El Remate

POV: The Only 🇺🇸 at the World's Largest-Ever Padel Tournament

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:38:01 GMT

Bienvenidos a El Remate! I’m Aris, a padel-obsessed Missourian who spent two years living in Argentina and Spain to deeply understand the sport’s strategy, culture, and business. I’ve played and competed across 3 continents and 12 countries, and recently started documenting my journey on Instagram.

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Most of you know the drill by now… every Tuesday, I break down what’s happening in the global padel space from a US POV.

But I also do my fair share of padel travel. I was at the Miami P1 back in March, and that piece landed well enough that when I found myself at the Buenos Aires P1 in mid-May (apparently — per the media registration desk — as the only 🇺🇸 in attendance), I knew I had to write this one too.

Overall, Miami showed me where US padel is, while Buenos Aires showed me where it can be. Both are part of the Premier Padel tour featuring the same players and practically identical prize money, but the sport is embedded in Argentine social life in a way it isn’t Stateside… yet. In the US, padel still feels like something trying to convince you it matters.

Last thing I’ll quickly say, I’m an American who loves this sport and wants it to win at home. Think of this piece as a “here’s what they do right, here’s what we should steal” field report, written by someone who loved being immersed in the havoc, mate, cumbia, puffer coats, and a fan section with drums, horns, and zero interest in letting the poor chair umpire get a word in. I froze my ass off and caught a nasty chest cold, yet would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Anyway, here are my observations from the highest-attended padel tournament ever held:

It’s a completely different atmosphere.

Mate was the stadium’s unofficial sponsor. Hot water, thermoses, yerba, and bombillas were everywhere… I’d estimate ~85% of groups had mate with them. There were official refill stands (~$3 USD per top-up) with super long lines, and signs on trash cans specifically asking people not to dump yerba waste in them. I haven’t seen a beverage and a sporting event this fused anywhere else.

The rampant whistling was also new to me. Miami crowds murmured at tense moments, while Buenos Aires whistled and shouted. I started tracking when it happened and confirmed the pattern with the group next to me: “cuando hay momentos picantes”… aka when things get spicy (i.e., a contentious umpire call, a borderline-intentional body shot, a sloppy unforced error, or players debating something at the net). See what I mean?

In the Spanish-speaking world, padel has its own celebrity fan culture. Argentine rapper/singer Milo J pulled up and hung out with Agustín Tapia, the same way Carlos Alcaraz cameo’d with Arturo Coello in Miami less than seven weeks earlier. This feels like the padel equivalent of celebrities appearing courtside at an NBA game. I can't help but wonder if that ever becomes normal in the English-speaking world. (And no, Derek Jeter and Jimmy Butler don’t count.)

Left: Milo J with Agustín Tapia at this year’s Buenos Aires P1 | Right: Carlos Alcaraz with Arturo Coello at the Miami P1, less than seven weeks before.

Even the technical glitches felt more communal. The scoreboard went black periodically; the crowd booed, then erupted ~10 minutes later when it came back. Outside noise was a real problem too… food stands blasted music mid-point, players complained to the umpire, and spectators were visibly annoyed. I expected a “mature” market like Buenos Aires to run tighter than newbie Miami, but it didn't. Doesn't matter… the crowd still had a blast.

There’s a gigantic infrastructure gap.

Estadio Mary Terán de Weiss is a covered, open-air stadium (so no outside wind, but no heating & cooling either) with a ceiling around 140 feet. I thought the ~45-foot ceiling at the Miami Beach Convention Center was somewhat(?) adequate (though I witnessed the ball clip the ceiling at one point in a women’s round of 32 match), until I watched players here rip lobs 70+ feet up without a second thought. Watch the 8:50 mark of this men’s Round of 16 match, for example, and look how long the ball hangs. The whole rhythm of the point is slower, more deliberate, and requires more geometry to (re)cover. Like it or not, seems like we’ve accidentally embraced low ceilings as a distinguished hallmark of American padel. 🤷‍♂️

The attendee profiles were different too. In Miami, the majority of fans were active padel players and/or those who worked in the space. In Buenos Aires, I talked to tons of people who straight up don’t play. They came for the same reason many Americans who’ve never played baseball still go to MLB games. Clearly, the sport has crossed the barrier from “niche enthusiast product” to “general sports entertainment” in Argentina.

And just like how I’d turn on ESPN to watch an NBA game back home in the States, I can turn on ESPN in Argentina and find Premier Padel. Commentators, match breakdowns, post-match analysis, everything. Meanwhile in the US, our coverage is fragmented across Red Bull, YouTube, and tour-owned platforms that mostly reach people already inside the ecosystem in a “if you know, you know” kinda way. Until padel lands on a major US broadcast network, the fan base will keep recruiting almost exclusively from people who already play.

That gap showed up in the stands too. A Tuesday afternoon Round of 64 here had more people and energy than plenty of the later rounds I watched in Miami, and enough fans to fill Miami’s entire Center Court.

The semifinals drew a world-record 16,920 spectators (more than the final itself) likely thanks to cheaper tickets, a four-match slate instead of two, and more time for the atmosphere to build.

And to my astonishment, the majority of random locals I talked to had no idea the tournament was happening that week. Unlike Miami, they at least knew what padel is, but their reactions were usually somewhere between “they have events like this here?” and “wait, the pros are in town?” Even in one of the most mature padel markets on earth, the gap between people who play and people who follow the pro circuit seems almost as wide as it is in the US. 🤯 However, to give Buenos Aires credit, they installed a pop-up court directly beneath the city’s iconic Obelisco with people playing on it throughout the days leading up. Naturally, tons of folks stopped and watched. If us Americans are looking for a playbook move to steal for future Miami (or other US city) P1s, this is definitely one.

The women get real love here.

In Miami, I noted an uncomfortable crowd gap between men’s and women’s matches (~2-2.5x more fans in the stands for the men). Buenos Aires was a completely different story, with essentially full crowd parity. As a disclaimer, I’d say slightly more bodies were in seats for the men’s matches, but I think that’s a function of tournament scheduling and infamous Argentine punctuality (or rather, lack thereof). Women’s matches always came first; by the time the men started, more people had trickled in. Regardless, I think the difference is negligible and can tell you firsthand the spirit and enthusiasm of the crowd never changed.

Point being, the women’s matches drew huge crowds, noise, and passion. Fellow Argentine (and women’s No. 1) Delfi Brea, in particular, had a paparazzi-like following. Fans were waving signs and sporting Delfi masks, while Bullpadel made Delfi stickers (see below). The US isn’t there yet, but ojalá soon.

The next generation is already built in.

Kids were everywhere, and it was by design. Here, local youth padel schools and federations receive free or heavily subsidized group access. One regional push alone, for example, brought 620 kids across 21 padel schools to a single day of the tournament. This is the perfect playbook for how the long-term fan pipeline takes care of itself. Miami, take notes.

They had how many racket brands?

I walked through a seemingly endless tent of padel racket brands and shot an Instagram reel documenting every brand represented. I’ll let you go watch it and count yourself. TLDR, unless you’re a household name like Bullpadel, Nox, Babolat, Siux, Head, etc., capturing market share must be a steep uphill battle.

Here are additional ideas I'd steal for a US event.

A couple of these you've already read about above, such as the pop-up Obelisco court and youth subsidization. Some extras worth spelling out explicitly:

Silent sponsor graphics instead of looping commercials. Buenos Aires had no commercials through the quarterfinals, and even at the semis and finals, sponsor messaging ran as silent on-screen graphics. Qatar Airways (the main sponsor) still got their point across without being a buzzkill, and the event “breathed” more as a result. Meanwhile, Miami had four sponsor commercials on a loud, repeating loop each day that are now practically tattooed into my brain.
Better VIP seating. This is admittedly pretty petty, but Buenos Aires VIP boxes had couches, tables, and footrests. Miami’s contained four rows of un-cushioned seats.
VIP boxes in Buenos Aires (left) vs. Miami (right)

Here’s where you should sit.

