Gold for Gunnersbury Student at Pickleball Competition
Theo Malbois wins national junior doubles title
Theo Malbois after his win in Bolton
November 11, 2025
Thirteen-year-old Theo Malbois, who attends Gunnersbury School, added another national title to his growing collection at the 2025 National Pickleball Championships in Bolton, taking gold in the junior 3.5+ doubles at the end of October.
Theo, who lives in Northfields, only picked up a paddle in 2021 but has risen rapidly through the junior ranks. Partnering with friend Thomas Eyres, he impressed spectators and opponents alike with energetic, sportsmanlike play and a knack for encouraging teammates.
“Theo’s positivity on court really stood out,” said a tournament observer. “He and his partner played hard but always with a smile, which is exactly what pickleball is about.” Theo himself called it “my best tournament ever — maybe because I got to start playing with my junior friends from Friday onwards.”
The championships attracted more than 1,300 players from across the country, underscoring how rapidly pickleball has grown in the UK. The sport, a brisk hybrid of tennis, badminton and table tennis played with paddles and a perforated plastic ball on a compact court, is drawing players of all ages and a noticeably stronger cohort of juniors each year.
Pickleball has also become a family affair for the Malbois household. Theo has recently paired with his father Sebastien in 4.0 doubles events after his dad first discovered the game in Los Angeles in 2019. This year the elder Malbois also won gold in the men’s 35+ 4.0 category.
Beyond competition, Theo has been active in promoting the sport locally. He introduced a former primary school friend to pickleball, recently completed certification as a pickleball leader to coach beginners, and his younger brother Ben, 11, has just taken up the game. Local clubs offering sessions include Lightning Pickleball, Club de Pickle and Elthorne, while the newly launched London Pickleball Junior Academy in Roehampton provides coaching and competition pathways for children aged 8–18.
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