Great Britain's Christian Medina Murphy and Abigail Tordoff won titles with Spanish partners at the LTA Grade 1 R3 Bullpadel Cup in Stratford. The event marked the first of seven Grade 1 tournaments in the 2026 British Tour. Both victors highlighted the high level of competition and enjoyable atmosphere.
The LTA Grade 1 R3 Bullpadel Cup took place at Stratford Padel Club over the weekend prior to March 2, 2026. In the women's draw, top seeds Abigail Tordoff, Britain's number five, and her UK-based Spanish partner Ainhoa Rico secured the title without dropping a set. They advanced past the third-seeded teenagers Chloe De La Mare and Rosie Quirk in the semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-3 victory, then dominated the final against second-seeded British pair Jasmine Dedakia and Laura Jackson, winning 6-0, 6-1.
Tordoff expressed her satisfaction after the win: “It feels amazing to win this tournament. It has been a really enjoyable weekend, very well ran tournament and brilliant to see so many kids on court at the same time. Personally I am really happy with the way that we played and it’s great to see the level getting better and better.”
De La Mare and Quirk, despite their semi-final loss, succeeded in the girls’ under-18 draw, conceding only two games overall. They had previously become the first under-18 girls’ national champions at the inaugural LTA Padel National Championships in December.
On the men's side, British number one Christian Medina Murphy partnered with Spaniard Alberto Garcia Jiminez to claim the title. In the final, they defeated LTA National Padel Champions and second seeds Louie Harris and Alex Loughlan 6-4, 6-2.
Medina Murphy commented: “We are so happy to win the R3 Bullpadel Cup LTA Grade 1. The level of the tournament was really high, and we had to bring our best to every match to make sure that we got the victory. It is great to get the win.”
Co-tournament directors Sam Kemp of R3 and Sam Mole of Stratford Padel Club noted the event's success: “We were really pleased with the level and standard of the entries, and the players did not disappoint over the weekend. We’ve managed to bring the top pro players together alongside the juniors which has been brilliant to watch and created a fantastic atmosphere across the weekend. It was a great event, with big crowds and amazing padel. Thank you to all the players, parents and spectators who supported the event and to our wonderful partners for help making it happen!”
This tournament is the opening event in a series of seven LTA Grade 1 competitions scheduled across England, Scotland, and the Channel Islands for 2026.