Community Spotlight:
Abigail Tordoff
- Published: 8th March, 2026
- UK
- Community
- 5-min read
From Professional Tennis to Padel’s Second Chapter
Abigail Tordoff’s sporting life began early. At 12, she left home for a boarding tennis academy, entering the performance-driven world that would shape the next decade of her life. By 21, she had retired from professional tennis – reaching a career-high world ranking of 240 – and transitioned into athlete management with Octagon, one of the sport’s leading agencies. There, she managed the careers of global names including Andy Murray, Anna Kournikova, Martina Hingis and Darren Gough.
Three and a half years ago, during lockdown, Abigail picked up a padel racket. What started as curiosity became something more significant. The sport reignited a competitive drive she thought had disappeared with her tennis career – a love of learning, grafting, improving. Now a mother of two and working full-time, she still considers padel her hobby, even while competing at professional level and representing Great Britain for the past three years. As she puts it: “It’s my happy place and my own time to just be on the court. I find it quite meditative.”
"I still class padel as my hobby even though I play professional tournaments and have been a member of the GB open team for the past 3 years. I don’t think I will ever see it anything other than a sport that I love being part of."
Hard Work Without Barriers
Abigail isn’t naturally inclined toward social media, but her platform @i_play_a_little_padel began as a way to document the transition from tennis to padel. The handle felt appropriate. Over time, it evolved into something more purposeful: a space to share knowledge and practical insights with other players navigating the sport.
That same instinct led her to co-found SET Padel with Daisy Maclean – a coaching business for women, run by female GB coaches. They offer weekly sessions, clinics and training holidays. Her approach is rooted in experience as an older athlete, hoping others can relate and find the guidance helpful. She believes hard work matters more than age or gender. At 5th in Great Britain and with a highest world ranking of 180, she competes in the open category and wins professional and domestic events. The balance is constant – full-time work, two young children, training, competition – but she’s committed to showing her kids that a life in sport offers pleasure, community and belonging.
"It’s all one big balancing act but I love living a full life and hopefully inspiring my kids and showing them that a life in sport can give you so much pleasure, a wonderful community and sense of belonging."
Building for the Future
Watching the women’s GB team develop over the past few years has been a highlight. The players have worked hard, made sacrifices, and the progress is visible – for example, Aimee Gibson became the first British women to break into top 100 last year. Abigail also finds fulfilment in seeing padel’s growth across the UK – men, women of all ages, and children discovering the game and the joy sport can bring.
The challenges are practical. Juggling everything – training, family, work – requires constant recalibration. Affordability is another reality she’s frank about. But the difficulties don’t diminish the commitment. She’s halfway through an extended pre-season training block, deliberately dedicating more time in the gym this year to build strength. She feels strong and confident about her game.
The year ahead holds personal goals she’s determined to pursue, alongside her off-court work sharing knowledge through SET Padel and launching tutorial videos on YouTube at @i_play_a_little_padel (coming soon). Tennis will always be in her blood – she still plays weekly with her children – but padel has carved out its own place. It’s where competition, community and her own sense of purpose intersect.
Written by Jamie Rowe
World Padel Network
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