From Dancing on Ice to Padel in Paradise

With sporting celebs like David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and Serena Williams promoting their passion for padel, this easy-entry sport is exploding in popularity, notching up over 25 million players in 110 countries so far. Portugal was a relatively early adopter, and there are now more than 100 courts across the Algarve. Although many clubs combine padel with other sports, Ocean Padel Club Luz is 100 per cent padel and it recently attracted its own celebrities when British soap star and Dancing on Ice 2024 winner Ryan Thomas took his PDL Academy there for a long weekend of padel training and tournaments in June. 

Thomas didn’t randomly choose the Luz venue. His fiancée, Lucy Mecklenburgh, runs RWL (Results Wellness Lifestyle), a leading UK online fitness platform, and her business partner lives in Lagos. “They had been organising fitness retreats from a villa in Lagos, and I jumped on the back of that, using the villa to accommodate my padel academy,” says Thomas. Mecklenburgh’s Summer Shred 2024 fitness programme has bonus content filmed at the villa with breathtaking beach views over Meia Praia, where components of her Results Retreats are also held.  

Through the RWL connection, Thomas discovered OPC Luz: “I love the place, the set-up, the clubhouse, the viewing balcony. It’s hard to find somewhere that is enclosed like that and has everything you could want in one place.” In 2023, he brought a group of 16 players from the UK and this June, his academy consisted of eight locals and eight visitors, including his brother Scott, a former Premier League footballer with Manchester City who also appeared in Love Island. Thomas, himself, was a longtime actor with Coronation Street and Neighbours,and the 2018 winner of Celebrity Big Brother. 

Ryan Thomas © @1stpersonfilms
Scott Thomas © @1stpersonfilms

The four-day academy includes a sunrise paddleboard around the Lagos coast and caves, clifftop walks, and meals crafted by chef Andreas Kakas. There’s also a dinner at Quinta do Lago, as well as a prize-giving ceremony with live music. The intense padel action is assuaged by Fitpros, who help the players stretch and massage away their aches and pains. This year each player donned specially designed PDL Academy t-shirts for their OPC games. “It signifies our brand and creates unity by having everyone wearing the same t-shirts,” Thomas explains.  

Currently planning a series of events at OPC Luz for this October, November and December, Ryan says his academy just gets bigger and better, with the standard going up each time: “It’s spreading through word-of-mouth, so we’ll have some new people as well as some of the same players coming back.” In the future, he is anticipating different themes, including mixed, beginners and advanced. With four days of training and fun activities, PDL Academy culminated in a closely fought tournament which was won by locals Clive Ewins, a British squash champion, and Chris Burr, both of whom live in Luz. “Chris even has a padel court in his back garden,” says Thomas. 

His own padel journey has been all-consuming. “It’s causing me problems at home as I’m out of the house so much,” he jokes. “I was 40 this year and realised that playing football and contact sports makes you very prone to injury. Although you can get injured in padel, of course, there is less chance, less impact.” He celebrated his 40th with a lavish party at Botânico in Quinta do Lago. But, for those who watched him on the OPC padel courts this June, he is not showing signs of slowing down despite this milestone birthday. Thomas is also drawn to the social side of the game: “It has that teamwork ethic, and I just meet a lot of new people. Each game opens doors for more opportunities.” One of the clubs he frequents back home is The Padel Club in Wilmslow, part-owned by Paul and Mandy Gilbert, who also play padel at OPC Luz whenever they are visiting their second home in Porto Dona Maria. 

With its state-of-the-art, high-quality Mondo Supercourt turf, the Luz club is set up for tournaments as well as regular gameplay. “It’s the same turf used at the World Padel Tour,” says co-owner Peter Bruun. “This turf will give the players a better experience and avoid problems with knees and hips.” A keen player himself, Bruun is part of a Swedish league, called the Caneca Cup. It’s just one of the variety of groups that OPC Luz encouraged when it opened in spring 2021. “With the knowledge from other padel projects, we have focused on a friendly and welcoming atmosphere at OPC Luz,” explains Bruun. “Everyone should feel that there is a group to join and fit in at the club. The benefit of the different social groups is that you could move forward in the group if you improve your game, and you don’t need to bring players with you to have a game.” 

Newly relocated residents and new players have been attracted to the social padel groups as a way to learn the game, make friends and keep fit outdoors. Through the club’s biggest group, Let’s Play Padel, there are opportunities to play among a 24-person line-up five times per week with like-minded people of all nationalities, some residents, some passing through. 

Other padel facilities around the area include Burgau Sports Centre and Clube de Ténis e Padel de Lagos. There’s also one court at the Hotel Bela Vista and one in Porto de Mós, at the Magnolia Mar Beach Club, while two padel courts are also under construction on Boavista Golf & Spa resort. 

With its dynamic serve, larger court and need for hard-hitting, tennis can take a toll on the body, leading to early retirement through injury. Padel is easier on the joints. The serve is very simple – just drop the ball and hit underarm. The stockier, short-handled racket made of fibreglass or carbon fibre with a foam core is lighter than a tennis racket and easier to handle, and the softer ball is easier to hit. As padel is always played in pairs as a doubles match on a smaller court (10m by 20m), there’s less ground to cover. Despite this ease of entry, it is a very strategic and challenging game due to the rebounding and ricocheting glass walls, with the potential for long and exhilarating rallies. And the gymnastic attempts to get balls back at every level lead to much animation and laughter, along with the endorphin rush.  

Frustrated golfers and injured tennis players are investigating padel as an alternative sport with a more relaxed gameplay and the possibility of sporting longevity. “I was a keen golfer and tennis player – until Ocean Padel Club came to Luz,” says Sue Moyes, who plays at OPC Luz and Burgau. “On the day I decided to give padel a go, I was hooked and I became addicted to the game. Age doesn’t matter, ability doesn’t matter – having fun is what matters! Long may it last.”

