Two padel entrepreneurs will launch an innovative racket design this week that aims to reduce the risk of injuries while still delivering performance, as the fast-growing sport passes the 1,000-court mark.

The Queen’s Club-based physiotherapist Wesley Teixeira and his business partner Dom Speciale, launched Bas3line, a racket maker with a focus on injury prevention, in 2022. The pair have worked with a composite engineer at the University of Swansea to design and patent a racket that puts less strain on the arm by introducing a hollow bridge to the frame that reduces the weight.

Teixeira, a chartered physiotherapist, said that as the game — which combines elements of tennis and squash — has increased in popularity over the last five years, he saw regular tennis players picking up injuries, typically ligament strains in the arm.

Bas3line’s latest padel racket has a hollow core, making it lighter than typical rackets on the marketBAS3LINEPadel rackets are more rigid than a tennis racket, the factory grip sizes are typically smaller and the balance is different. He set about designing a lighter-weight premium racket that retains its performance, which he could sell at a similar price to the leading brands on the market.“I was seeing a lot of people at Queen’s with injuries and I just thought I could make a difference by helping people with a product that actually delivers. You could play well without having injuries,” Teixeira said. “It is not that padel rackets in general are bad for you. They are on the heavier side but there are lots of sports where people use heavy equipment. I think it is because people are playing so much.” • Padel is the UK’s new obsession. Meet the companies making it happenLast week the Lawn Tennis Association, the sport’s governing body, said there were now 1,000 padel courts open across 325 venues in the UK, up from only 68 in 2019. Bas3Line’s hollow bridge means its rackets, which are made in Spain, are 20 to 30 grams lighter, without impairing its stability, important for blocking shots and volleying. “Lightweight rackets actually have a bit of a bad reputation, which I think we are going to overcome,” Speciale said.To help fund its expansion, the company has raised £185,000 of a £250,000 planned fundraising, using the tax-efficient seed enterprise investment scheme. Teixeira said: “We are aiming to close the round by the end of August.”