96 players, £10,000 prize fund and equal men’s and women’s competition set for flagship summer event
Manchester, UK | June 2026
Soul Padel has today announced the return of The Stockport Open, bringing what is believed to be the UK’s largest grassroots padel prize fund back to Manchester this summer.
Taking place at Soul Padel Stockport on 25–26 July 2026, the two-day event will feature a £10,000 prize fund and attract players from across the UK. The event is made possible through the support of headline partners Black Pomegranate London and Playtomic, whose backing reflects a shared commitment to growing participation in padel across the UK.
The 2026 edition builds on the success of the inaugural Stockport Open, which attracted strong interest from players across the UK and helped establish the event as a standout fixture on the grassroots padel calendar. For 2026, Soul Padel has refined the tournament format to increase competitive opportunities across the weekend while maintaining its commitment to equal men’s and women’s competition.
The tournament will bring together 48 teams and 96 players from across the UK, comprising 24 men’s teams and 24 women’s teams competing across two days of high-level grassroots competition. Designed to showcase the growing depth and quality of grassroots padel in Britain, The Stockport Open reflects increasing demand for professionally delivered competitive events that remain accessible to amateur players.
Players will compete on Saturday in a series of group-stage matches before progressing into Sunday’s Cup and Bowl competitions.
Prize allocations include:
Men’s Cup Winners – £3,000 & an assortment of Kuikma padel equipment
Men’s Cup Runners-Up – £1,500 & Decathlon store vouchers
Women’s Cup Winners – £3,000 & an assortment of Kuikma padel equipment
Women’s Cup Runners-Up – £1,500 & Decathlon store vouchers
Tournament entries will be priced at £120 per pair (£60 per player).
Registration opens on Tuesday 16 June via Playtomic, with the majority of places made available through public entry. A limited allocation will be reserved for qualifying players from selected Soul Padel tournaments.
To ensure a competitive and accessible field players must meet defined eligibility criteria. Combined Playtomic rating limits will apply across both categories, with men’s pairings required to hold a combined rating between 6 and 11 and women’s pairings between 5 and 11. Players currently ranked within the LTA men’s top 100, LTA women’s top 50, or holding FIP ranking points will not be eligible to enter.
Mark Hewlett, CEO and Founder of Soul Padel, said:
“With 96 players, a £10,000 prize fund and equal competition for men and women, The Stockport Open, presented by Soul Padel and Playtomic, represents the ambition and momentum we are now seeing throughout grassroots padel.
I genuinely believe this has the potential to be the biggest grassroots padel tournament in the UK. We’re incredibly grateful to Black Pomegranate London for generously donating the entire prize fund, which allows us to create an event of this scale, and to Playtomic, whose ongoing support as our booking platform and technology partner continues to help us grow the game and create new experiences for our community.
The growth of padel isn’t just about more courts. It’s about building communities, creating pathways and giving people more reasons to meet, play and connect through sport.
Padel is uniquely social and accessible, and events like The Stockport Open show how competition can bring people together while helping the sport continue to grow.”
David Garrido Garcia, Technical Director at Soul Padel added:
“The standard of amateur padel continues to rise rapidly across the UK and players are increasingly looking for high-quality competitive opportunities.
About Soul Padel
For media enquiries, please contact:
Mark Hewlett
Email: mark@soulpadel.co.uk
Phone: 07961310078
Website: soulpadel.co.uk
