Pickleball star Louis Laville revealed it was sweet revenge as he claimed the men’s doubles title at the 2023 English Nationals.

Laville teamed up with Freddie Powell to take gold in Bolton on Saturday, getting past the man who beat both of them in the singles tournament, James Chaudry, and his partner Pep Giuliano.

The duo powered to the title 11-6 11-5 and Laville admitted he was pleased with the way he performed.

“I wouldn’t say I was disappointed on Friday” he said. “James just played absolutely lights out all day and deserved his gold.

“Obviously there was a bit of revenge for me and Fred today. Freddie and I played really well all day, we were really solid.

“In the final we were like we needed to play boring pickleball. We didn’t want to try anything too flashy.

“Flashy is cool but it loses you a lot of points. We knew if we were solid it would be hard for them to get into the point. Overall, I am really happy.”

Over the past year, pickleball has seen a meteoric rise in the UK due to its inclusive and accessible nature, with an estimated 12,000 regular players and over 450 venues offering the sport across the country.

There are now 682 athletes attending the National Championships at the Bolton Arena, up from 430 at the 2022 event.

Laville was one of the early adopters having first played the sport five years ago after his mum picked it up in Florida.

The Wimbledon Pickleball Club player is now one of the best in Europe and is excited by how the sport continues to go from strength to strength.

“It’s absolutely amazing,” he added. “I was here in 2021 and it was a 200-person event. Now it’s full, 650 people, they have had to cap it. It’s unbelievable.

“This venue is not going to be big enough next year so I am sure they will have to find somewhere else.

“It’s so exciting. There are a lot of new and better players coming through which is exciting even though it makes it harder to win!

“The sport is growing hugely. There are 650 people here today and they are all having the best time ever.”

2023 English Nationals takes place at Bolton Arena from Thursday 26th October to Sunday 29th October. This year’s English Nationals is sponsored by Skechers, Franklin, Scan and UK Pickleball Shop, Play will commence from 9am each day. Head to https://www.pickleballengland.org/ to find out more or to find your nearest place to play.