Leading padel management company R3 Sport and Rocket Padel this week announced the most significant padel tournament to be staged in the UK. The first event in the R3 Bullpadel Cup series, the FIP Silver R3 Bullpadel Cup will offer a groundbreaking €18,000 prize pool, marking the highest-level professional padel tournament ever sanctioned in the UK. This event is a new milestone for professional padel in Great Britain and sets the tone for transforming padel’s profile in the UK.
Located in what’s been dubbed ‘Britain’s padel capital’, Bristol, the tournament will attract top national and international talent to set the foundations for elite-level competition throughout the UK. Laying the groundwork for the UK’s international padel exposure is a key element to Rocket Padel and R3’s partnership – the Cup will be played over a maximum of six events this year, delivered in conjunction with household organizations such as the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and International Padel Federation (FIP).
the tournament will attract top national and international talent to set the foundations for elite-level competition throughout the UK
Along with free admission to watch the elite-level padel event, attendees will be able to enjoy the accompanying entertainment, street food and exclusive interactions with professional players. The event also features an all-new activation zone, which will feature a range of padel-oriented companies offering exclusive discounts and benefits. The UK’s most significant padel tournament will be broadcast to a global audience to maximise the viewership of elite-level padel in the UK, and those watching at home will have full access to a multi-camera live stream, complete with action replays and professional-grade commentary.
Jonathan Rowland, co-founder and chairman of R3 Sport, has described the introduction of a Silver-level event to the UK as “a transformative moment for British padel”. This sentiment is shared Rocket Padel’s founder Sebastian Gordon, who is keen to convey that the competition structure will attract “some of the best international and British talent” by the time of the Bullpadel Cup’s start in April. Both company heads agree that the attraction of elite talent will match the tournament’s “world-class” fan experience and will mark Bristol as the hub for international competition in the UK.
A transformative moment for British Padel
This groundbreaking event will be complemented by an FIP Promises event, a junior international competition featuring U18 and U14 boys’ and girls’ categories. Marking the first tournament of its kind in the UK, it will precede the R3 Junior Cup, a national series designed to provide a structured competition pathway for emerging British padel players. The material impact of the event on junior padel players is also unique in its magnitude, with the winners of the event being awarded a one-year athlete management contract with R3 Sport. Rowland cites the importance of ushering in the “next generation” of British padel and hopes that the UK’s biggest ever padel event will elevate British padel on both a professional and junior stage.