I rotated through virtually every section of the central court stadium over the course of the week, which gave me a pretty clear picture of the viewing experience from each angle. Imo, if you’re close to the court, sit behind the back glass. You get the players’ perspective, you’re not looking through the metal cage (or reja, rather), and the intimacy is unmatched. If you’re farther up, sit on the side; the elevated, horizontal view of the full court gives you a much fuller POV.

You gotta go.

And look, I thought Miami was fun, and I still highly recommend. But seeing the sport in its native habitat is a different kind of education. You understand the context and learn a couple things you can bring back to your local club. You meet folks you’d never cross paths with otherwise. And it creates one hell of a story you’ll have for the rest of your life. As an American who made the pilgrimage, I see Buenos Aires as a “north star” or reminder that the next decade of American padel will require a different kind of infrastructure than the exclusive model most US clubs are currently defaulting to.

I can and will do this again. If you ever want to tag along, hit me up!

— Aris

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

For more on-the-ground 🌎 padel content from a 🇺🇸 POV, follow @padelyanqui on Instagram! 🤝 And if you have any feedback or news to share, just respond to this email :)

Hasta pronto & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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The Kids Aren't Alright

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:30:08 GMT

Each week, I curate what matters in padel: new US club openings, technique tips, my takes on international headlines and pro drama, plus insider knowledge from the global circuit. Subscribe for weekly updates! 📧

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

The Eastern Time Zone is fillin’ in. And the king won a title in his hometown, then his partner turned around and called the conditions “not pretty padel.”

Meanwhile, we’re in the midst of a youth development K-curve. Oh, and a cartel lieutenant thought padel was worth blowing his cover for.

Also in this issue:
— Why “hero smash syndrome” keeps you donating points
— Looks like the UK’s biggest padel problem is similar to ours
— Municipal padel continues its gradual trickle into the US
— What does proper warm-up etiquette look like?

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

Per our friends at Padel Nation, Arena Club is bringing two indoor padel courts to Chattanooga, TN, alongside 12 pickleball courts, a fitness center, rooftop plunge pool, upscale dining, and social spaces. It's a fitting development for a region that was home to one of America's oldest padel courts before it was recently demolished, giving East Tennessee a fresh opportunity to reclaim its place on the American padel map.

Now Open

In metro Detroit, the city of Southgate, MI has officially opened a municipal racquet sports complex featuring one outdoor padel court (for now, given strong municipal interest to add more 😏), alongside six pickleball courts and two tennis courts. The $1.5 million facility also includes lighting, permanent shade structures, and spectator seating. This announcement comes shortly after another municipal court addition in the Texas panhandle.
NY/NJ-based Nicol has officially opened three outdoor padel courts in Fort Monmouth, NJ, marking the next phase of its growing racquet sports community. Founded by former World No. 1 squash player Peter Nicol, the club blends squash, pickleball, and padel, with additional outdoor amenities still under construction.

📈 Up Your Game

Coello Teaches (in English!) How to Avoid “Hero Smash Syndrome”

Just like you and me, even World No. 1 Arturo Coello has fallen victim to trying to force a sexy smash winner when the smart play is still available.

In this 5-minute video, Coello (whose English is quite good!) explains the importance of choosing the right lob to “kill.”

If and when you do decide to go for a smash, first decide the type of outcome you want, which is either (1) a controlled “por tres” setup, or (2) a true winner attempt.

Second, as you go for that smash:

Remember that contact point is king! Whatever you do, do NOT meet the ball low or drifting. You want it at the highest, cleanest point you can reach to give you optimal control, direction, and (of course) power.
Rather than watching the lob and hitting squarely “at” it, rotate so your body is already aligned with where you want the ball to end up.
Legs (not arms) are the engine that generate controlled depth and angle. Thus, no flat feet!
A “70%” smash aimed correctly is more lethal than a “100%” attempt that comes off the glass and resets the point. Direction > power.

TLDR, think critically about which ball is genuinely worth smashing. And when you do decide to pull the trigger, be smart about how you execute. Suerte!

🌍 International Happenings

The Widening Youth Development Gap

The Rafa Nadal Academy just launched a full annual youth padel residency program incorporating an academic curriculum, on-site nutrition, and sport psychology. Based in Mallorca, 🇪🇸, it’s the first program at that scale to treat padel development the way elite tennis has been treated for decades.

An equivalent doesn’t currently exist in 🇺🇸. Right now, the closest thing is Mouratoglou Academy in Zephyrhills, FL, with a year-round tennis-focused boarding school, with five padel courts. They might be gradually looking to replicate their model for padel… but for now, it’s just an amenity inside a tennis academy. And similarly, the internationally-renowned IMG Academy in nearby Bradenton, FL only has padel integrated as a complementary off-court activity and cross-training sport. You also have USPA-endorsed coaching certification programs like RB Padel Academy and Premier Padel’s new global clinics platform tied to tour stops.

What's strange is that similar infrastructure already exists. Mouratoglou, IMG, and dozens of smaller tennis academies have the courts, the boarding, the coaching systems, and junior pipelines. Why hasn’t adding padel-primary development become a bigger trend? Is there still not enough incentive yet?

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Hometown Hero Delivers a Killer Finish (🇪🇸)

The Premier Padel Tour wrapped up the Valladolid P2 with a pair of emotional victories. On the men’s side, world No. 1s Coello / Tapia continued their dominant run, defeating rivals Chingotto / Galán 6-4, 6-3 to claim their fifth title of the season and third consecutive championship. The victory carried extra significance for Coello, a Valladolid native, who celebrated the trophy alongside family and friends in the iconic Plaza Mayor. Highlights here.

Despite the win, Tapia offered an interesting critique of the tournament conditions. With soaring temperatures causing the ball to fly (thus causing points to end quickly), he argued that the ultra-fast court speed took away from the sport's tactical side, calling it “not pretty padel.”

On the women’s side, González / Josemaría returned to the winner’s circle with a convincing 6-4, 6-2 dub over Sánchez / Ustero. After seeing their five-tournament winning streak snapped in Rome, González and Josemaría responded in style to capture their sixth title of the season. Highlights here.

With Valladolid now in the books, the tour wastes no time shifting its attention to the Bordeaux P2.

🎯 Quick Hits

After 30+ years as the “United States Padel Association,” the US’ national governing body just officially rebranded as USA Padel. The move signals a new era for American padel, with leadership teasing major partnerships, new programs, and platform investments as rapid growth continues. (🇺🇸)
The 2026 UK Padel Report just came out, highlighting the sport’s nationwide bottleneck: turning “trial players” into habitual ones through better pricing and venue design. With peak-hour courts averaging ~£42/hr, but players’ willingness to pay clustering far lower, operators now face a clear tension between commercial returns and building a sustainable, mass participation sport. This sounds eerily familiar to what we have Stateside… (🇬🇧)
Premier Padel just launched its own podcast (in Spanish), dubbed “Bandeja de Premier Padel,” with the first episode released this past week. (🌎)
Four of America's top collegiate players will represent the US at the 2026 FISU World University Padel Championship in Málaga. Suerte! (🇺🇸,🇪🇸)
Just in time for the fourth, Babolat is launching a USA-exclusive “red, white, and blue” racket collection. (🇺🇸)
An organized crime group lieutenant resurfaced in plain sight within Dubai’s competitive padel circuit. Guess hiding takes a back seat when the addiction’s calling 🤷‍♂️ (🇮🇪,🇦🇪)
Turns out, Lionel Messi has confirmed his favorite sport outside of soccer is padel. (🇦🇷)
Players debate: what is proper warm-up etiquette?

