If you said the fastest-growing sport in the world begins with a “P” and ends with an “L,” you’d be correct. But chances are you’d also be wrong.
While the fast-growing sport in the U.S. is Pickleball, the fastest-growing sport in the world is being touted as Padel. Like Pickleball, Padel is a racquet sport. But whereas Pickleball generally is played on a small, open court with a plastic perforated ball and paddle, Padel is played on a smaller, enclosed court with what passically is pressurized tennis ball and fiberglass paddles. Think of it as a cross between tennis and squash.
Created by Enrique Corcuero in 1969 in Acapulco, Padel quickly became popular in other Latin countries – primarily Spain and Argentina. Over the past six years, Padel has grown significantly in the U.S., meaning that worldwide, the sport – typically played in doubles – reaches more than 25 million players in more than 100 countries.
Alex Rebeiz is among the handful of Padel proponents who championing the sport’s growth in the U.S., which currently is estimated to be 90,000 players.
Rebeiz is Owner/CEO of Cascades Tennis Group, which manages Aspen (CO) Meadows Resort’s Racquet Sport Center. One of the few resorts in the country to have a true Padel court, Aspen Meadows’ Racquet Sport Center also has two tennis courts and six pickleball courts.
“No one in town had a Padel court,’’ said Rebeiz, who holds certifications for tennis, pickleball and padel with RSPA, PPR, RPP & USTA (Youth Tennis & Sports Science). He is also a clinician for RPO, a USAP Ambassador, H.S. tennis coach and co-founder of MySportJobs.org.
“At Aspen Meadow, we have 2,500 clients – 300to 400 of whom are Latin. We would try to get our Latin clients to play pickleball … until we announced a padel court. Within one day we had enough bookings (500) to pay for the court,’’ Rebeiz said.
Rebeiz knows something about successful Padel facilities, as he is a partner in Wynwood Padel Club in Miami’s artsy Wynwood neighborhood. One of more popular recreational facilities in South Florida, Wynwood Padel Club features eight courts, a cafe and pro shop.
Rebeiz describes Padel as “More athletic than pickleball and a touch less’’ than tennis.
“It’s accessible and the learning curve is very easy. And it’s family oriented – just like pickleball.’’