Padel Quarter opens: Portsmouth's first padel centre

Portsmouth has finally got its own padel home. Padel Quarter, the city's first dedicated centre for the sport, opened its doors on Saturday 19 September at Units 1 and 2 in The Admiral Park, off Airport Service Road, a short walk from Hilsea railway station. It is a family-run venture from Andrew Baxter, a former tennis and squash player, and it is built around six indoor courts, so you will not be at the mercy of the weather.

Beyond the courts, the place is set up as a proper club rather than just a set of bays to hire. There is a cafe to sit in, a pro shop for gear, and a fitness studio, and it runs from 7am to 10pm, which gives you plenty of room to fit a game in before or after work. For anyone who has never tried it, padel sits somewhere between tennis and squash, played in doubles on a court enclosed by glass walls that keep the ball in play, which is a big part of why it has taken off so quickly.

On price, a court is £48 an hour at peak times — Saturdays, Sundays, and from 4pm onwards on weekdays — and £36 off-peak. Split four ways, that works out to £12 a player at peak and £9 off-peak, which is reasonable for a sport that is still finding its feet in the south coast. You can book through the Padel Mates app or directly on the club's website, and the venue also runs coaching programmes, social sessions, instruction classes and tournaments, so there is a way in whether you are a complete beginner or already playing regularly.

Accessibility has been built in from the start, with a disabled toilet on site and one of the six courts designed with wider access for wheelchair entry, which is not something you always find at these newer centres.

It is worth knowing that Padel Quarter is not the only place to play in the wider area. Over in Fareham, Padel4all opened in April with four LED-lit courts on Park Lane, with bookings through Playtomic and prices running between £30 and £60 an hour, or £7.50 to £15 a head in a group of four. Closer to home, Pompey Health and Fitness Centre on Copnor Road has planning approval for two outdoor courts in its car park, still awaiting construction, and Gosport Leisure Centre has permission for four outdoor courts to be built by Places Leisure in partnership with the LTA, expected sometime across 2025 and 2026. Even the Isle of Wight is getting in on it, with Ryde Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club running two new lit courts through ClubSpark, Tapnell Farm near Yarmouth with one indoor court, and Ryde Mead Lawn Tennis Club adding capacity.

For now, though, Padel Quarter is the only dedicated indoor centre within the city, and with six courts under one roof it is the obvious place to start if you have been meaning to give the sport a go. Whether you are coming from Hilsea or travelling in from further afield, it is a handy addition to Portsmouth's sports scene.