Clash of the Coaches
London 2026
60 Coaches. 10 Teams. A first of its kind.
Clash of the Coaches, created by World Padel Network, brought together coaches from all over the UK, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands. Ten teams of coaches – each with a male pair, mixed pair, and female pair – took part in the inaugural event.
The event received over 250,000 social media views on official channels alone, not including user-generated content. Media outlets – such as The Padel Paper, PadelSpain, Sports News Blitz, Padel Nation UK – covered the event too. For a first-edition event in a sport where coaching rarely makes the news, the event put coaches firmly in the spotlight, as intended. And most importantly, everyone there had a great time.
Due to its success, World Padel Network now seeks to expand Clash of the Coaches internationally with local partners.
The 2026 Winners (although everyone who attended was a winner!)
Team London
London’s Tom Farquharson (The Padel School) and Steven Zahui took the men’s title.
Team North East
North East’s Abby Ombler and Sophie Cousins took the women’s title.
Team North East
North East’s Abby Ombler (again!) and Sam Sweeney took the mixed title.
Official Partners
Official Photography by Padelgrapher
Who was involved?
A day like this runs on the people who never appear on a scoreboard. Nico Benitez of NicoPadel22 ran the tournament format, keeping ten teams moving through the afternoon on schedule.
Matt (The London Padel Coach) expertly hosted from midday to 5pm without a break, while Olivia Ciftci presented by running interviews and keeping the energy high across five hours of padel. Padelgrapher was our official photographer for the event, and Sweetspot Communications, our official media partner, handled press distribution and conducted interviews courtside.
RAQUEX balls were used in every match. Coaches competed in Pulco Studios shirts. PadelTots brought Enrique, their bear, courtside for the afternoon. And Brian Flasck walked coaches through what PlaySight’s technology can do on court, in real time.