cambridge Sport member means you can access the courts at a discounted rate and book up to 14 days in advance. Our court hire includes Padel racquet hire, meaning you don’t need to have purchased your own equipment to play.
Balls can be purchased from Reception.
Cambridge University Students
We’re delighted to be able to extend our member price to all Cambridge University students, regardless of holding a membership with us!
| Item | Price |
| Padel Court Hire (Cambridge Sport or Padel Member) (14 Day Advance Booking Period) | £28 per hour |
| Padel Court Hire (Non Member) (7 Day Advance Booking Period) | £36 per hour |
| Padel Court Hire (University of Cambridge Students) (7 Day Advance Booking Period) | £28 per hour |
| Padel Raquet Hire | £Free |
| Balls (3 balls in a Tube) | £7 |
Cambridge Sport Membership is available to everyone starting from £32 per month. Membership includes:
- Access to the Fitness Suite
- Access to the Strength & Conditioning Room
- Access to the Team Training Room (when available)
- Fitness Classes
- Badminton/Pickleball Courts
- Fives Courts
- Squash Courts
- Discounted Padel Courts
- Use of the Track at Wilberforce Road Sports Ground
Our Padel membership is just £15 per month, or £150 per year. This entitles you to discounted Padel Court fees.
Playing as a group? As long as one member of the group is a member, the court can be booked at the member price. The member must be present and check in at Reception before play commences.
Opening Times & Bookings
Padel is available to play in one hour time slots starting from 7am until 10pm. We’re proud to be part of the Cambridge West community and politely request you are mindful and considerate of our neighbours when playing.
To book your court, please visit the CamUniSport app, click on bookings and then Padel. Bookings can be made up to 14 days in advance for members and 7 days for non members.
Cancellations
The one thing almost everyone can agree on is how unpredictable the weather in the UK can be. If you book a court but would like to cancel, you can do so up to 2 hours before the booking start time (by phone or email) in exchange for a credit to use against another court booking. If cancelled within 2 hours of the start time, the court booking fee will be retained.
In the case of severe weather making the courts unplayable due to safety, the Sports Centre team will contact you to cancel the booking as soon as possible, with either a credit to use against another court booking, or a full refund offered.
Padel Retail
We’re excited to be working with Top Spin Tennis to provide you with retail options for not only Padel, but all racket sports played here at the University of Cambridge Sports Centre.
Top Spin Tennis have 3 stores (Hill’s Road & Wilberforce Road in Cambridge and Lime Tree Road in Norwich) and stock a large range of Padel rackets, Tennis rackets, squash rackets and pickleball bats. They provide expert advice and unbeatable service and as a member of the University of Cambridge Sports Service, you can get 5% of any qualifying purchase.
To stay up to date with further Padel news, join our mailing list!
We've tried very hard to include the all the information we think you need, but if you do have any further questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.