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1 year ago
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Hollywood actress Eva Longoria has 'taken her padel game to the next level' as she becomes the latest star to get behind the sport's inaugural tournament, the Hexagon Cup.
The Desperate Housewives actress announced the formation of her franchise, ElevenElevenTeamUSA, which will contest the competition taking place in January and February 2024.
She joins the likes of padel players Alejandra Salazar and Paquito Navarro, tennis greats Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, as well as Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski in owning a team.
An avid fan of the game, Longoria has added the team to her portfolio of sporting investments which includes stakes in NWSL side Angel City FC, Liga MX outfit Necaxa FC and a pickleball team.
Teaming up with Longoria in this new venture is renowned US padel professional Dani Homedes, founder of Dara Sports and owner of the Miami-based Wynwood padel club.
Eva Longoria has launched her new padel team which will contest the inaugural tournament hoisted in Madrid next year
Longoria is an avid fan of the sport and has showcased her talents on the court to her millions of followers on social media
The actress is one of the investors in National Women's Soccer League side Angel City FC
Padel is a rapidly growing sport and there are six million registered players in Spain alone - compared to 89,000 in the UK as of November 2021.
Longoria said: 'I am so proud to launch my own padel team in the Hexagon Cup. This is a sport I am deeply passionate about and love to play, so I can’t wait to share it on a wider international scale.
'The event’s inclusive nature, taking the top male, female and next gen players to form teams which play together equally for success, was something that really attracted me, and I immediately wanted to get involved.'
Six teams will contest the tournament in total, represented by three couples of top men, women, and next-gen players. A prize fund of around £890,000 is up for grabs.
British tennis great Andy Murray confirmed his team for the inaugural tournament last week
Robert Lewandowski admitted he's 'caught the padel fever' since securing a move to Spain
Rafael Nadal was the first global sporting superstar to join the tournament through his academy team after Alejandra Salazar and Paquito Navarro
Sitting outside of the padel tour's calendar, the Hexagon Cup was launched by the founders behind Formula E, Extreme E, and E1.
Murray was the most recent star to announce his involvement last week, explaining that he was keen to help the sport grow in the UK as it has in South America, the Middle East and parts of Europe.
LaLiga star Lewandowski admitted to catching the 'padel fever' after moving to Spain from Germany last season and outlined his desire to take his 'passion to the next level'.
The additions come just weeks after Nadal's Academy Team powered by Richard Mille enrolled. DMG Ventures last month announced its investment in the tournament.
English (US)