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LONDON, July 1, 2025
Olympic Legacy in Jeopardy?
Tennis courts from the London 2012 Games may become padel courts.
- Four indoor tennis courts might potentially be converted.
- The switch would create nine padel courts.
- Tennis players voice strong opposition.
- A petition against the plan has over 1,500 signatures.
The plan to replace tennis courts with padel courts has ignited a fierce debate; specifically, what’s happening to the tennis courts built for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games? They are slated to be replaced with nine padel courts.
Tennis players are upset their courts will be replaced by padel facilities
Four indoor tennis courts at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis centre in north-east London could soon be transformed. The plan? Replace them with nine courts for padel, a blend of tennis and squash that’s gaining traction.
Padel is a racquet sport typically played in doubles on an enclosed court that is smaller than a tennis court. Scoring is the same as tennis, but players can use the walls.
Shawn Dawson, the centre manager, believes this conversion will boost participation. Though, the move has sparked outrage among tennis players, who feel sidelined by the decision.
A petition opposing the change has already gathered over 1,500 signatures.
Tennis player Kimberly Schreiber said it was “disappointing” there had been no consultation
Omosuyi Fred-Omojole acknowledged the potential benefits of padel’s growth, stating, “I understand the perspective of wanting to leverage the growth of padel, it absolutely makes economic sense, but it should not be done at the expense of the existing, thriving, indoor tennis community.”
Ivan Vershigora, a wheelchair tennis player, expressed his disappointment, noting that wheelchair tennis is his highlight of the week.
“I feel very sad about them converting the indoor courts to padel because the tennis is like a very fun sport to do, especially if you are in a wheelchair,” Vershigora said.
Wheelchair user Ivan Vershigora said wheelchair tennis was his highlight of the week
Weather Worries
Vershigora raised concerns about the impact of playing outdoors during winter.Although he said he would try padel.
Eight-year-old Isaac, whose hard work on the indoor courts helped him reach national championship standard, echoed this sentiment.
The conversion to padel courts could disproportionately affect young tennis players who rely on indoor facilities for year-round training.
“The indoor courts are really important because you can’t really practice in the winter because it is very rainy and cold,” Isaac said.
The courts helped Isaac, aged eight, reach national championship standard
The Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre currently offers six outdoor tennis courts along with the four indoor courts slated for conversion.
Dawson believes the change will allow the centre,which also has two hockey pitches,to serve a broader audience.
“We’ll have three sports rather than two,which means more people can get fit,can get well,can meet in a social setting,” he said.
