Club de Padel × M&S: Comprehensive Research Brief

1. The deal: M&S × Club de Padel kidswear collection

Manchester-based padel lifestyle brand Club de Padel launched a co-branded kidswear collection with Marks & Spencer TheBusinessDesk.comPadel Tonic on 2 April 2026, Padel Tonic making it the first padel-specific brand to enter a major UK high-street retailer. Branded "M&S x Club de Padel," the range targets children aged 6–16 Punchline MagazineLinkedIn (some items from age 2) and is available on marksandspencer.com, in selected M&S stores across the UK, and online internationally. The collection was over a year in development LinkedInLinkedIn and co-designed with Manchester streetwear collective UN:IK Clothing. TheBusinessDesk.comPadel Tonic

The range comprises at least 16 items spanning boys' and girls' lines: pleated skirts, athletic tees, lightweight layers, performance-inspired shorts, Punchline MagazinePunchline Magazine retro collared sports tops, graphic windbreakers, sweatshirts, caps, and trainers. Marks & Spencer M&S describes the clothing as designed for "on and off the court." Marks & Spencer Pricing sits within standard M&S kidswear territory — roughly £8–£14 per item, with some pieces starting at £3.50. Product photography was shot at Club de Padel's Sheffield facility LinkedIn at Cannon Brewery, Neepsend. LinkedIn

M&S created a dedicated landing page (marksandspencer.com/content/club-de-padel) and added "M&S x Club de Padel" as a navigational entry within its Kids section. A promotional video titled "Retro Padel Fashion Collaboration with Club de Padel" was published on M&S's Facebook page for the launch.

Key deal contact at M&S: Kajal Gohil (M&S kidswear team, named in LinkedIn launch celebrations). LinkedIn Alexandra Dimitriu is Director of Kidswear at M&S and leads the broader department strategy. TheIndustry.fashion

2. Official quotes and commentary

David Blake, co-founder, Club de Padel (LinkedIn, 1 April 2026):

"Something we've been working on for over a year now... Tomorrow our first kids' collection is hitting Marks and Spencer stores across the UK and online internationally. LinkedIn It doesn't really get much bigger than that... hope you love it." LinkedIn

"Bit of a mad one, but I've co-designed a new kidswear range with M&S. I know, I know..." LinkedIn

M&S Kidswear Team (LinkedIn, 2 April 2026):

"Tapping into one of the UK's fastest-growing sports, I'm excited to share the launch of our new Kidswear collaboration with Club de Padel. This exciting collection brings match-ready energy and modern sports style to M&S Kids. Available in ages 6–16, the collection offers stylish pieces made for active days on and off the court." LinkedIn

"This has been a huge team effort and a huge congrats to our fabulous kidswear and marketing teams and to the owners of Club de Padel David Blake and Lucy Noone Blake. We cannot thank you enough for your incredible partnership!" LinkedIn

M&S Content Page (marksandspencer.com/content/club-de-padel):

"Originating in Mexico in 1969, padel is a fast-paced mix of tennis and squash... This thrilling game is the fastest-growing sport in the world, with over 40,000 new courts opened globally in the past year alone. So, we're partnering with Manchester's first dedicated padel club, Club de Padel, to kit out kids on the court." Marks & Spencer

Neil Saunders, Managing Director, GlobalData Retail (LinkedIn):

"More retailers are realizing that simply selling things isn't enough. They need to, at least sometimes, be a part of culture. That means tapping into relevant trends and connecting with worlds outside of retail, such as sports. It is great to see Marks & Spencer doing this through its partnership with Club de Padel." LinkedIn

3. Club de Padel — brand background

Founders and founding

Club de Padel was founded in 2023 by four co-founders: Padel TonicTheBusinessDesk.com

Lucy Noone Blake — hospitality marketeer and brand consultant; previously ran Pear, a Manchester hospitality PR/events agency for ~6 years; non-executive director of Maray Restaurant Group; trustee of the Tim Bacon Foundation. TheBusinessDesk.com

David Blake — Lucy's husband; operational lead at Club de Padel; Newcastle University graduate.

