Pat Rafter returns to court at Senior World Padel Championships

by Admin
April 17, 2024

Pat Rafter is among Australian representatives at the Senior Padel Championships currently underway in Alicante, Spain.

Alicante, Spain, 17 April 2024 | Tennis Australia

The Australian Padel team are in Alicante, Spain for the Senior Padel Championships this week, with former world No.1 Pat Rafter a high profile inclusion in the men’s team.

Australia received direct qualification into the International Padel Federation’s tournament based on previous performance, with men and women across five different age categories – 35+, 40+, 45+, 50+ and 55+ – participating.

“We’re thrilled to have so many talented players compete in the Senior World Padel Championships and represent Australia on the global stage,” Tennis Australia Head of Game Expansion Callum Beale said.

“International representative tournaments such as this provide our leading Padel players a chance to compete against the best players from other countries and highlight the growing popularity and professionalism of Padel in Australia” he added.

The group stage of the championships commenced this week, with 16 national teams competing for a place in the quarter finals. The final matches will be played from 18-20 April.

The Australian men’s team had a first-round bye and defeated Ireland 5-0 in the second round. They play Italy next for a spot in the quarterfinals. The women’s team lost to USA and Germany.

Australian Padel Teams
Category	Men	Women
35-39	Sam Ashenden Emeric Navarro Ross Taylor	Alexia Dalley Ana Renda Angela Dangond
40-44	Aitor Aspiazu Kirk Jackson Matt Thomas Jake Benzil	Emily Hare Katarina Kotan Maria Fernanda Monje (Mafe)
45-49	Rob Daley Gareth Keating Nige Waugh	Kylie Kowalczuk Vanesa Gonzalez Silvia Gonzalez
50-54	Matt Barrelle Pat Rafter Jerome Cardot Jason Hill	Pep Stoner Rachel Ashby Penny Morrison
55+	Craig O’Shannessy Matt Crawcour Scott Riley Ivan Resnekov	Sakurako Cunneen Ruth Bell Cath Bellemore

Senior Padel Championships
Date: 15-20 April, 2024
Location: La Nucía, Alicante, Spain

Pat Rafter was announced as the founding ambassador for Padel Australia, the governing body for one of the country’s fastest growing sports, earlier this year.

Padel is played on an enclosed court with specifically designed paddles and balls. It is typically played as doubles and is easy to learn, making it a great option for social players. The rules are similar to tennis, except the walls are part of the game and players serve underhand.

For further information on Padel Australia visit the official website at padelaus.com.au

More information and results for the event in Alicante can be found here.