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 La Massana, 🇦🇩
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

For more on-the-ground 🌎 padel content from a 🇺🇸 POV, follow @padelyanqui on Instagram! And if you have any feedback, news to share, or are interested in becoming a preferred partner of El Remate, just respond to this email :)

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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What the Players Say vs. What Gets Announced

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 10:34:53 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

The World No. 1 openly wants to wear the Swoosh. Closer to home, Brooklyn is getting a padel venue with a rooftop. Plus, women’s padel growth… real, or just PR?

Also in this issue:
— How to optimally read tricky serves
— Alcaraz makes another cameo
— Venue drama on the pro circuit
— Miami is the US padel capital, but what about the UK?

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

In Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood, BK Padel just signed a 10-year lease for 38,000 square feet, with the space split across a ground floor, mezzanine, and (notably) a rooftop that could make this one of the few padel venues in NYC with outdoor play. The deal repositions a long-vacant retail building into what brokers described as a “large-scale, nontraditional retail space.” BK Padel has no public website yet, so court count and opening timeline are still unconfirmed.
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📈 Up Your Game

What Good Players Do Against Tricky Serves

Turns out, there’s no such thing as an unreturnable serve.

In this <10 minute video, Coach Sandy from The Padel School (who is now a key voice on the Premier Padel tour) says most players struggle with spin serves because they react to the bounce instead of reading the spin before it happens.

There are only three types of spin you need to understand:

Slice: The ball stays low after the glass
Topspin: The ball kicks higher after the glass
Sidespin: The ball changes direction after the bounce

The key is to watch your opponent’s racket path. If they’re brushing down, slice. If they’re brushing up, topspin. If they’re coming across the ball, sidespin.

Once you identify the spin, your positioning becomes much easier:

Slice: Move closer to the glass because the ball will stay low.
Topspin: Give yourself more space because the ball will jump higher.
Sidespin: Anticipate the change in angle instead of letting it surprise you.

However… reading the spin is only half the equation. You still need a split step as your opponent makes contact, early preparation, good footwork, and a solid continental grip. Leaning forward as you anticipate the serve can also do wonders.

Lastly, remember that the pros rarely hit outright aces. So next time you face an opponent with a tricky serve, know that you’re fully capable of hitting a great return!

🌍 International Happenings

One Pro’s Reality vs. One Region’s PR (🌎🇨🇭🇶🇦)

A few weeks ago, I casually asked a a friend on the women’s Premier Padel circuit about her favorite and least favorite destinations to play. She didn’t hesitate to tell me her least favorite, which was “anywhere in the Middle East.” While fans there come in droves for the men, it’s practically crickets for the women.

So it was interesting timing when last week, Qatar Sports Investments brought women’s padel to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. There, QSI Chairman Nasser Al-Khelaïfi called for every girl to have access to sport. And on behalf of the International Padel Players Association (an association that promotes the development of women’s padel worldwide, currently led by world No. 1 Gemma Triay), Maria Teixidor highlighted the progress the women’s game has made (i.e., equal prize money at 90% of tournaments, world-class venues, same facilities as the men).

All true. And even Al-Khelaïfi himself admitted that economic sustainability for the women’s game is “still a long way from being achieved.”

But after seeing this, I candidly can’t help but wonder if this is genuine progress or a well-staged photo op. Maybe it’s some of both. Either way, it’s worth tracking whether Premier Padel stops in the Middle East (and elsewhere) start filling stands for the women, not whether a room can get filled in Geneva.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Reserve Cup Marbella Wraps In Style (🇪🇸)

The second edition of the exhibition-filled Reserve Cup Marbella concluded at Puente Romano, with Team Sierra Blanca Estates crowned champions across a $700K prize pool. The headline match featured Alejandro Galán and Leo Augsburger, the “all-natural-backhand experiment,” making their debut as a pair. They jumped out to a 6-1 lead against Arturo Coello and Javi Garrido before completely unraveling, ultimately losing the super tie-break 10-5. Highlights here.

Coello (MVP) and Lara Arruabarrena (MVP) took the individual honors. The tournament also debuted a women’s draw this year, which landed well. At the awards ceremony, Marbella’s Deputy Mayor announced the event is locked in through 2030.

Carlos Alcaraz showed up too. Still rehabbing his wrist (he’ll miss Wimbledon), the world tennis No. 2 spent Thursday courtside next to Reserve founder Wayne Boich

Pregamin’ the Valladolid P2, feat. the Elephant in the Plaza (🇪🇸)

Premier Padel heads to Valladolid this week, where Coello / Tapia return to defend their title in Coello’s hometown across a ~€265K prize pool.

Off-court, things are a bit awkward… local political groups are publicly opposing the event’s use of the 16th-century Plaza Mayor as the venue, citing heritage impact, four weeks of disruption for setup/teardown, and a €1M public subsidy for one week of competition.

🎯 Quick Hits

Last week, reports suggested Nike was targeting Agustín Tapia as the face of its planned entry into padel. This week, NOX, Tapia's current sponsor, acknowledged that Nike approached the World No. 1, while Tapia himself called the prospect of joining the Swoosh “a dream.” (🇺🇸🇪🇸🇦🇷)
As padel scales across North America, Bounce Padel Courts, a court manufacturer and installer, has partnered with global sports surface supplier Mondo to integrate performance turf into its North American installations. (🇨🇦🇮🇹)
It’s pretty clear that Miami is the US’ padel capital. But what about in the UK? With 38 clubs and 145 courts, this city punches well above its weight. (🇬🇧)
Dealing with chronic blisters? Players discuss surprisingly practical fixes here.

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Valparaíso, 🇨🇱
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Nike Wants Padel's Best Player. But He's Already Taken(?)

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:40:10 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Nike is finally entering the sport, with a 2027 launch on the table… and its first signature target is reportedly none other than world No. 1 Agustín Tapia. But what about Tapia’s deal with NOX?

We’ve got the full story below.

Also in this issue:
— FIP rewrote the 2027 rulebook, and American players caught a break
— Stop hitting bandejas that bounce like beach balls
— Handshake & future teammate drama
— Publicly funded courts finally hit the US!

…and plenty more. Game, set, let’s go!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

Down in Wellington, FL (66 miles north of Miami), R&B Sports Center is developing a private, invitation-only sports and wellness campus. Slated to open in 2027, the project will feature padel courts alongside tennis facilities (including an indoor clay court), plus recovery amenities, a music studio, café, martial arts space, skate ramps, and a pump track. Founded by renowned tennis coaches Betsy Nagelsen McCormack and Rodrigo Nascimento, the club hopes to emphasize youth development, mentorship, and creating pathways for aspiring athletes.

Now Open

Austin, TX-based Padel39 just held the grand opening for its long-anticipated East Austin flagship location, officially becoming the largest padel club in Texas (yeehaw!). The facility brings 12 outdoor padel courts (including four covered courts and a dedicated singles/training court) to one of 🇺🇸's fastest-growing padel markets, while combining padel with fitness, wellness, and food & beverage offerings.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

It’s no secret padel’s biggest problem in the US is accessibility, not demand. That gap is part of what gives the sport its “elitist” perception in our country. But fortunately, in Amarillo, TX, publicly funded courts, nonprofit leadership, and community-first programming are now offering a very different blueprint for how the sport can scale. America is finally starting to copy the European blueprint, and the he future is looking bright!
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📈 Up Your Game

Stop Hitting Bouncy Bandejas

I’ve been noticing this a lot with my game recently, but I constantly find my bandejas hitting the opponent’s glass and popping up like a beach ball, suddenly teeing up an attacking shot for them. 🤦‍♂️

In this 8-minute video, coach Sandy from The Padel School indicates the problem is usually insufficient movement that happens before the swing.

