Overview
- The Princess of Wales, who hosted a Buckingham Palace garden party on Friday with Prince William, told guests she has started playing padel.
- Speaking to Lawn Tennis Association representatives, she called it “such a good game” and “a great leveller for those who don’t play tennis.”
- She added that the sport is “so sociable” and said she plays with her parents, Carole and Michael Middleton.
- Padel, an enclosed-court racket game that uses walls, is described by Britain’s tennis body as the fastest‑growing sport and as easy to pick up for any age or ability.
- Her endorsement draws notice because she is patron of Wimbledon’s All England Club, a context that echoes tennis-world worries about padel’s rapid rise, including Novak Djokovic’s warning that clubs could convert tennis courts.