Ash Barty and Pat Rafter lead star-studded Celebrity 1 Point Padel

The world's fastest-growing racquet sport is taking centre stage on the Sydney Opera House's Northern Boardwalk this weekend, with tennis legends Ash Barty and Pat Rafter, international celebrities and some of the world's most recognised brands coming together for the inaugural Padel Invitational presented by UBS.

Set against the backdrop of Sydney Harbour on a purpose-built glass court, the event marks a milestone for padel in Australia. Played by more than 38 million people across 170 countries, the sport has evolved into a global cultural phenomenon, attracting a powerful mix of sport, entertainment, fashion, wellness and hospitality.

Adding to the spectacle, Australian greats Barty and Rafter will headline a star-studded Celebrity 1 Point Padel event on Saturday, where actors, Olympians, sporting personalities and international padel superstars will battle it out in the fast-paced, sudden-death format that debuted so successfully at the Australian Open last year.

"Padel has become a real passion of mine and I can't wait to team up with Ash on this incredible court at the Sydney Opera House,” Pat Rafter said. “It's going to be an amazing spectacle and a lot of fun.”

Among those waiting to challenge them is rising international actor Josh Heuston, partnering one of the greatest padel players of all time, Spain's Alejandra Salazar, while Australian tennis icon Todd Woodbridge teams up with Olympic gold medallist Cooper Woods in a contest where every match is decided by a single point.

The Celebrity 1 Point Padel will be staged from 12pm to 2pm on Saturday 15 August on the stunning glass court located on the Northern Broadwalk of the Sydney Opera House, before the world's best padel players take centre stage in the Padel Invitational presented by UBS. The full field is as follows:

Pat Rafter, Ash Barty, the Inspired Unemployed – Matt Ford and Jack Steele, Todd Woodbridge, Josh Heuston, Lakota Johnson, Geraldine Viswanathan, Bambi Norwood Blyth, Lachy McLean, Joel Patfull, Felix Von Hofe, Madison and Bailey O’Brien, Jordan Smith, Ruel and Cooper Woods.

As these high-profile names are discovering padel on the court, the sport’s rapid global growth is also attracting some of the world’s most recognised lifestyle, hospitality and sporting brands, with a collection of premium partners coming on board to bring the Padel Invitational presented by UBS to life.

While UBS headlines the event as Presenting Partner, a suite of premium global brands are creating unique experiences and activations across the weekend, demonstrating the increasingly powerful intersection of sport, culture, fashion, wellness and hospitality.

• Waldorf Astoria: Through its new global Waldorf Astoria Racquet Club platform, Waldorf Astoria brings its distinctive hospitality and curated experiences to Sydney. The inaugural Waldorf Astoria Racquet Club experience offers guests front-row access to one of Australia’s most exciting new sporting events, alongside an early expression of the Waldorf Astoria experience ahead of the opening of Waldorf Astoria Sydney in 2027.
• waterdrop®: This morning, the innovative hydration brand hosted a dedicated wellness morning on the Sydney Opera House padel court, designed to encourage more women to discover and experience the sport in an inspiring and accessible environment.
• Patrón Tequila:  Serving up a signature Paloma cocktail as Official Tequila Partner and hosting the vibrant "Padel Under Lights presented by Patrón" on Saturday night, featuring some of the world's best players in action.
• Heineken®: Joins as the Official Beer Partner, delivering one of the most iconic beer brands in the world to guests across the weekend.
• HEAD: One of the world's most recognised racquet sports brands joins as the Official Racquet & Ball partner.
• La Roche-Posay: The Official Sunscreen Partner hosts a special run club experience, making the most of the spectacular harbourfront setting.
• Pommery: Bringing a touch of French elegance to the Padel Invitational, Champagne Pommery features as the event’s Official Champagne Partner. Poured throughout the event, Pommery complements the premium hospitality experience.
• Philips: Will deliver a premium grooming experience and activation for fans onsite, as the Official Shaver of the event.
• META: Supporting the event with content creators and social content amplification.

"Around the world, padel has evolved beyond a sport and become a lifestyle, bringing together fitness, entertainment, fashion, hospitality and community in a way few sports can," Padel Australia chair Tom Larner said. “The calibre of the brands involved truly reflects padel’s emergence as a global cultural phenomenon.

"The Padel Invitational presented by UBS is about introducing Australians to an exciting, social and accessible sport while creating a world-class event experience that reflects everything padel represents internationally. There is no better stage than the Sydney Opera House to share that vision with the world,” Larner continued.

“To have UBS joined by partners such as Waldorf  Astoria, Patrón, HEAD, Philips, waterdrop®, Heineken, La Roche-Posay, Pommery  and META at the Sydney Opera House creates a truly unique platform to showcase  the sport to new audiences,” Padel Invitational presented by UBS Executive Producer Nick Sloman said.

The Padel Invitational presented by UBS will take place at the Sydney Opera House's Northern Boardwalk from 15-16 August 2026.

Tickets are on sale now via the Sydney Opera House.

For further media information, please contact:
Prue Ryan, Tennis Australia, pryan@tennis.com.au, +61 419 308 369
Annika Hall, Tennis Australia annika.hall@Tennis.com.au, +61 481 333 787