Most rec players watch the lob instead of reacting to it. They see the ball go up, admire its flight for a second too long, and then start shuffling backward with tiny steps. By the time they arrive, they’re late, cramped, and forced to contact the ball behind their body.

The result is an open racket face, an upward swing path, and a bandeja that sits up begging to be punished.

THE FIX: move before you think you need to.

As soon as you recognize the lob, split step, pivot, and use a few explosive crossover steps to get behind the ball.
Your goal is to create enough space so you can strike it comfortably in front of your body.
- Once you’re there, remember this: “High racket, low finish.”
Start with the racket above the ball, let it travel slightly downward through contact, and keep the trajectory relatively flat. Add a touch of slice and you’ll produce the kind of low-skidding bandeja that buys time to reclaim the net.

Suerte a todos!

🌍 International Happenings

A New Rulebook, With 🇺🇸 Players In Mind

During the Italy Major in Rome, FIP and Premier Padel came up with a package of changes for 2027, which were officially announced this week.

Before we break this down, you (rightfully) might be asking why these rules seem so fickle when organized pro padel has already been around for 21 years. What you might not know, however, is that over these 21 years, pro padel has been rebuilt three times:

Pro Padel Tour (2005-12)
World Padel Tour (2013-23)
And now, the FIP-governed Premier Padel (2024-present)
- Within this current era, we’re only in year three. And unlike these prior two eras, padel is seeing rampant worldwide player & fan growth, which significantly complicates things. So yes, we’re in a new stage of “infancy,” hence these frequent regulatory changes.

So with that all said, here’s what’s coming in 2027 for the pro circuit:

The world’s best players can no longer “play down” in FIP’s lower tiers (Gold, Silver, Bronze) to (1) pick up extra ranking points and/or (2) stay sharp between Premier Padel stops… those tiers now belong to players still climbing the ladder.
1. This is a big deal for rising 🇺🇸 players, as the CUPRA FIP Tour only arrived in the US for the first time in October 2025 (FIP Bronze Austin, followed weeks later by FIP Silver San Diego… then Miami got its own FIP Bronze debut this past May). The USPA is now recruiting more US clubs to host FIP events off the back of that momentum.
  1. Point being, these entry-level events are exactly where an American player starts building FIP ranking points. Until next year, a top-20 pro from Spain or Argentina can parachute into one of these and torch an American tournament by knocking out the top locals in round one.
FIP is trimming the number of ranking-based tournaments from 22 to 21. Players pleaded for this to ease travel and boost recovery. However, almost everyone else in the room (i.e., promoters, broadcasters, commercial partners) wanted the opposite, arguing padel needs more exposure in new markets to support its Olympic push. 😬 TBD on how this one holds up…
To offset the decrease in ranking-based tournaments, FIP increased the ranking points awarded for early-round exits across the board. At the Majors, for example, a round-of-32 finish now earns 50 points instead of 35.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Women’s Upsets & Men’s Drama Hit the Valencia P1

On the men’s side, Coello / Tapia made it four titles on the season, but this one came the hard way. Down 5-1 in the deciding tiebreak against No. 2 Chingalán, the world No. 1s clawed back to win 6-7, 6-1, 7-6. Coello called it his 50th career title; Tapia credited the run to the work they’ve put in since Buenos Aires, after which we had significant concerns about his health and performance. Highlights here.

Things got tense in the semis, when Galán refused to shake Lebrón's hand after a heated on-court exchange mid-match. Now, just days later, the tour heads to the Reserve Cup in Marbella (June 18-20), where Galán will temporarily partner with Lebrón's regular teammate, Leo Augsburger (a player Galán had his own skirmish with a few months back). The exhibition at Puente Romano also features a new women's division headlined by World No. 1 Delfi Brea.

On the women’s side, No. 3s Sánchez / Ustero avenged their Rome finals loss, beating No. 4s Fernández / Araújo 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 for their second title of the year. However, what’s worth noting is who didn’t make the final. No. 2s González / Josemaría (winners of five straight titles, a record no women’s pair had hit before) were knocked out in the quarters by Ortega / Calvo, who’d lost to them four times this season. Meanwhile, No. 1s and Italy Major Champions Triay / Brea, got knocked out in the semifinals by Sánchez / Ustero, ending their steak of 13 consecutive finals. Highlights here.

And Alas… Nike Is Finally Entering Padel

The Oregon-based brand is finally making its long-rumored entry into padel, targeting a 2027 launch… and Tapia is the centerpiece signing they’re chasing. Nike scouts were reportedly on the ground in Buenos Aires and Rome this season. Tapia’s current deal with NOX runs through 2028 with a steep buyout, so any move likely waits… but a three-way arrangement (i.e., NOX racket, Nike apparel/footwear) isn’t off the table. 👀

🎯 Quick Hits

Our friends at Padel Nation released a guest article from Eric Loftus (who serves on the board of the American Sports Builders Association, among many other things) questioning the legality of outdoor padel courts in the US. (🇺🇸)
Padel is coming back to the Hamptons in Bridgehampton, NY for a Pro-Am charity showdown in early August, blending competition with poolside luxury. The event drives impact through The Brady Hunter Foundation, funding animal rescue, child welfare, and environmental initiatives. (🇺🇸)
The United States Padel Association has declared October as “national padel month” in an effort to take padel from rapid infrastructure expansion into scalable player adoption at the community level. (🇺🇸)
Padel Belgium has officially joined the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee. With this addition, the Belgian Olympic Committee now represents 86 national sports federations. (🇧🇪)
Spicy debate: Should players be allowed to wipe sweaty hands on the glass between points? While some call it unhygienic and distracting, others argue it’s standard practice, and even used at the pro level without controversy.

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Santiago de los Caballeros, 🇩🇴
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

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See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Watching Tapia vs. Being Tapia

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 11:37:56 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Utah just got its first all-in-one racquet sports destination, while Chicago-native Pope Leo XIV caught the padel bug.

Meanwhile, most of the UK’s 1M+ players can’t name a single top-10 pro. But neither can most American players. Is padel building a player base while neglecting a fanbase?

Also in this issue:
— Why you’re too chicken to bury the weak ball
— Premier Padel’s longest match ever (+ what happened the next day)
— Headed to Paris this summer?
— Free padel courts to schools… could be a genius play

…and plenty more. Dale campeón!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Now Open

Just weeks after announcing its arrival, Utah City Racquet Club is officially opening its doors this Saturday (June 13) in Vineyard, UT (40-minute drive from Salt Lake City). Operated by LA-based LVBL, the facility brings together four padel courts, six pickleball courts, and two tennis courts in what the club describes as “Utah’s first all-in-one racquet sports destination.” The grand opening will feature free community programming for all levels, Wilson demo racquets, live music, and giveaways.

📈 Up Your Game

Why Didn’t You Just Finish the Point Already?

