Q&A with Tennis Scotland’s first Padel ambassador Sam Macneil

The 32-year-old from Edinburgh has been appointed Tennis Scotland’s first Padel ambassador at an exciting time for the sport here. We now have more than 30 Padel courts around the country, and that figure is expected to reach 40 by the end of 2024.

September, meanwhile, will see the conclusion of the second Padel Scottish Cup, following the successful inaugural event last year which saw champions Barnton Park Men and West of Scotland Women make history at host venue David Lloyd Shawfair. More competitions and performance squads are also in the pipeline under Tennis Scotland’s plans to develop the game.

We caught up with Sam to find out more about how he got into Padel and his hopes for the sport’s future in his home country.

How did you first get into Padel? 

“I first tried it at Edinburgh Sports Club with some of the tennis players I played with in the East of Scotland leagues. I was coaching at Bridge of Allan at the time, so I was fortunate that they had a Padel court and I was able to play frequently – I haven’t stopped playing since.” 

How did you know you wanted to take Padel further? 

“I was addicted pretty early and did quite well in a few tournaments, which gave me the confidence to think I could get to a decent level. From there, I’ve continued to test myself in national tournaments and train regularly which has elevated my level, allowing me to win some national titles and compete abroad in various events.”

What are some highlights of your Padel career so far? 

“Last year I won my first Grade 2 British Tour event at Roehampton and went on to win the Grade 1 in Guernsey shortly afterwards, which was also a first, so those wins are definitely up there. I also played in a friendly match which featured [former Arsenal footballers] Patrick Vieira and Jens Lehmann, which was pretty cool and obviously very memorable.”

How does Padel fit into your day-to-day life?

“I work as a data scientist, fortunately with a fully remote company so I’m not tied down to a specific location and can be flexible with working hours. That allows me to train and travel to competitions. I’m based at the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton as well as Rocks Lane Chiswick.”

What goals do you have for the future? 

“I’m planning to play more professional tournaments over the next year to keep testing myself against some of the best players in Europe. It would be great to win the Scottish Cup, having never managed it as a tennis player.” 

As our Padel ambassador, how do you view the growth of the sport in Scotland?

“I’m excited for Padel in Scotland. The sport is growing quickly and while lots has been done, there is always more to do. I hope that the experiences I’ve had over the past few years and my position in the sport means I’ll be able to help develop some of the upcoming projects.

“I know Tennis Scotland has plans for more courts, competitions and performance squads to help grow the game and I am looking forward to contributing.

“We already have over 30 courts in Scotland now and it’s great that more are in the pipeline. Looking at other European countries, the demand seems to be there, so the more court capacity we can add, the more opportunities we’ll have to get people into the sport.”