LEAMINGTON’s Tia Norton was crowned LTA Padel Player of the Year to become the first recipient of the Padel Award.
Norton was hand-picked as one of 17 national winners at the awards as Emma Raducanu scooped the Player of the Year gong.
She most recently competed on the World Padel Tour at the Tau Cerámica Mallorca Challenger and won two pre-qualifying matches with Spanish partner Carla Fernandez.
Padel is governed by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and Norton is the first British woman to compete on the professional padel circuit.
She began playing the sport aged 12 and turned professional in August last year, with the sport having made huge strides with over 150 padel courts now open across the country.
Norton was announced as the winner by LTA CEO, Scott Lloyd at a live-streamed awards ceremony presented by LTA President David Rawlinson and hosted by the LTA’s Head of men’s Tennis, Leon Smith.
