Marc Klopp, son of former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, could soon be leading a new padel complex at Liverpool Tennis Centre. Liverpool Council is currently reviewing proposals to grant a 25-year lease for the redevelopment of land at the tennis centre in Wavertree into a state-of-the-art padel facility.
Padel FC, which includes Marc Klopp among its directors, emerged as the successful bidder for the new Wavertree project. Padel, a racquet sport that merges elements of tennis and squash and is typically played in doubles, is considered the fastest growing sport globally.
Liverpool Council's leisure services pinpointed a plot within the tennis centre as an ideal location for a padel tennis facility. The site comprises five disused outdoor tennis courts, an overflow car park area, and two grass verges.
The planned padel tennis facility will replace existing tennis courts that have fallen into disrepair and been out of use for several years.
Padel FC's vision involves transforming the site into six indoor and three outdoor padel courts, complete with on-site toilets and a food truck. The company plans to erect a dome-shaped interlocking steel structure covered with plastic sheeting over the site, reports .
In terms of financials, Padel FC will pay £70,000 in rent to the local authority in the first year, followed by an annual rent of £140,000 thereafter.
The local authority's cabinet is set to consider the approval of a long-term lease next week, potentially paving the way for an investment of approximately £500,000 in the site.
Padel FC, headquartered at the Royal Liver Building, boasts four directors - Carl Spellman, Michael Smith, ex-professional footballer Bradley Orr and Marc Klopp, whose father Jurgen is an avid padel player.
This development is the latest in a string of padel courts sprouting up across the city. In February, Peel revealed plans to introduce the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's first-ever floating padel courts and clubhouse to Liverpool Waters.
The proposed facility will be nestled within Princes Dock at Liverpool Waters, featuring three floating courts.
These courts are planned to be constructed on a unique floating platform from Finland, with the courts themselves being produced in Spain.
As part of the scheme, players and spectators would have the opportunity to mingle in a waterside clubhouse, complete with a bar, kitchen and decked seating area.
A niche retail store is also planned to be housed within the clubhouse, with a projected opening this summer.
Liverpool Cricket Club saw the inauguration of three padel courts in November 2023. Planning applications have also been lodged to repurpose areas of Powerleague Liverpool - colloquially known as the Pitz - to make room for six new courts, fully equipped with canopies, lighting and enclosure boards.
