Americans Prepare to Face Old Adversary in Britain’s Biggest Padel Tournament Yet

This week, Team USA heads to London for what many see as the biggest padel encounter for the United States yet, as the nation prepares to face off against its old sporting adversary, Great Britain. 

The inaugural Anglo American Padel Cup, a new international team competition bringing the historic sporting rivalry between the United States and Great Britain to the padel court for the first time, debuts on Friday and Saturday (10-11 October) at Padel Hub N20 in North London.

The Cup features 64 players across Men’s, Women’s, and Age Group divisions in a Ryder Cup-inspired format. Pairings will compete for division wins as well as an overall team title, with 96 total points in play. The first team to reach 49 points will lift the Cup.

This marks a milestone moment for American padel, a sport growing rapidly in both participation and infrastructure. According to The State of Padel in the US Report by Mistrano Consulting, padel is now played in 31 states, with clubs expanding at over 50 percent year-on-year. The launch of the Pro Padel League (PPL) has brought professional visibility to the sport, while the United States Padel Association (USPA) continues to play a key role in national development, supporting coaching, competition, and representation at international events such as the Pan American Games.

In fact, it was the USPA’s now-President Bill Ullman who, in what might now be considered a serendipitous moment in Summer 2024, suggested to Nichols - at the Reserve Cup Padel Series in Long Island - the time was ripe for America v Britain sporting rivalry to experience a reboot, through padel. 

The Anglo American Padel Cup builds on the momentum experienced at the recreational level here in Florida and the wider United States, offering players the rare chance to represent their country in a high-profile international setting. With future editions set to alternate between the UK and the United States, the Cup is designed to become a permanent fixture in the global padel calendar and a meaningful platform for elite American talent.

The event is supported by co-title sponsors Playtomic, the world’s leading padel booking app and community platform, and Babolat, one of the sport’s most trusted equipment brands with a 150-year legacy in racquet sports. For fans and players across the U.S., particularly in key states like Florida, California, and Texas where padel is firmly taking root, the Anglo American Padel Cup is a symbol of progress and possibility. It marks how far American padel has come, and how much more is still to play for.

Follow the action:

Instagram: @angloamericanpadelcup

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/anglo-american-padel-cup

Website: angloamericanpadelcup.com