When Wrexham Tennis & Padel Centre trialled pickleball on two underused mini tennis courts, both filled up and stayed full. The Centre now has four dedicated courts, a coaching programme led by a Pickleball England-certified coach, and a Welsh Pickleball Nationals on its record.
A centre rebuilt
The Centre has been part of Welsh tennis since 1990 and is the largest indoor tennis centre in Wales. It closed for around six months and reopened in January 2025 after a £2.5 million transformation funded through the UK Government's Shared Prosperity Fund, Sport Wales and Wrexham County Borough Council.
The rebuilt site has seven indoor tennis courts, five outdoor courts and three new covered padel courts, along with a renovated reception, upgraded changing rooms and a refreshed café.
The trial
The mini tennis courts were not seeing the same activity as the rest of the site, so the Centre trialled pickleball on them. Both courts filled, day after day, and the players who arrived were largely new to the Centre. Within weeks they were a visible part of its community.
The Centre committed. It converted one of the seven indoor tennis courts into two dedicated pickleball courts, taking the total to four, set up a full coaching programme and began organising events.
Kim McCall and the coaching programme
The programme is led by Kim McCall, a Pickleball England-certified coach and the Regional Director for North East Wales on the Pickleball Wales board. She represented Wales at tennis and won a scholarship to an American university, then worked at the Houses of Parliament before moving into the charity sector, where she worked on policy and legislation. She has also chaired the Centre's Board of Trustees. She took up pickleball in 2025 and has built one of the most active coaching programmes in Wales since.
Private lessons are available for individuals or groups of up to four, starting from £20 an hour with equipment provided. Group coaching runs from beginner to competitive level, starting from £5 an hour, and can be booked through the Centre's website. Kim also runs sessions for schools and community groups, and corporate sessions for up to 16 players.
Events
The Centre's profile in the sport rose with the Franklin Pickleball Event, a full weekend of competitive play with 27 courts and sponsorship from Skechers and Franklin Sports. It has since hosted the Welsh Pickleball Nationals.
Participation at the most recent Nationals rose by around 30 percent on the previous year, with new faces, younger players alongside experienced ones, and improving depth across the categories.
The standout result came in the men's 15+ 4.0+ singles, where Ben Stucbury, a Pembrokeshire tennis coach, came from a game down to beat defending champion Scott Mayo in the final. Kim McCall and Leah McDaniel also impressed in the women's 15+ 3.5+ doubles.
The event relied on organisers, volunteers and the national governing body, Pickleball Wales, many of whom were working long before the courts opened.
The Welsh Pickleball Open, a DUPR-registered event, was scheduled for 26 to 30 August at the Centre. Divisions covered men's, women's and mixed doubles, men's and women's singles, age groups from 15+ to 70+, skill levels from 3.0 to 4.5+, a junior event for ages 8 to 14 and a wheelchair event.
Pickleball Wales
Behind the calendar is Pickleball Wales, a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organisation working to grow the sport at every level. Its chairman, Paul Byron, has pushed for Sport Wales to recognise pickleball officially, and regional directors cover North East Wales, North Wales, Anglesey, South East Wales and South Wales.
The board includes Scott Mayo, a Welsh international and Pre-Europeans gold medallist, who is Regional Director for South Wales. Joel Baker represented Wales at the 2025 European Championships in Rome, and Richard Welsford, Treasurer, has played for eleven years. Katherine Knowles, who covers Anglesey and North Wales, is focused on reaching younger players, and Matthew Hazlehurst covers South East Wales.
Membership is free for individual players and clubs. Register at Pickleball Wales.
More than a tennis centre
A trial on two quiet courts has produced four dedicated pickleball courts, a coaching programme and a national tournament. The Centre saw demand and built for it.
Planning your visit
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8am to 10pm; Saturday and Sunday 8am to 8pm
Court hire: £6 an hour, a flat rate all day. Book up to two weeks ahead through the Centre's website using the pickleball tab, which shows all four courts.
Equipment: Paddle hire £2.50. Head Championship indoor pickleballs £8 for a pack of three.
Find Wrexham Tennis & Padel Centre on The Pickleball Directory.