You’ve worked your way to the net. Your opponents are scrambling and send back a weak ball. But then... nothing happens because you play it safe, they recover, and suddenly you’re defending again :(

This <9-minute video from our friends at The Padel School details five ways to convert more of those opportunities into points:

Use the middle to create space. Instead of forcing low-percentage winners into the corners, play controlled volleys through the middle. When both opponents move toward the same ball, gaps open up elsewhere on the court.
Anticipate before the ball arrives. Pay closer attention to your opponents’ body position and racket preparation. If they’re stretched low, expect a defensive lob. If they’re scrambling, start preparing for the next attack before they even make contact.
Keep your feet alive. Instead of admiring your setup shot, stay on your toes, split-step, and move forward aggressively when a weak reply is coming. The extra meter you take away can be the difference between pressure and a reset.
Hit down on attacking shots. Whether it’s a volley, vibora, or overhead, the goal is making the ball stay low after the bounce (NOT maximum power). Players who contact from above the ball and work downward create much more difficult shots to defend.
Commit to your decision. Half-committed shots are often worse than the wrong shot. Select your shot and fully commit.

Overall, as your level rises, finishing points actually requires more patience. Even the pros may need 30+ shots to create the opening they’re looking for. Your job is to recognize the opportunities you’ve already created and capitalize when they finally arrive.

🌍 International Happenings

Can Pro Padel Build a Major Fanbase?

Per a Q&A with UK Padel’s CEO that dropped this week, most of the UK’s 1M+ players can’t name a single top-10 pro. As an American, I don’t think much of the US’ purported 1M+ players can either.

Easy to blame the language barrier. But many players and operators I’ve spoken with across Spain and Argentina say it’s a similar dynamic, even in their own countries. One line I heard recently sums it up:

“No one wants to watch Tapia. They want to be Tapia.”

Will padel’s viewership ceiling look a lot like pickleball’s, which has been floundering for years despite massive player growth? (More on this here and here.)

In North America, the Pro Padel League’s franchise format is the most serious attempt I’ve seen to crack this. Mixed pairings across ranking levels create genuine uncertainty, such that you can’t just pencil in Chingalán and move on. This’ll be worth watching, as the season opens July 9 in New York City.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Rome Restores the Hierarchy (🇮🇹)

On both the men’s and women’s sides, the world No. 1 pairs arrived at the Italy Major carrying unusual baggage. Coello / Tapia had lost four straight matches to No. 2 Chingalán, while Brea / Triay had lost five consecutive finals to No. 2 Josemaría / González. By Sunday night, both storylines were over.

In the women’s final, Brea / Triay defeated Sánchez / Ustero 6-1, 7-5 to defend their Rome crown from last year. But the scoreline doesn’t tell the full story... Sánchez / Ustero entered the match <24 hours removed from a grueling 4-hour, 12-minute semifinal… the longest match in Premier Padel history (highlights here). Highlights from final here.

In yet another chapter of the sport’s biggest rivalry on the men’s side, Chingalán were chasing a third consecutive Rome title. Instead, Coello / Tapia produced one of their cleanest performances of the season to capture their first title since Cancún, winning 7-5, 7-6 behind a superior winners-to-errors ratio (58 winners, 21 unforced errors). Mind you, this all follows our deep concerns regarding Tapia’s health. Highlights here.

Finally, another milestone came from Giulia Dal Pozzo, who became the first Italian woman to reach a Major semifinal.

🎯 Quick Hits

Chicago native Pope Leo XIV welcomed FIP President Luigi Carraro and pro veteran Paquito Navarro at the Vatican during the Italy Major. (🇻🇦)
Headed to Paris this summer? You can now play padel beneath the Eiffel Tower. The city’s 4PADEL Gustave court returns for its longest run, operating through September. (🇫🇷)
Irish operator Padel 100 is offering schools free padel courts, then monetizing public bookings outside school hours and sharing revenue back with the schools. (🇮🇪)
Players debate: honestly, why is beer so popular right after a game?

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Dar es Salaam, 🇹🇿
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

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See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Proceed With Caution

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 11:22:52 GMT

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This last week, I was in Barcelona for the Padel World Summit (which was, I think, the first time I've seen the global supply chain in one space). Court builders, AI cameras, booking software, ball re-pressurizers, and everything in-between. There’s clearly a lot of hype around the sport, with the ecosystem filling in fast. The event boasted 7,208 professional attendees (up 20% vs. 2025), and 140 exhibitors from 30+ countries.

Also, huge thanks to my friends Jamie & Charlie at World Padel Network & Vibra Travel (respectively) for hosting a kickass event at the renowned Bela Center! Anyway, onward with the weekly rundown.

🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

The 2026 Playtomic Global Padel Report just dropped, but proceed with caution.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Time Zone is getting showered with fresh courts, while American youth finally hop in on the action. And the No. 1s have their backs against the wall headed into Rome.

Also in this issue:
— Diligencing America’s true padel appetite
— Your backhand gets therapy
— Pro loopholes get exposed
— European soccer’s padel love affair
— Is padel elitist?

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

DUS Padel is bringing a premium, wellness-focused approach to West Palm Beach, FL with a new 26,000-square-foot indoor facility. The club will feature five courts, an organic café, recovery amenities including saunas and cold plunges, and the first official NOX Pro Shop in the US. The founders are positioning it as a true “third place” where members can play, recover, work, socialize, and attend events under one roof. Construction is underway!
Aside from clubs, we’ve seen padel pop up in US hotels, country clubs, residences, and now… offices! One of Manhattan’s most ambitious developments is set to include the only regulation-size padel court inside an office building. The planned 46-story, 850,000-square-foot tower will be just one block from Grand Central. The padel court will be part of a luxury wellness center featuring a tenant-only fitness club and spa-quality locker rooms. The project’s opening timeline has not yet been announced.

Now Open

In metro Miami, North Bay Village, FL is opening the Brent W. Latham Community Center this Thursday. Developed in partnership with the Argentine Football Association, the site includes two padel courts alongside four pickleball courts, a 11v11 soccer field, and several multi-purpose athletic zones.
Club Padel Newtown just opened outside Cincinnati in Newtown, OH, marking the metro area’s first dedicated outdoor padel facility in a region otherwise dominated by indoor and hybrid padel-pickleball setups. The club features four panoramic outdoor courts, alongside a full clubhouse with locker rooms, lounge space, and a pro shop. The club is rolling out leagues, clinics, junior programs, and tournaments, with booking already live via Playtomic.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

SLC Padel Club owner Pedro Bautista brought padel directly to local K-8 recess periods, introducing hundreds of kids to the sport.
A proposed temporary padel court at Rolling Hills Country Club has been pulled into the broader pickleball noise litigation saga in Wilton, CT, triggering a required public hearing as officials move to avoid inconsistent treatment across similar racquet-sport cases.
Padel Pals in Mesa, AZ is hosting an indoor, climate-controlled summer camp for children ages 6-12.

📈 Up Your Game

The Backhand: From Weakness to Weapon

Not sure about y’all, but my backhand sucks, and this 10-minute video was a game-changer. I (desperately) took some detailed notes, breaking it down into four areas where players often struggle:

Mistake #1: You’re leading with the grip
- Tennis players especially, listen up! Most players prepare the backhand by putting the face of the racket toward the side fence instead of pointing it at the net. As a result, you end up generating power with your wrist instead of your arm… which means inconsistency, unintentional slice, and if you keep it up long enough, a nasty wrist injury.
  - The fix: racket face toward the net from the start, wrist fully locked, push forward with your arm and shoulder. (The wrist is not invited to this party.)
Mistake #2: You’re lifting too early
- After contact, the racket goes up too fast instead of following through in the direction of the net. The shot bleeds pace, picks up unwanted topspin, and lands shorter than you intended (aka, right in your opponent’s wheelhouse).
  - The fix: imagine your racket traveling along the white net tape after contact. Push forward (not upward).
Mistake #3: Your feet are square
- Hitting with both feet on the same line robs you of body weight transfer. You end up muscling the ball with your arm alone, which is both weak and imprecise.
  - The fix: left foot back (for righties), body slightly open. That hip rotation is where your power actually lives.
Mistake #4: Your racket preparation height is wrong
- Preparing above ball level creates slice, while preparing below it creates topspin. Neither is what you want on a clean backhand drive.
  - The fix: You want the racket meeting the ball at the same height it arrives (i.e., flat contact, full control). When executed correctly, the ball jumps off the racket with less effort and goes exactly where you wanted it.

