Team USA Takes Narrow Lead Over Great Britain in Inaugural Anglo American Padel Cup
TL;DR
Team USA leads Team GB 24-16 after day one of the inaugural Anglo American Padel Cup, setting up a competitive final day with 56 points remaining.
The tournament features Open and Age Group divisions across 96 total points, with Team USA currently leading after winning several close matches on day one.
The event celebrates 174 years of sporting rivalry while building cultural ties through padel, creating new international connections and shared passion for the sport.
The inaugural Anglo American Padel Cup featured dramatic match tiebreaks and emotional national anthem performances, reigniting a historic transatlantic sporting rivalry.
The inaugural Anglo American Padel Cup commenced with Team USA establishing a narrow 24-16 lead over Great Britain after an intense first day of competition at Padel Hub North London. The tournament opened with an emotional ceremony featuring live performances of national anthems by operatic tenor Alexander Wall and welcoming remarks from event co-founders Ben Nichols, Joelle Quinn, and Bill Ullman, who reflected on the 174-year sporting rivalry between the two nations.
Friday's competition featured 10 matches across both Open and Age Group divisions, with Team USA securing several crucial victories in tightly contested encounters. The Americans demonstrated particular strength in close matches, most notably in the Women's 50+ category where Andi Neugarten and Sarah Levy edged their British opponents in a dramatic match tiebreak, winning 7-5, 4-6, (11-9). This victory exemplified the competitive balance that characterized the day's play.
Team GB secured important victories of their own, particularly in the Men's Open division where Cameron Dollimore and Nick Hatchett delivered a commanding 6-4, 6-2 victory over American pair Andrew Herring and Kevin Ye. The British women's team also showed strong form, with Ellie Tait and Laura Jackson securing a crucial win in the Women's Open category that provides momentum heading into Saturday's decisive matches.
Co-founder Bill Ullman emphasized the significance of the event, stating that Day One demonstrated why the Anglo American Cup was created and why it represents an event of its time. The competition has delivered high-level play, national pride, and matches that could have swung either way, reinvigorating the famous historic rivalry through the world's fastest-growing sport. With 50 of the 96 total points still available on Saturday, the outcome remains completely uncertain.
Team GB Women's Open Captain Ellie Tait expressed pride in her team's performance and highlighted the incredible atmosphere and sense of national pride that characterized the event. She noted the unique opportunity to compete while also building camaraderie with American players, sharing the mutual love of padel that brought both teams together. Tait emphasized that with everything still to play for, Team GB will be giving their full effort to bring the trophy home.
Saturday's schedule features the remaining matches worth 56 points, including mixed doubles and featured finals that will ultimately determine which nation claims the inaugural Anglo American Padel Cup. Play begins at 10:00 AM with the Closing Ceremony and Prize Giving scheduled for 19:30. The tournament represents the first chapter in what promises to become an annual tradition, with the United States scheduled to host the 2026 competition according to the event format detailed at https://www.angloamericancup.com. The narrow margin after Day One sets the stage for what promises to be a dramatic conclusion to this historic sporting event.
Curated from citybiz