Matt McKinlay — private equity investor TheBusinessDesk.com at Inflexion Private Equity. TheBusinessDesk.com

James Wigglesworth — private equity investor TheBusinessDesk.com at Inflexion Private Equity. TheBusinessDesk.com

Origin story: Lucy and David discovered padel while on holiday in Barcelona in 2022. Punchline MagazinePunchline Magazine David recalled: "I saw what I thought were tennis balls, and I saw the metal and the glass and thought 'this isn't tennis'... The Padel Paper We just thought Manchester is such a globally famous sporting city, how can it not have somewhere to play the fastest growing sport in the world?" The Padel Paper

The venture is 100% self-funded. Matt McKinlay told TheBusinessDesk: "We're 100% self funded, we've put blood sweat and tears into this and we really believe in it." TheBusinessDesk.com

Club operations

Manchester (original): Opened TheBusinessDesk.com December 2023 at Owen Street, Deansgate Square TheBusinessDesk.com — 4 panoramic glass courts The Manc handmade in Spain. Secret Manchester Attracted 100,000+ visitors in its first year. The MancThe Padel Paper Closed TheBusinessDesk.com 14 January 2026 due to developer Renaker's skyscraper expansion manchestersfinest (always a "meanwhile" temporary site). New upgraded Manchester venue planned for 2026 with indoor/outdoor courts and expanded wellness/social spaces. Manchester’s Finest

Sheffield: Opened 2025 at Cannon Brewery, Neepsend TheBusinessDesk.comPadel Tonic — 5 courts, lounge, bar, coffee, shop. Partnership with developer Capital & Centric. LinkedIn +2

Expansion pipeline: Heads of terms signed on three additional new UK sites for 2026. TheBusinessDesk.com

Key partners: Babolat (current equipment partner; Powerleague previously Adidas and HEAD), Federal Coffee, Secret Manchester Good Sauna, MADE Running. The MancManchester’s Finest

Community: 1,200+ WhatsApp community members; women-only group; TheBusinessDesk.com weekly run club; charity work with Wood Street Mission. Manchester’s Finest

Head coach (original site): Alberto Cubero Torregrosa, The MancSports Gazette formerly world top 10, 25+ years experience, from Malaga. Secret Manchester

Clothing line

The Club de Padel apparel range is produced in collaboration with UN:IK Clothing, a Manchester-based independent streetwear collective. Padel Tonic The aesthetic is described as "retro heritage" drawing on "the halcyon days of racquet sports and padel's Hispanic roots." UN:IK Clothing

The adult collection (sold via unikclothing.co.uk) comprises ~94 products across t-shirts (£34), sweaters (£52–£54), hoodies (£62), tracksuit sets, shorts, joggers, caps, socks, and beanies — in sizes S to XXXL. unikclothing Named ranges include Heritage, Classic Court, El Martillo, Retro, and Bounce.

The brand has been featured in Glamour, Sunday Times Style, and Cosmopolitan UN:IK Clothing and merchandise has been sold on "every continent except Antarctica." Clubdepadel Lucy Noone Blake has noted receiving messages from people who "have never played padel but are still wearing the merch." Items have been worn by "international footballers, TV stars and world-class padel professionals." Clubdepadel

Brand positioning

Club de Padel describes itself as "the UK's leading urban padel brand" Clubdepadel — positioning as a lifestyle/fashion brand rather than purely a sports operation. The tagline "Bounce back harder" appears on M&S products. Marks & Spencer This dual revenue model (club operations + fashion/merchandise) appears deliberate and strategic.

4. UK padel market context: is this a first?

First padel brand in mainstream UK retail

Yes — this appears to be the first time a padel-specific brand has been stocked by a major UK high-street retailer. No evidence was found of any previous padel brand entering M&S, John Lewis, Selfridges, Next, or comparable retailers. Until this deal, padel clothing was only available through specialist padel retailers (Padelshack, PDHSports), brand direct-to-consumer sites (Adidas, Babolat), or multi-sport retailers (Decathlon).

Comparable recent deals

Crew Clothing × iPadel (February 2026): British heritage brand Crew Clothing became "Official and Exclusive Performance Apparel Partner" to iPadel (UK's leading padel league operator), Sgieurope outfitting iPadel staff and offering player discounts. Retail Times SGI Europe noted: "For sporting goods and apparel brands, padel presents an unusual opportunity: a sport growing fast enough to generate commercial interest, but still early enough that category positions remain open." SgieuropeSgieurope

Reebok × GLDN PNT (March 2025): Reebok partnered with activewear brand GLDN PNT on a padel-specific performance apparel collection. Daniel Schachne, Reebok SVP: "Padel's incredible growth represents the kind of energy and passion that Reebok has championed for decades." FashionNetwork

Emerging UK padel fashion brands

Several British padel-specific apparel brands are now active: Padelhüd (London-designed, lifestyle-first), Padelhud Pallacorda (British performance padel clothing), PSF Collective (premium après-padel wear), Psfcollective Corcuera Padel Club (modern club culture aesthetic), Padelhud Pounce Padel (Edinburgh-based, female-founded), HELLO! and Pulco (urban streetwear-meets-performance). PadelhudPadelhud

Major international brands with UK padel clothing lines include Adidas, Bullpadel, Wilson, Nox, Babolat, Head, and Joma. Padel-PointPadel Market Decathlon sells own-brand padel clothing in UK stores.

