A tennis coach has celebrated the launch of four new padel courts at the site where he first picked up a racket.
Chris Evans hailed the opening ceremony of the £350k courts at Eaton Park as a "full-circle moment" as crowds, including the Lord Mayor of Norwich Karen Davis, gathered to mark the occasion.
The facility, funded by the National Tennis Association (NTA), officially opened to the public four weeks ago after nearly five months of construction work.
It has already been used by thousands of locals but Mr Evans, who is the director of the NTA and a tennis coach at Eaton Park, is hoping the celebratory event this week will inspire more people to take up the sport.
He said: "From playing tennis as a boy at Eaton Park, to opening the tennis courts in 2012 and now opening the padel courts in 2026 - it feels quite surreal.
"It has been great seeing people try padel for the first time.
"Our focus is on offering truly accessible padel to the local community."
Padel is a racket sport that originated in Mexico and combines elements of tennis and squash.
Classes will be led at the site by one of five qualified coaches.
Lord Mayor of Norwich Karen Davis added: "Being active is so important for our physical and mental wellbeing, and sport is a great way to bring people together and help build connections in our communities.
"It was a pleasure to attend the opening and see people enjoying the opportunity to get active and try something different."
The courts, each measuring 20.2m by 10.2m, are open daily from 6am to 10pm and bookings can be made through the Playtomic app.
The cost to hire a court is £20 per hour and £10 per hour for members.
Membership is available at £40 per year.
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