On a bright spring morning at Foxhills country club in Surrey, the padel and pickleball courts echo with the sound of balls popping off rackets. There are 12 players spread across the three padel courts – some complete beginners, others more proficient – while on the adjoining pickleball courts a handful of kids, off school for the Easter holidays, are practising keenly.
I’m here to find out why these two racket sports are taking over the lives of middle-class, middle-aged people all over Britain who might once have been down the tennis club or on the golf course.