The "après-padel" trend

Multiple sources identify an emerging "après-padel" fashion category — clothing designed to transition from court to café. Padelhüd describes the 2026 padelwear landscape: "No longer confined to tight Lycra and shouty logos, today's padel wardrobe is about ease, confidence and pieces that work just as well after the match as they do during it." PadelhudPadelhud The Padel Gang notes: "The UK scene is unique; players often head straight from the court to a social setting, meaning their kit must look as sharp in a coffee shop as it does behind the glass." The Padel Gang

5. UK padel growth statistics

Player numbers (LTA official data)

400,000+ adults and juniors played padel at least once in the 12 months to end of 2024 Tennis Creative — a 3× increase from 129,000 at end of 2023. LTA Padel

Historical trajectory: 15,000 (2019) → 89,000 (2021) → 129,000 (2023) → 400,000+ (2024). LTA Padel This represents a ~2,567% increase from 2019 to 2024. Saga Magazine

51,000 adults play padel at least twice monthly (Sport England Active Lives Survey 2023–24), doubled from 23,000 in 2022–23. Tennis CreativeLTA Padel

David Lloyd Clubs reports monthly padel participation jumped from 3,300 (April 2023) to 18,100 (April 2025). Tennis Creative

8 million+ Britons express desire to try padel, TheIndustry.fashion up 60% year-on-year. LTA Padel

43% of UK adults (~23 million) now aware of padel (Q1 2025), up from 23% in Q1 2024. LTA Padel

Source: LTA Padel press release, 12 May 2025 (ltapadel.org.uk); Sport England Active Lives Survey 2023–24.

Court numbers and infrastructure

1,004 courts across 325 venues as of July 2025 Tennis Creative — hitting the 1,000-court milestone originally targeted for 2026, achieved a year early. Fmgconsulting

Growth trajectory: 68 courts (2019) → 150 (2021) → 350 (2023) → 763 (end 2024) LTA Padel → 1,004 (July 2025). Live For Padel

413 new courts opened in 2024 alone — the biggest single-year jump. Live For Padel

LTA projects 1,300 courts by end of 2026; industry analysts forecast long-term potential of 7,000–8,000 courts within a decade. Fmgconsulting

Planning applications for padel courts rose 113% in 2024 (Searchland data). Padel Tonic

More than half of UK padel courts are now covered or indoor. Tennis Creative

Source: LTA Padel press release, July 2025 (ltapadel.org.uk); Searchland planning data.

Investment

LTA has invested £6 million+ in padel across Britain (as of February 2025). Tennis CreativeSFN

£4.5 million directed toward construction of 80 courts at 42 venues (~10% of all UK courts). Tennis CreativeSFN

LTA Quick Access Loan Scheme (5% interest) and Padel Grant Fund (up to £250,000 per project, 50% of build costs) support new facilities. Padel N Play

Major operators: Padel Royale UK, The Padel Club, Pure Padel, Game4Padel, Fmgconsulting We Are Padel, Padel4All. Padel N Play

Market value

• UK padel market valued at approximately $17.7 million (2024). Thepadeldirectory

Global padel market on track to reach $870 million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 12.9%. Thepadeldirectory

Source: The Padel Directory (thepadeldirectory.co.uk); various market reports.

LTA Padel Strategy (Phase 1: 2024–2026)

The LTA's September 2024 strategy set Phase 1 targets LTA that have all been achieved ahead of schedule:

Awareness: 20% → 40% target LTA → 43% achieved (Q1 2025) LTA Padel

Annual players: 129,000 → 400,000 target LTA → 400,000+ achieved (end 2024) LTA Padel

Courts: 350 → 1,000 target LTA → 1,004 achieved (July 2025) Live For Padel

Tom Murray, LTA Head of Padel: "With over 400,000 people taking to the courts in 2024 and 8 million expressing interest in trying the sport, padel's momentum is undeniable." LTA Padel

Notable contextual facts

Google searches for "Padel" reached 13 million in January 2026 (+47% YoY). Padel Tonic

Celebrity endorsement: David Beckham, Andy Murray, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Padel Tennis Guide the Prince and Princess of Wales HELLO! all associated with padel.

Olympic ambitions: padel is in contention for potential debut at LA 2028 or Brisbane 2032.