While you can get away with these mistakes at low speed, the faster the ball comes, the more your backhand weaknesses are exposed. As a final note, start with mistake #1; the others are downstream of it. Suerte che!

🌍 International Happenings

Wake Up Bro, We Just Got More Global Data! Here’s My Blunt Take.

So the 2026 Playtomic Global Padel Report (co-produced with my former employer Strategy&) dropped this week (which you can access here). If you follow this space, reading this is a must, but please take everything with a grain of salt! Many investors last year were hyper-skeptic on a few stats, notably the “92% player retention” metric.

Globally, the headline numbers include nearly 5,000 new clubs and 8,000 new courts added in 2025, bringing 🌎 totals to 20,900+ clubs, 58,300 courts, and 19.4 million players. 🇺🇸 is classified as a “Diamond in the Rough” (i.e., early stage, high potential, adding 250 clubs and 330 courts in 2025).

Here’s where I get cautious, especially given my international playing POV. The report heavily pushes a “Third Space” thesis (e.g., saunas, cold plunges, recovery zones). To me, that model makes sense for a narrow slice of operators. Sure, if you’re in a cosmopolitan (semi-)urban center with 3-4 courts and high rent, stacking amenities is a survival mechanism. But I feel like we’re like we’re using this as a universal blueprint nationwide, which can get hella misleading.

I came across a great Reddit thread this week, debating whether padel clubs are over-indexing on wellness. The top-voted comment was: “The main driver is always community, not amenities… My coach is there… they run 24 leagues… [and] that club just becomes your second home.” Community and programming seem to be where the money is, much more so than cold plunges.

Another idea-inducing comment I read: someone mentioned their club just has a pool table. People stick around, grab a beer / smoothie, and play a game or three after their match. I love this idea because it’s low cost, there’s no operational complexity, it doesn’t take up much space, and it builds the kind of community culture many US clubs are desperately missing.

To me, while there’s 100% a need for luxury padel, most US clubs would be better off prioritizing tight leagues, tournaments, and beginner clinics at prices people can afford to play 3x+ a week to actually get good, rather than chasing a “wellness” arms race that inflates prices, shrinks the addressable market, and slows adoption… especially amid a declining US consumer market.

Lastly, I’ll also flag that per the report, the US leads the global market pricing-wise at “€92 per average booking” (which seems to suggest per court reservation, not per-player). Virtually every American club runs on a membership model, meaning players are paying a fixed monthly fee on top of court fees. This isn’t broken down in a per-session booking figure. To me, the real all-in cost for a court reservation in the US seems substantially higher than €92 suggests. In mature markets like Spain and Italy, membership models are rare, and clubs compete openly on court price + quality alone. That’s a very different business model, so broadly comparing these booking prices across countries without providing the methodology raises more questions than answers.

Overall, the direction is right and there’s certainly growth, but please proceed cautiously. There’s tons of marketing that overhypes this sport as an asset class, and I don’t want anyone getting hurt.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Pregamin’ the Italy Major

The Premier Padel tour shifts to Rome this week, where the BNL Italy Major kicks off this week at the iconic Foro Italico.

On the men’s side, all eyes remain on the battle between flailing world No. 1s Coello / Tapia and the red-hot No. 2s Galán / Chingotto, who have already collected five titles this season and won the last two Rome finals. Another major storyline is the long-awaited reunion of Navarro / Di Nenno. Once one of padel’s most beloved partnerships, the pair reunites after Di Nenno’s difficult start to the season, with the Argentine already saying he believes Paquito can help bring back his best level.

The women’s draw may be harder to predict. While Triay / Brea enter as the top-ranked pair, Josemaría / González have won the last five tournaments on the calendar, repeatedly defeating the world No. 1s and arriving in Rome with enormous momentum.

Some Albanian Drama

While Premier Padel paused, several top players took advantage of the FIP Platinum Albania to chase valuable ranking points and match reps ahead of Rome. Stupaczuk / Yanguas captured the title, earning their first trophy of the season heading into the Italy Major. Despite the world No. 3 pair lifting the trophy, social media pointed to visible frustration and uneven on-court chemistry during key moments.

Meanwhile, Iñigo Jofre drew criticism after partnering with Hong Kong’s Lok Hei Jamie Yau, a player ranked outside the world’s top 900 who gained direct entry through the “combined ranking system.” The pairing reignited debate about loopholes in the FIP registration process, though Jofre defended the decision, insisting the duo had followed all rules.

Finally, if you’re a Premier Padel obsessionist like me and want more English-speaking intel on the pro scene, check out The Padel Report here!

🎯 Quick Hits

What does a mature 🇺🇸 padel market actually look like? Our friends at Padel Nation crunched the numbers and came to a provocative conclusion: America’s court ceiling may be far higher than skeptics think, but far lower than the industry’s loudest evangelists predict.
Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme is proposing turning the club’s training complex into a massive sports and social hub with 40+ padel and tennis courts. (🇪🇸)
Premier Padel and Red Bull have launched the sport’s first major mobile game, letting fans compete online, build clubs, and climb from local leagues to the Majors. (🌎)
As Budapest prepared to host the UEFA Champions League Final, Premier Padel Chairman / Paris Saint-Germain President Nasser Al-Khelaïfi brought together figures from across the sports industry for a game of padel. (🇭🇺🇪🇺)
Is padel elitist? While some players point to expensive gear, ranking apps, and finance-heavy club scenes, others argue it’s simply a fast-growing sport going through the same social stratification cycle as tennis, cycling, and golf.

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Vientiane, 🇱🇦
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Well That Escalated Quickly

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 26 May 2026 10:22:28 GMT

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Greetings from Barcelona! 🇪🇸

I’m here for the Padel World Summit, a three-day trade event bringing together 140 exhibitors from 30+ countries across court construction, technology, retail, and investment.

I’ll be spending most of my time meeting builders in the space and getting a refined read on where the puck is headed globally. If you’re here too, let’s link!

🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

A major tech hub is finally getting its first padel court, while a 130-year-old tennis institution just installed a few glass walls. And somewhere in between, a tour veteran called his current partner the best he’s ever had.

Meanwhile, and a Top-10 tennis pro just took a shot at the entire sport, but fear not… folks clapped back fast.

Also in this issue:
— The secret formula to winning with a weaker partner
— The No. 1s are this close to getting overthrown
— Tech M&A comes for padel
— Buenos Aires asks for seconds, but the money says nope
— When will the US get its first World Top 25 player?

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Coming Soon

Winter’s Over, But the Padel Avalanche Continues

More courts are landing in the Beehive State! Over in Vineyard, UT (40-minute drive from Salt Lake City), the new Utah City Racquet Club is coming next month inside the massive 700-acre “Utah City” urban development, bringing four padel courts, six pickleball courts, and two tennis courts. The club is positioning as a next-gen social hub blending padel, music, food, fitness, and community aimed squarely at younger players. Meanwhile, LA-based LVBL (known for blending racquet sports with social programming, music, and hospitality-style experiences) will operate the facility.

