It’s not often that international padel trophies are presented to Britons – or even on British soil – but both are set to happen on Wednesday when the Hexagon Cup gets an outing at the Hurlingham Club.
Team AD/vantage, which is co-owned by Andy Murray, triumphed at the inaugural Hexagon Cup – a sort of Laver Cup for padel – in Spain earlier this year. And representatives including co-owner Arran Yentob will show it off before playing an exhibition match at the Fulham venue.
London-based advisor and investor Yentob set up AD Global Sports with friend Dani Vallverdu, Murray’s former coach and longtime associate, to seek opportunities in racket sports. So when they invested in the Hexagon Cup, Britain’s finest tennis player was an obvious partner.
“We were ideally looking for someone that not only had a fan base, but also had a real link to sport and padel,” Yentob told City A.M. “And then additionally, had a link into the UK, so Andy fit perfectly and, quite frankly, was the only person we thought of.
“The process then was very simple in terms of getting alignment. I think Andy believes in the project. He’s been a great partner so far and we’re excited to see where we go.”
Murray is long-standing padel fan, having encountered the sport when training as a youngster in Spain, and has invested in it in the UK. His tennis commitments mean his padel playing time is limited but that could change soon if, as expected, he retires later this year.
“I love team events, so I really enjoyed being part of the Hexagon Cup,” Murray told City A.M. “I think the potential for padel is huge and I’m really encouraged to see how it is inspiring a new generation of people to pick up a racket. And I’m really looking forward to getting on court too.”
Padel has seen rapid growth globally at both elite and grassroots level. While new court and club openings have struggled to keep pace with demand in Britain, Yentob is also keen to grow it as a spectator sport over here.
Andy Murray is an enthusiastic supporter of padel, investing in both infrastructure and the Hexagon Cup
“We’ve never had the top players in the world come to the UK,” he said. “Bringing satellite events and bringing their players to Hexagon Cup exhibition matches is something that we would be certainly looking to do.
“I think we’ll grow because it’s an amazing sport to play and participation will rise, but to take that next step, I think you need to also add the viewership element which the Hexagon Cup will help with.
“I think we’re a little way off doing what Hexagon did in Madrid. It’s a really spectacular event. But maybe in the future, I would love to be able to host a Hexagon Cup event in the UK.”
Today’s event at the Hurlingham Club is part of the the Alfred Dunhill Padel Classic, featuring celebrities from entertainment and sport, such as Andrew Strauss, alongside professionals to raise funds and awareness for Laureus Sport for Good.