House of Racquet brings female-founded padel to King's Cross

Among the creative studios of Tileyard in King's Cross, a new kind of sports club has been drawing a crowd. House of Racquet is a padel and social club with four covered courts, and one guide to London's padel scene has called it "the most talked-about opening of the year".

The club was founded by Lauren van der Westhuizen, described as one of the UK's first female padel entrepreneurs, and its manifesto is a simple one: "life is better when we make time to play."

That idea runs through the whole club. Pro:Direct describes it as "a club built around play, community and culture", with daily coaching, fitness classes, leagues, tournaments and a busy social scene alongside the courts themselves.

Technology plays its part too. Each court offers performance analysis from Clutch, giving players personalised data and progress tracking, which the guide described as a London first for padel.

For players thinking about new kit, there is a Pro:Direct demo centre on site, where they can test the latest racquet launches and try footwear and equipment in real court conditions before buying. The club also sells athleisure from One Bounce.

Off court, the clubhouse serves New Ground coffee and Two Tribes beer, making it an easy place to linger after a game. The club's ambassadors include British number ones Aimee Gibson and Christian Medina Murphy. Padel, which combines elements of tennis and squash and is played in doubles on an enclosed court, is known for being easy to pick up and highly sociable, and House of Racquet has leaned into that with programming designed to bring people together as much as to improve their game.

The location helps too. Tileyard is a short walk from King's Cross and St Pancras, making the club an easy after work option for people across north and central London.

Court hire was listed from around £75 an hour, though it is worth checking current prices when booking.

House of Racquet is at Tileyard, King's Cross, N7. To book a court, join a class or sign up for coaching, visit houseofracquet.com.