Work in full swing on Wearside padel club

Work has started on a new Sunderland padel club, which is on target to open early next year.

And True Padel owners Adam and Alex Carr are looking to expand into more sites across the North East after a bumper first year.

True Padel, which opened in Durham in January last year, is building a new club in the former Wickes unit on the Wessington Retail Park in Wessington Way, Sunderland.

Demolition work has been carried out to redevelop the former store to include five doubles padel courts and two new-concept single courts with showers, changing rooms, a bar with a sports lounge and free parking spaces across the 24,000sq ft complex.

Officials say there will also be potential to add outdoor courts.

Since opening last year in the former SoccArena indoor five-a-side unit at New Ferens Park in Belmont, Durham, True Padel has welcomed more than 5000 people through its doors, including a host of local sports stars.

In the summer, England international footballer Jude Bellingham visited the centre with brother Jobe, who plays for Sunderland.

England cricket captain Ben Stokes was a regular visitor too.

Padel is a racket sport, played with stringless bats, which is a cross between tennis and squash, and originates from Mexico.

It has proven very popular on the Mediterranean, particularly in Spain and France, and is usually played in doubles on a court which is one-third the size of a traditional tennis court.

Courts have glass walls, and balls can be played off them, similar to squash, with the ball served at, or below, waist height.

Adam Carr, who runs True Padel as a co-director alongside brother Alex, said the rapid rise in numbers over nine months had probably exceeded their expectations.

He told Bdaily: “I lived in Switzerland and saw it take off there, Alex was in Abu Dhabi and it was the same there, as it was in other places we’ve visited, which is why we thought it would work in Durham.

“It was just a case of trying to get the seasonality right because people are keen on football and golf in the North East.

“There were some months or weeks when we thought it would be quiet, but it has been really busy from day one.

“I’m standing here now and looking out at groups of students, who have returned in the last few weeks, there are people over 60 and two female groups.

“It really is an attractive sport for everyone and people you might not usually expect to see playing sport.

“People have told us they’ve quit football and tennis to take up playing padel pretty much full-time.

“Once you’ve tried it, it is very addictive and a lot of fun.”

The sport has grown in popularity in this country since the pandemic, as it can be played outdoors and does not involve physical contact.

More than 250 padel courts have been built in the UK over the last two years, which is an increase of 116 per cent.

There are now more than 25 million players across the world in more than 90 countries, and the industry is believed to be worth about £2 billion a year globally.

True Padel in Durham is situated in the same unit as the Infinite Air trampoline park at Durham City FC’s former ground, and has already proved a popular destination for new players of all ages, particularly from Durham University.

The centre has also hired a full-time coach, Spanish padel veteran Suso, as well as two part-time instructors, who also go by single names, Maeloc and Callum.

True Padel has partnered with regeneration and property development specialist Adderstone Group to complete the Sunderland build, and they are on track to meet the January target for opening.

Adam added: “Post-Christmas people are looking to exercise and perhaps try something new, and padel is absolutely perfect for that.

“We are really excited to be bringing padel to Sunderland and we’re definitely looking at more potential sites across the North East.

“It’s a really busy time for us.

“We want to build on the success of the Durham location, and offer similar social environments, bars, reception areas, and host tournaments, events and coaching all in a community-focused atmosphere.”

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