The founder of EPL with big plans for the future: ”Everyone is talking about padel in London”

This is how padel took root in the UK and flourished into a thriving community. The founder of Rocks Lane Padel, Chris Warren, started six years ago with a single pop-up court. Now, he runs 24 courts in London and continues the journey of Rocks Lane and the European Padel League (EPL).
— The focus is not just on adults but on developing future stars, he says in an interview with Padel Alto during the finale of the EPL season in London. 

Chris Warren, the visionary owner of Rocks Lane, has been instrumental in bringing padel to the UK. With a passion for tennis and a keen eye for innovation, Chris has transformed Rocks Lane in London from a local tennis club into a bustling hub for padel enthusiasts, fostering a vibrant and international community of players.

— It all started with playing tennis. Then, during a family trip to Spain, I encountered this unusual form of tennis. Someone said, "Hey, it’s padel." We had so much fun on the court that I thought this could become popular back home at Rocks Lane. That’s how it all began.

He continues:

— About six years ago, we started with just one court as a pop-up, an example of padel for people to try. Now, we have 24 courts. There were very few clubs back then, probably one or two in the entire UK, mostly owned by ex-Spanish players. We introduced a more international approach.

If you go back six years, compare that time from now? 

— Everyone asked, "What is this game?" Initially, we had many Spanish, South American, and Portuguese players. Local players saw them playing, tried it out, got hooked, and kept returning. Now, we are a truly international club with over 25,000 players.

From your part, how´s the padel scene in UK right now? 

— Padel in the UK, especially in London, has become very popular. There's a lot of demand. Development has been slower outside of London except in certain pockets like Harrogate in the north and Bristol in the west. Awareness of the game is gradually growing outside of London, but everyone is talking about it in London.

As mentioned, Chris Warren is not only the founder of Rocks Lane. He's also the person behind the European Padel League (EPL), which he describes as a concept taken from football's Champions League. In the EPL, teams from different countries padel clubs represent and compete against each other. 

We are here during the finale of this season´s EPL. Tell me more about it? 

— Rocks Lane has become the center of padel in the UK. We offer junior academies, tournaments, and many opportunities for people to learn and play padel socially. We also run local, national, and international tournaments.

— My idea with the EPL was to bring all this experience together and create the ultimate experience for competitive padel clubs and players. Inspired by playing in European and World Championships, we wanted an extended version of these tournaments. Our goal was to run an international tournament for top European clubs, starting with an older age group due to my network in this group. 

He continues: 

— We aim to create a Champions League concept for padel, with 16 teams in different leagues playing against each other and gathering in various European capitals.

Rocks Lane (UK) and Järfälla Padel Club (Sweden) in the final. 

What is your vision for this project? 

— We envision being the European Club of Nations, where different nations can come together and play. I regularly network with club owners from different countries. They understand how we operate for the benefit of their members. It’s not just about the tournament; it's also about helping each other manage clubs. Since we operate in different countries, we are not competitors and can openly share ideas.

Rocks Lane is not just a padel club. It has five-a-side football courts, tennis courts, and a pizza restaurant. The venue has many children, and children's birthday celebrations regularly occur. 

— Friendship and family connections are important. We also plan to expand the age groups in the EPL, currently starting with 40+ and gradually including more. We will also introduce women’s events for all ages. In future events, we will include children's and junior events to cover all aspects of the padel pyramid.

Will be played at Zlatan´s center and in Dubai

— The focus is not just on adults but on developing future stars. We had corporate events during this tournament, and all the sponsorships we received will go to the EPL Rising Stars program, enabling juniors to be coached at the Rocks Lane Academy.

What´s up for the upcoming period of the EPL? 

— This finale marks the end of the first season as proof of concept to see how things work. We are constantly learning and gathering feedback to enhance the experience. The following season will start at Zlatan Ibrahimović’s center in Milan. This will be the first fixture. Many international clubs are interested, and we will host our first EPL international event, the Dubai Cup, on the first of December. The season will be hosted again in Spain, Portugal, Sweden, and London for the finale. 

— When we hold the finale in London next year, we will also include women's events.

Järfälla Padel Club from Sweden won this season´s EPL tournament.

The winning Swedish team includes Clas Lindell, Johan Thellmark, Michael Knutas, Rickard Jakobsson, Joakim Karlsson, Hans Toll, Mikael Gavelin, and Göran Stolpe.