Three Northern Rivers junior tennis players, brothers Miles and Ollie and teammate Frankie, have been selected to represent Australia at the FIP Junior Asia Padel Cup in Jakarta this November. All three are proud to be pulling on the green and gold, and they hope their journey shows other regional kids that big dreams are possible.
So what’s padel? Picture tennis doubles played inside a glass box, the serve is underarm, the glass walls are part of the game, and the result long, thrilling rallies. The court is smaller than tennis so the game is social, easy to pick up and, players say, very addictive, with padel clubs adding to the vibe with music and catering woven into the experience.
New local clubs
Padel Australia say in 2023 there were just five clubs nationally, now there are 100,000 players and heading toward 40 clubs by the end of this year, with new clubs planned for Byron and Ballina Shire.
Australia’s national padel team have a proud record in international padel. Former tennis world No. 1 Pat Rafter and local padel players Matt Barrelle and Tim Lanyon have worn the green and gold, and now it’s the juniors’ turn. Padel Australia selected locals Miles, Ollie and Frankie, who all play high-level junior tennis, into the U14 team to join the squad.
Aussie Crocs team manager Harry Bruen said: ‘It’s incredibly exciting to take such a talented group of boys and girls to the Asia Pacific Championships, where they’ll represent Australia in padel for the very first time’.
Getting an Australian junior team to Jakarta is a big task, with flights, accommodation, uniforms and tournament costs all adding up. With limited government funding the team is seeking donations to help showcase Australian talent, and bring more kids into a fun, active and social sport. To donate, visit gofund.me/d65003ca4.
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