Chelsea legends help kick-off padel tour

London (or Slough to be precise) played host to the first round of this year’s EA7 Armani World Legends Padel Tour, with a plethora of ex-Chelsea footballers turning out to compete for a place in the tournament’s Miami finals later in the year. 

Big name signings for the two-day event at The Padel Hub included Gianfranco Zola, John Terry, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank, and Andriy Shevchenko. It was the first time the tour had stopped in the UK and it created a huge buzz for padel fans lucky enough to make it onto the invitation list. 

In total 12 footballing legends took to the courts, with Shevchenko and Fernando Llorente sealing the win and their place at the finals later this year. Runners-up in a close-fought match were Zola and Luca Ceccarelli.

In April the padel tour action moves to Paris followed by Rome, Madrid, Amsterdam, Istanbul and New York, with the Miami finals in November. 

Securing the event was a coup for Padel Hub founder Charles Winterton, who said: “Seeing so many talented players, enthusiastic fans, and an incredible level of play here was truly inspiring. The energy was fantastic, and it was an honour to be part of such a prestigious event.” 🎾