Anthony Joshua has turned his attention to padel and teamed up with Andy Murray for his new venture.
The former heavyweight world champion boxer, who now looks unlikely to fight Tyson Fury following the Gyspy King’s announcement that he would be hanging up his gloves, has teamed up with tennis great Murray by becoming a co-owner of his Hexagon Cup-winning padel team. Joshua has joined Murray, tennis coach Dani Vallverdu and businessman Arran Yentob as owners of Team AD/vantage as the British squad aim to retain the title they won last year.
They will go up against teams owned by a host of huge names in sport – from football icons Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Robert Lewandowski to Murray’s old foe Rafael Nadal and even F1 driver Pierre Gasly at the second Hexagon Cup, which starts in Madrid January 29. Padel is one of the world’s fastest growing sports and is a mixture of tennis and squash, with players competing in enclosed courts where they can hit the ball off the walls.
Tennis great Murray said: “Having Anthony join Arran, Dani, and I on the leadership team is a huge win for us and will provide us with momentum as we seek to defend our title in Madrid just weeks from now.” Commenting on his decision to get involved, AJ added: “The growth of padel as an international sport has been really impressive and interesting to watch so getting the chance to join Andy and the rest of the ownership team was an opportunity I had to take. I am looking forward to supporting the team as they defend their Hexagon Cup title in Madrid later this month and as they continue to grow and develop.”
Joshua has been out of the ring since a bruising defeat to Daniel Dubois in just five rounds at a packed Wembley Stadium in September, with the 27-year-old dropping the 35-year-old multiple times to retain the IBF heavyweight title. Fans had been eager to see a bout between Joshua and Fury, but those hopes now look over after Fury announced his retirement on January 13 – saying: “I’ve loved every single minute of it.”