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Courts for one of the fastest-growing sports in terms of popularity will soon open at a popular park in Cardiff.

Plans for the eight new canopy-covered padel courts at Llandaff Fields were first announced by Cardiff Council in January 2023.

Construction work on the courts has been going on for months and the site is nearly ready to welcome its first players with an opening date set for Friday, August 29.

The courts are part of a wider plan to transform community sports facilities at Llandaff Fields, which has already seen the resurfacing of the tennis courts.

Smash Padel is the company that will be running the Cardiff site. Smash Cardiff centre manager Jessii Wood said: “It has been a long journey to bring the club to completion but we are now ready to welcome the public and showcase this outstanding facility.

“We are proud to offer greater opportunities for padel in south Wales, promoting both inclusivity and grassroots development within a vibrant community.

“I am delighted to be at the heart of padel in Cardiff and look forward to seeing the sport thrive here just as it has across the rest of the UK.”

Padel is a racquet sport that’s fast growing in popularity across the UK.

It combines elements of other racquet sports and is played on an enclosed court that’s about one third the size of a tennis court.

According to figures published by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) more than 400,000 adults and juniors across Great Britain played padel at least once in 2024.

That’s up from 15,000 in 2019, 89,000 in 2021, and 129,000 in 2023.

Smash Cardiff head coach Craig Evans said: “Our mission is to grow the padel community across Wales, particularly in Cardiff, and create opportunities for as many people as possible to enjoy this amazing, fun, and engaging sport.

“Padel has so many health benefits too.

“We are especially excited to introduce children to padel, helping them experience the health and social benefits it offers.

“And, who knows, maybe one day Wales will have a top padel player who first picked up a racquet at Smash Padel.”

Aside from the new padel courts and resurfaced tennis courts at Llandaff Fields the wider redevelopment of the site will also eventually include a new cafe and community space.

Smash Padel is currently taking online bookings for courts at the new Cardiff site with coaching and a programme of events also set to be made available.

Smash Padel CEO Rupert Taylor said: “We are excited to open and bring more courts to the Cardiff community with inclusive programmes for every age and ability.

“Our junior pathway, already thriving at our other clubs, will now help young talent in this region discover the joy of and grow within the sport.”