As the world’s largest multi-specialist sporting goods retailer looks to convert padel’s participation boom into commercial reach, it has secured exclusive retail rights to London’s first professional padel tour stop.
Decathlon UK & Ireland has signed on as the official retail partner for London Premier Padel P1, working with organizer Sela on the UK’s first stop on the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour. The tournament runs Aug. 4–9 at Olympia London.
Padel is gaining traction fast in the UK: participation topped 1 million players in 2026 and awareness among adults reached 57 percent.
A sponsorship that builds on Decathlon’s existing padel business
For Decathlon, the deal reinforces a category it has already been pushing in stores and online. The retailer sells padel equipment across more than 40 UK & Ireland locations and through its e-commerce range, and the tournament puts that offer in front of a bigger audience. It also gives more visibility to Kuikma, Decathlon’s in-house padel brand, as the sport brings a top-tier professional event to London.
Bringing retail into the fan zone
During the week, Decathlon plans to operate a dedicated retail and activation area in the tournament fan zone, selling rackets, shoes and accessories and running product demos. The program also includes a meet-and-greet with Coki Nieto, a World Top 10 player sponsored by Kuikma, alongside giveaways and promotional offers tied to the event and its aftermath.
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