Now Open

Historic Landmark Gets a Glass Wall

This is a big one. Over in New York, NY, The West Side Tennis Club — founded in 1892 in Forest Hills, Queens, former home of the US Open, and one of the most storied racquet clubs in America — just installed its first padel court, a regulation Mundial from Padel Galis. The club already boasts nearly 40 tennis courts across all four surface types. The court is members-only through June, when guest access and programming open up.

Nearly Sold Out Upon Arrival

Poor Seattle, it waited forever for padel. Now the city can’t book courts fast enough. Jam Padel is opening the city’s first padel facility with a three-court pop-up in Bellevue’s Spring District, running a four-month activation right next to Meta’s campus. The club is rolling out free intro classes and limited founding memberships, with the pop-up acting as the first step toward a permanent Seattle footprint. Founder Pablo Arcuschin is already scouting long-term expansion, including a 25,000-square-foot space in the city’s Ballard neighborhood and plans for multiple additional locations across the region.

First Dedicated Spot in the State

Since our March preview, Foundry Padel has officially opened in Portland, OR’s Cathedral Park neighborhood, bringing Oregon its first dedicated padel facility. The 13,800 sq ft indoor club features four panoramic courts with ~45-foot ceilings, plus a café, pro shop, and mezzanine social spaces.

📈 Up Your Game

How to Win with a Weaker Partner

Like anyone else out there, you probably find yourself getting roped into playing with a weaker partner… again. It’s either too awkward to decline, or you’re unable to find stronger players to hit with. So you begrudgingly accept.

Mid-game, your mood shifts and your opponents notice it too. And you become rightfully frustrated that every important ball is now going straight to your partner (aka “the fridge”).

In this 12-minute video, this Coach Gonzalo from Padel Drive says this is one of the most misunderstood situations in padel because most players react emotionally (vs. strategically).

The hard pill to swallow is that if you constantly think you’re “stuck” with weaker partners, you might not be as strong as you think. Better players tend to get invited by better players. If that’s not happening consistently, there’s probably a gap in your own game too.

Still, mismatched pairings happen all the time. The key is understanding the three dynamics unfolding on court:

Your opponents simplify the match by targeting your partner nonstop.
You start overplaying because you feel pressure to “save” every point.
Your partner either gets overwhelmed… or checks out completely because they assume you’ll carry them.

That combination creates the perfect recipe for frustration.

My notes on how to work around this:

Stop coaching mid-match
1. Nothing destroys chemistry and mental toughness faster than technical advice during a game. No one is rebuilding their mechanics during a third-set tiebreak. Keep strategy simple and forget technique!
2. Instead, give them one simple objective, like “lob the red shirt” or “target the middle at net.”
The faster you emotionally accept that your partner will see 70% of the balls, the less frustrated you become. Remember, this sport is incredibly mental.
Don’t become a superhero
1. Ex) You finally touch the ball after four straight rallies to your partner… and immediately try to hit a spectacular winner. Now you’re missing too.
  1. Ironically, you’re contributing to the collapse you’re blaming your partner for.
Balance patience with intensity
1. On one end of the spectrum, if you get frustrated, your stress level spikes and your decision-making deteriorates.
2. On the other end, if you mentally disengage because rallies aren’t coming to you, your intensity drops too low and you become passive and lazy.
3. Thus, the sweet spot is controlled intensity.
  1. Even when your partner is playing every ball, stay active by split-stepping and tracking the point. Stay engaged physically + mentally so when the ball does finally come to you, you’re ready to make a clean, strategic decision.
Assuming you and your partner are both right-handed, optimize your influence on the match by playing on the left side. It’ll allow you to:
1. control more overheads
2. cover the middle more aggressively
Tell the your partner to play more down the line
1. If your partner constantly plays crosscourt, opponents can keep recycling the ball right back to them endlessly.
2. Down-the-line shots naturally redirect the rally crosscourt toward you, allowing the stronger player to intercept more balls and take over more space.
Body language > words… do not be passive-aggressive when they miss a shot!
1. While pressure from opponents is manageable, pressure from your own teammate is what breaks players. Once they feel judged, the snowball starts.
Take your sweet time by slowing the match down when momentum flips
1. Take longer breaks between games to reset emotionally. Consider discussing one tactical adjustment.
2. Momentum in padel is very real, especially at the club/recreational level where confidence swings are massive.

Suerte! 🍀

🌍 International Happenings

How Real Is the Tennis vs. Padel Rivalry?

In an interview this week, World No. 10 tennis player Alexander Bublik (🇷🇺🇰🇿) was asked about doubles specialists on tour. His answer escalated quickly:

“If you can’t play singles, you play doubles. If you can’t play doubles, you play padel. It’s as simple as that.”

Former padel world No. 1 Pablo Lima responded on Instagram within hours: “If you don’t know what you’re talking about… it’s better not to speak.” Sanyo Gutiérrez, currently active on tour, called it “very harsh” and said it diminishes every padel player’s merit.

Side-note, he also told reporters back in 2023 that he hates tennis with all his heart and only plays for the money. So he’s no stranger to provocativity.

For what it's worth, I’ve spent essentially my whole life playing tennis (which I’ll never stop) and I've never felt like I had to choose. They're different games that scratch different itches. Tennis is more technically demanding, padel is more chess-like and social. The only “rivalry” is the one that happens when you're trying to schedule both into the same week.

And look, he’s not entirely wrong. Tennis is technically harder to pick up given the bigger court, additional spin variation, and the serve alone taking years to develop.

The thing is, Bublik is confusing difficulty with value which is where he loses me. Padel has its own strategic depth, its own physical demands, and a social culture tennis has, respectfully, never come close to replicating.

The market doesn’t lie either. The Buenos Aires P1 drew nearly 17,000 spectators for the semifinals. And now padel will also feature as a full medal sport in September at the 2026 South American Games in Santa Fe, Argentina. (🇦🇷)

At least padel is interesting enough to be worth insulting...

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

The Dust Hasn’t Fully Settled from Buenos Aires

So Wait, How Close Are the Rankings?

Chingalán’s victory over World No. 1s Coello / Tapia at the Buenos Aires P1 now has the rankings math moving in their favor.

To quickly explain, FIP rankings run on a rolling window. Points you earned at an event last year expire when that same event rolls around again. So while Coello and Tapia had strong results in Paraguay and Argentina in 2025, those points have since disappeared from their total, narrowing the gap between them and Chingalán (aka the No. 2s). The current gap is under 3,000 points (essentially one tournament result separating the Top 2).

The catch is that the same logic cuts both ways. Chingalán won the upcoming Italy Major last year, which means their Rome points expire after this tournament too. So at best they tread water and wait for the calendar to do the rest.

Off the court post-Buenos Aires, Galán said Chingotto is “the best partner I’ve ever had” (recall he played alongside Juan Lebrón for four years). “If I’m reaching my best level, it’s thanks to him.”

On the women’s side, a similar chase is playing out. Triay / Brea still lead the FIP rankings, but Bea González arrives in Rome in a uniquely favorable position because she isn’t defending nearly as many points as her rivals. A deep run for González and Josemaría, combined with an early exit for Triay / Brea, would give Bea the world number one ranking for the first time in her career. Be on the lookout.

Argentina Wants More, But Money…

The Buenos Aires P1 drew nearly 17,000 spectators, setting a new attendance record for a padel match. Spaniard veteran Paquito Navarro took to social media immediately after his quarterfinal exit to call for more events in the country: “We’ll fill any venue. Next year we want another tournament.” Asociación Pádel Argentino president Santiago Brito echoed the sentiment, openly questioning why Argentina only gets one date when the appetite is clearly there.

