Laureus Academy legends join star-studded field at Alfred Dunhill Padel Classic
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World Cup winners from rugby, a track-and-field Olympic champion and a Champions League-winning footballer were among a knockout field of celebrities and sporting stars taking part in the Alfred Dunhill Padel Classic 2025 at the iconic Hurlingham Club, across two action-packed days on May 14-15.
Padel combines elements of tennis and squash and the sport has exploded in popularity in recent years. This event, in its second year, is at the heart of that growth, combining a unique pro-celebrity field with a fundraising mission that will generate vital support for the worldwide work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, including legacy funding from the event for The Hurlingham Club Foundation’s girls' racquets project, Empower.
The action unfolded at the famous private members’ club by the banks of the Thames and drew capacity crowds who got to see some of the best padel players in the world, as well as personalities, including comedian Michael McIntyre and tennis coach Judy Murray.
The action unfolded at the famous private members’ club by the banks of the Thames and drew capacity crowds who got to see some of the best padel players in the world, as well as personalities, including comedian Michael McIntyre and tennis coach Judy Murray.
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Peter Crouch was one of the big names making their Alfred Dunhill Padel Classic debut and was joined at the event by two more former Liverpool footballers, Thiago Alcantara – a Champions League winner with Barcelona and Bayern Munich – and Laureus Ambassador Jamie Redknapp.
The Laureus World Sports Academy – the sporting legends who power Laureus Sport for Good and are the voting force behind the Laureus World Sports Awards – were represented by Rugby World Cup winners Bryan Habana and Sean Fitzpatrick, as well as the star of the London 2012 Olympics, Jessica Ennis-Hill.
The Laureus World Sports Academy – the sporting legends who power Laureus Sport for Good and are the voting force behind the Laureus World Sports Awards – were represented by Rugby World Cup winners Bryan Habana and Sean Fitzpatrick, as well as the star of the London 2012 Olympics, Jessica Ennis-Hill.
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From the world of padel, Aimee Gibson -the first Briton to make the world top 100 - was joined by British stars Louie Harris, Rafa Vega, Alfonso Patacho and Sam Macneil, who partnered Billings to victory in 2024. Alongside the home favourites was Argentina’s Miguel Lamperti, one of the world’s most celebrated padel players who remains a fixture on the World Padel Tour at 46. While the focus was on the competition – and the fun – on court, the event also raised vital funds for Laureus Sport for Good, and specifically for The Hurlingham Club Foundation’s Empower project.
Sean Fitzpatrick, former All Blacks rugby captain and chair of the Laureus World Sports Academy, said: “This event has quickly become an integral and much-loved part of the Laureus calendar, and it’s also a great celebration of a sport that has captured the imagination of people of all ages and sporting backgrounds. That is reflected by this unique field, from elite padel athletes to a great comedian like Michael McIntyre.
“And like everything Laureus is involved in, there is a purpose that underpins the event. We’ve raised funds that will help Empower make a real difference in the community. Padel’s power is its accessibility, and we believe it can be a change-maker in the mission we share, to reverse the drop-out rate from sport for teenage girls.”
Sean Fitzpatrick, former All Blacks rugby captain and chair of the Laureus World Sports Academy, said: “This event has quickly become an integral and much-loved part of the Laureus calendar, and it’s also a great celebration of a sport that has captured the imagination of people of all ages and sporting backgrounds. That is reflected by this unique field, from elite padel athletes to a great comedian like Michael McIntyre.
“And like everything Laureus is involved in, there is a purpose that underpins the event. We’ve raised funds that will help Empower make a real difference in the community. Padel’s power is its accessibility, and we believe it can be a change-maker in the mission we share, to reverse the drop-out rate from sport for teenage girls.”
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Laureus Ambassador Annabelle Bond took part in a session with some of the girls from that programme during the two-day event.
“The Empower program, supported by Laureus, is already providing free padel lessons and matchplay opportunities for teenage girls in this area. The money we have raised across these two days will ensure that work continues and reaches more girls.
“We’ve seen how much fun padel is during this wonderful event and it’s a sport for everybody. It is a challenge to keep girls in sport through their teenage years and the legacy of this great event will hopefully be a generation of girls who find their way to a sport that can be a part of their lives for many, many years.”
“The Empower program, supported by Laureus, is already providing free padel lessons and matchplay opportunities for teenage girls in this area. The money we have raised across these two days will ensure that work continues and reaches more girls.
“We’ve seen how much fun padel is during this wonderful event and it’s a sport for everybody. It is a challenge to keep girls in sport through their teenage years and the legacy of this great event will hopefully be a generation of girls who find their way to a sport that can be a part of their lives for many, many years.”
