British number one Christian Medina Murphy praised the impressive turnout at the inaugural London P1 tournament, calling it "amazing news" for the growing sport of padel in the UK.

Taking place at the Olympia venue in Kensington, the event is set to attract over 20,000 spectators by its conclusion on Sunday. The tournament marks England’s first professional padel competition, showcasing the sport's expanding popularity.

Medina Murphy, who entered the tournament as a wild card, thrilled local fans with a historic victory alongside partner Alberto Garcia Jimenez on the opening day. However, the duo faced a tough exit in the last 32 after losing 6-2, 6-1 to 10th seeds Juan Tello and Maxi Arce in a match that lasted 63 minutes on Court Two.

Despite the early exit, the Kingston upon Thames native reflected positively on the experience, noting the significance of local support:

A lot of things to take. First of all I saw a lot of people here in the first days watching, supporting me and supporting all the players. I think we perform really good. We won the first round and that is really good performance.

Medina Murphy expressed his excitement about the future of the London P1 and his journey with Garcia Jimenez, following their recent success at an Alicante event last month.

As padel continues to gain traction, it blends the skills of tennis and squash, originating in Mexico in 1968 and now flourishing globally, including in the UK.