While having experience in other racket sports can help speed the transition to padel, it is not necessary to have that background. Total novices can quickly get up to speed by taking padel lessons and learning specific grips, shots, positioning, strategies, and manoeuvres. Although many people hope that playing padel will help them reach their fitness goals, it is advisable to get fit in the gym, or with a yoga or Pilates class beforehand. Warming up the whole body before going on court each time and stretching afterwards is also highly recommended. 

With so many benefits, it is clear that padel is here to stay and is going to be a huge boost to tourism here in the Algarve. The game offers another healthy activity for people to engage in all year round. And with celebrity endorsers like Ryan Thomas, its popularity is sure to keep growing with visitors and residents alike.

Main photo © @1stpersonfilms

WhatsApp Let’s Play Padel Group: +351 925 392 627

www.oceanpadelclub.com

pdl.academy

rwl.fitness/summer-shred-24 

www.thepadelclub.co.uk

pedragosa.pt

Meet the Padel Players

Alison Waite

Another regular with Let’s Play Padel says that padel was the turning point when she was widowed and considering returning to the UK. “I was widowed shortly after buying a house in Luz,” says Alison Waite. “Although I knew people in the general area, I didn’t actually know anyone in Luz. I would regularly walk into Luz without seeing any familiar faces. That continued for four years, until the padel club opened.” With a background in schoolgirl tennis, Waite joined the group and, within two sessions, was convinced. “The unexpected side of padel was the social life it afforded me. Most people went for drinks afterwards and for the first time in my life I was comfortable going to the bar on my own. Everyone was very friendly, I made lots of new friends and even arranged a couple of wine tastings there.” When she walks into Luz nowadays, she has to allow an extra ten minutes to chat to passersby, all of whom she met through the padel club.  

Carrie Shanagan

Originally from Ireland, Carrie Shanagan has been sharing the 24-hour care for a friend’s elderly father since moving here from Dubai in 2020. A chance conversation at Luz’s House of Beauty led to her first padel experience and she’s been hooked ever since. Both the activity and the social side have given her respite from her care responsibilities as well as an entrée into the wider Luz community. “I recommend it as it is a fun way to keep fit,” she says. “It allows you to get into a new activity gently and, when you are ready, you can play more competitively. It’s not the fastest growing sport without good reason.”

Piotr Cholewa 

Piotr Cholewa has replaced both tennis and squash with padel. “The rules of the game and games conducted in the form of mini-tournaments or leagues make it possible to participate in padel almost every day, at any skill level,” he says. “I definitely do more sports now than before.” It has captivated his whole family, including his wife Joanna, two daughters, one son and a grandson. “If we go on holiday together, we look for places with a padel court and we play as a family,” he says. “Two days ago, three generations of our family played padel in Luz. It is a wonderful sport and our Ocean Club in Luz is at a high level.” He also plays regularly at Burgau Sports Centre. Moving from Poland to settle in Barão de São João, Cholewa bought the 2.4-hectare Quinta da Pedragosa Vineyard in August 2022. Cultivating 25-year-old grapes, Cholewa is creating DOP Lagos-certified Algarve wines. The padel community at Burgau and Luz has been the perfect audience for wine tastings, with one hosted in June at Burgau Sports Centre and another by the Let’s Play Padel group in July. 

Belinda Middleton

“Since discovering the Ocean Padel Club, we have both met so many different and interesting people and we now enjoy a good social life,” says Belinda Middleton, who had been struggling to establish social circles since moving full-time to Espiche with her husband in 2017. “Although I loved the area and the outdoor life, to start with I found it very difficult to adjust – I missed our children, even though they had grown up and left home, and my days lacked focus. Although I had my parents living here, it was difficult to meet like-minded people and socialise.” Playing three times a week with groups, she now has a wide circle of friends and a busy social calendar emanating from padel. 

Bill and Andrea Vega

Relocating from Florida in April 2021, Bill and Andrea Vega first started playing padel at OPC Luz. After moving to Porto de Mós, they also added the Magnolia Mar Beach Club court to their repertoire, staging a small tournament with a BBQ there last year. “I had never heard of padel tennis until three years ago when my wife and I moved to Portugal,” says Bill Vega. “Everything changed when I stumbled upon padel via a post on Facebook. At first, I was very hesitant and it took me several weeks before I inquired, but it turned out to be one of the best, smartest things I have ever done.” Vega particularly likes the smaller court size compared to tennis and the nuances of play provided by the glass back and side walls. “I quickly realised that padel tennis was not just a sport but a blend of physical exertion and mental agility,” he recalls. “Immediately padel tennis became more than just a pastime; it has become a passion and a healthy addiction.” The physicality makes him fitter and more energised with improvements to his stamina, strength and overall health: “I tell all my friends padel tennis is the most fun I’ve ever had while actually getting a great workout.” The social elements have been equally transformative: “I have met people from various walks of life, united by our love for this sport.” And the friendships forged have smoothed the couple’s transition from the US to Portugal. 

Ken Fader

Many people cite padel as a major reason they have settled so well in the Algarve and, for some, a factor in deciding where they would buy property. American Ken Fader and his wife Sherry were intent on house-hunting in Carvoeiro until they discovered the OPC Luz club. “It was the time of COVID-19 and we were renting in Carvoeiro,” says Fader. “I had no success in securing a game at the club there, but someone told me about a welcoming group of padel players in Luz. Soon, I was playing three times a week and often commuting to Luz twice a day to return with my wife for social activities.” From that moment, the allure of padel on their doorstep was too strong to resist and they purchased a villa in Quinta da Bela Vista. 

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