Apprentice Max pitches padel to Lord Sugar
Max pitches padel at The Apprentice
It was only a matter of time before a contestant on The Apprentice pitched a padel idea to Lord Sugar. And, for series 19 which starts next week, that candidate is Max England, a former professional tennis player turned padel entrepreneur.
The thirty-one-year-old, who has already launched the MaxPadel line of rackets, hopes to beat the other 17 candidates to scoop Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment and use it to open padel centres.
He said: “I’m a former top UK tennis player, now turned padel enthusiast, with an abundance of knowledge and contacts within the industry. I’m ultimately offering Lord Sugar the opportunity to get involved in one of – if not the – most exciting, most investable areas out there at the moment.
“Padel is the fastest-growing sport in the world, with over 25 million people now playing. The UK padel market however is still in its infancy and is only just starting its growth journey. My ambition is to open a series of premium indoor padel centres that service not only the general public but provide a base for those looking for the highest-quality facilities and the best coaching,” added Max, who has been touring UK padel venues to weigh-up the competition.
The Surrey native and Bath University graduate set up MaxPadel in July 2024 but as yet there’s no information about where – and when – it might open padel venues. A LinkedIn post announcing Max as ‘founder and director’ of the business has been removed but government documents reveal him as the majority shareholder in his company; perhaps a new organisation is on the way. Sugar Padel anyone?
Max will go up against contestants including a dentist, hair transplant consultant, motivational speaker, animation entrepreneur and pizza company owner during the 12 tasks over the coming week, trying to impress Lord Sugar, Baroness Karen Brady and Tim Campbell (who won the first series of The Apprentice).
The next series of The Apprentice is on January 30, 9pm, BBC 1.
We wish Max all the best! 🎾
