Celebs and padel players flock to Sydney Opera House for inaugural Padel Invitational presented by UBS

Thousands of celebrities, community padel players, international padel stars and fans have come together at the iconic Sydney Opera House this weekend to celebrate one of the world’s fastest growing sports.

The new premium global padel exhibition and cultural event, Padel Invitational presented by UBS, transformed the Sydney Opera House into a world-class sporting arena where a custom-built padel court rose on the Northern Broadwalk for a celebration of elite sport, entertainment, community and culture.

The weekend featured a star-studded celebrity showcase including Australian tennis legends Ash Barty and Pat Rafter, star of the hit television show Off Campus Josh Heuston, Gold Logie nominee Todd Woodbridge, internationally renowned supermodel Bambi Northwood-Blyth, ARIA-winning global pop star Ruel, 2026 Olympic gold medallist Cooper Woods, Viral comedy duo and internet sensations The Inspired Unemployed and Marvel Cinematic Universe actress Geraldine Viswanathan – among many others.

Celebrities went head-to-head in the Celebrity 1 Point Padel, where every match was decided by a single point, creating a fun, unpredictable event for fans.

Actor and content creator Lachlan McLean and Premier Padel player Mar Munera claimed victory in the inaugural event.

“For the first time that they’ve done this, the crowd was amazing and the atmosphere was great,” Lachlan McLean said. “I was so nervous. It was such a surreal experience.

“I think that this sport is so social and it can bring people together in so many fun ways. I’ve played it for a little while. I love it.”

Today, community padel took centre stage as players from across Australia travelled to Sydney for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play on the iconic court with Australian tennis legends Pat Rafter and Casey Dellacqua on hand to meet competitors and put them through their paces with a series of warm-up drills.

Community players won competitions to earn their place, while others had competed their way through local clubs or were nominated for their performances, coming together for a landmark day for the sport.

“We’ve travelled from Albury Wodonga on the Victoria-NSW border. We’re really lucky to live regionally and have access to Sol Padel, which is a small padel club in Thurgoona,” said community padel team Rhianna Coleiro and Jarryd Pearce.

“We’ll never get another opportunity like this again to play at such an iconic venue.

“Padel is just so addictive. Once you start, you can’t stop. It’s really easy to get better at and no two games are ever the same – there’s always something to learn.

“We fell in love with it straight away and we think everyone else we’ve got into it just absolutely loves the sport.”

Padel has become a global phenomenon, played by more than 35 million people across more than 170 countries, with participation expected to exceed 105 million by 2030, according to the International Padel Federation (FIP).

Played as doubles – men, women and mixed – on an enclosed glass court, padel is a fun and highly social game combining the best elements of tennis and squash. The surrounding walls ensure the ball remains in play, creating long rallies, spectacular sharp angles and an exciting, fast-paced spectacle that is easy to enjoy and learn.

For further media information, please contact:
Jesse Failla, Tennis Australia jesse.failla@tennis.com.au, +61 401 864 435