Suntory makes first dedicated padel move with Soul Padel partnership

Suntory Beverage & Food Great Britain and Ireland has made its first dedicated move into padel by choosing Soul Padel for a long-term partnership that will place Lucozade Sport, Celsius and Ribena alongside the operator’s venues. The deal is a clear sign that one of the UK drinks market’s biggest names now sees padel as a credible commercial platform, not just a niche racket sport.

Soul Padel founder and chief executive Mark Hewlett put that shift in plain terms: “Major brands such as Suntory are recognising the opportunity padel presents.” Hewlett, who is based in Ormskirk, England, has built the company around scale, saying in earlier material that Soul Padel aimed to open 250 courts in the UK by 2032. That growth plan helps explain why a brand like Suntory would look at Soul Padel as more than a one-off activation. It is a route into venues, players and repeat footfall in one of the fastest-expanding parts of the UK padel market.

The partnership also fits the way Soul Padel has positioned itself. In 2024, the company said padel had to become part of the community in the UK, and that community-facing identity has been reinforced by a series of brand tie-ups. Soul Padel has already announced partnerships with Applied Nutrition and Decathlon UK, showing it has started to build a sponsorship mix around health, retail and performance rather than relying on court hire alone. For Suntory, that makes Soul Padel an appealing fit for products such as Lucozade Sport and Celsius, which are tied to active, social and health-conscious audiences, while Ribena broadens the offer beyond pure sports performance.

The move lands against a backdrop of rapid venue growth. A PadelNation report dated March 31, 2026 said Soul Padel was preparing to open six covered courts at Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan, in partnership with Wigan Council and the Lawn Tennis Association. Projects like that underline why non-endemic brands are starting to move into padel in the UK: the sport is no longer only adding players, it is building a network of clubs, local partnerships and community touchpoints that can support sustained commercial activation.

For Soul Padel, Suntory’s entry is both a sponsorship win and a marker of where the sport is heading. The operator is no longer only selling time on court; it is selling access to a growing padel audience that major consumer brands are beginning to treat as worth owning.