But in reality, a Major in Buenos Aires (aka Belasteguín’s dream scenario) is, per Brito himself, “not viable.” Prize money nearly doubles, costs follow, and the player field is identical to a P1. The numbers don’t close. Even a P2 in other Argentine cities like Córdoba or Mendoza remains a Premier Padel decision (not Argentina’s) to make. And despite Brito’s cheeky idea to host the Premier Finals in Buenos Aires in December (aka summer in Argentina), Barcelona is (for now) a closed conversation.

Argentina clearly has unmatched passion, proven infrastructure, and an event that’s beginning to turn a profit after years of cost overruns. What it doesn’t have yet is leverage over a calendar that still gives South America “little bro” status. The fans definitely deserve better, but the economics aren’t there yet.

All Roads Lead to Rome

Looking ahead, the circuit heads to Foro Italico for the Italy Major — the first Major of the 2026 season (and the richest on the calendar), with a prize pool topping €1 million. Main draw action begins Tuesday, June 2, with the men’s and women’s finals set for Sunday, June 7.

🎯 Quick Hits

SportAI (🇳🇴) completed its acquisition of Padelytics (🇨🇭🇷🇸), signaling a push toward a unified, AI-driven platform across padel, tennis, and pickleball.
France’s padel boom just hit a new milestone with 1.15M tournament entries and 7+ annual tournaments per player on average. (🇫🇷)
The Padel Association of Canada and the Canadian Universities Padel League have joined forces to build a national collegiate pathway for the sport. (🇨🇦)
NHL star Alex Ovechkin may be weighing retirement, but he’s still grinding through offseason workouts in Russia, including time on the padel court. (🇷🇺🇺🇸)
An interesting piece just came out on how padel may be the next inefficiency-rich goldmine for American sports bettors. (🇺🇸)
Padel GOAT Fernando Belasteguín is expanding his Spanish club empire to Argentina, bringing the Bela Padel Center project to the Buenos Aires suburbs. (🇦🇷)
Lucía Sainz has resigned after six years as president of the women’s-focused International Padel Players Association, with world No. 1 Gemma Triay stepping in to lead the next chapter. The timing raises fresh questions around Sainz’s playing future. (🇪🇸🌎)
Reddit’s padel community ran the math on when 🇺🇸 produces its first Top 25 player. TLDR, it ain’t gonna be anytime soon...
This is how padel balls are made! 🤯

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Arzachena, 🇮🇹
More info here!

And finally, reader feedback :)

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

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See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Record Crowds, Empty Courts

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 19 May 2026 11:41:34 GMT

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Left: Quarterfinals on Friday. Right: Post-Finals press conference feat. Chingalán on Sunday.

Holy cow, what a week. I had the pleasure of covering Premier Padel for the second time, this time in one of the sport’s global capitals: Buenos Aires 🇦🇷. With 99% certainty I was the only 🇺🇸 there, I watched an unruly fan section (drums, horns, the works) repeatedly drown out an increasingly irritated chair umpire. I also froze my ass off and am now writing this through a wall of sniffles. I have zero regrets.

Curious how it all looked live? My on-the-ground content (so far) is up on Instagram, check it out here. Plenty more to come soon…

Onward!

🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Padel just set an all-time attendance record in Buenos Aires. The same week, a New York club announced it’ll be closing its doors after less than a year.

Meanwhile, Premier Padel wrapped with a 77-minute demolition of the No. 1s, and something seems “off” with one of them.

Also in this issue:
— The side stance vs. open stance debate
— Utah gets stronger, a proposal hits Miami, and will padel come to Reno?
— Youth development gets a massive boost
— A rebellious operator’s association

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Club Openings

Now Open

Over in Orem, UT (40 minutes outside Salt Lake City), Padel Den officially opened its doors with five indoor courts, becoming the second dedicated padel club in the state. The club was founded by brothers Kyle and Parker Quinlan after a vacation discovery in Puerto Rico.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Former University of Florida tennis player Trevor Taylor is trying to build Setra Padel, which would transform a Miami office park rooftop into a 7-court padel hub. However, Miami-Dade County says athletic facilities aren’t even allowed in the area, which is adjacent to Miami International Airport. Approval is currently pending…
American padel isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. Sadly, NYC-based Padel&’s Greenpoint location is shutting down on May 31 after just a year. Its Syosset location will remain open.
Tempe, AZ-based Conquer Padel just tapped veteran entrepreneur David Burnett to lead multi-unit expansion in Reno, Seattle, and Chicago.

📈 Up Your Game

Hmmm… Which Should You Use?

You’ve probably heard your pro repeatedly yell “turn sideways!” And while the side position still matters, many amateur players overuse it and end up feeling late, rushed, and out of position. In this 10-minute video, Coach Dani explains how understanding when to use the classic side stance vs. the modern open stance can completely change your efficiency in padel.

The side position is the traditional “turn your body sideways” setup. It’s fantastic for generating power because you can transfer your body weight forward into the shot.

Many players feel more natural hitting aggressive overheads, bandejas, víboras, bajadas, and smashes from this stance.
The side position also gives a very clean feeling of directional control, whereby your body alignment naturally guides the ball crosscourt or down the line.

However, there’s a catch: the side position costs time and energy.

Every shot requires more footwork, more repositioning, and more recovery back to ready position afterward. And in today’s padel (where balls fly faster and exchanges are more chaotic) you often don’t have enough time to fully set your body.
Not to mention, your body positioning can telegraph your intentions. If you fully turn crosscourt, experienced opponents can often read where you’re about to play before you even hit the ball.

➡️ That’s where the open stance becomes so valuable.

In an open stance, you stay much more square to the court. Instead of heavily repositioning your feet, you rely more on shoulder rotation and racket preparation.
As a result, you react and recover faster. Plus you save energy and become less predictable.

However (again), the catch here is lack of coordination. Relative to the side position, timing and racket face control matter more. If your mechanics are sloppy, the shot quickly falls apart.

At the end of the day, neither stance is “correct.” The best players learn to read the room and adapt their stance each shot based on time available, ball speed, court position, and physical fitness. Éxitos!

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

New World Record, Tapia Concerns, + A Four-/Five-peat (🇦🇷)

First off, history was made at the Buenos Aires P1. The semifinals featured 16,920 fans packed into Parque Roca, which was a new all-time attendance record for professional padel. Funny enough, this new record eclipsed the previous mark at the same venue set just last year. No other venue outside 🇪🇸 and 🇦🇷 has cracked 13,000!

On the men’s side, Chingalán seem to be in the midst of a generational shift at the top. In the finals, they absolutely dominated World No. 1s Coello / Tapia 6-2, 6-1 in just 77 minutes. This is four straight final wins over them, and five titles in 2026 vs. two for “Tapiello.” Highlights here.

To dive into this a bit further, something seems “off” with Tapia these days. What I’ve been hearing is an upper limb injury he’s been managing since at least 2024, which checks out given long stretches of diminished play, brief recoveries, then another dip.
In Buenos Aires, on a slow court (given the cold climate, as this was a covered outdoor venue) that should have neutralized some of Chingalán’s physicality, Tapia barely attempted smashes. When he did, they were countered. His offensive contributions were described by many as “harmless” (i.e., weak viboras feeding Galán’s corner, zero offensive pressure, and body language that read as someone managing pain vs. competing to win). While no evident answers have emerged, only time will tell with two weeks off before the Italy Major.

On the women’s side, Josemaría / González claimed a fifth consecutive title (all five against Brea / Triay), which was a winning streak that has no precedent in women’s padel. While the No. 2s were able to take down the No. 1s in two straight sets, the game scores were definitely tighter than the men’s at 6-3, 7-5. Bea said it best in the press room: “Winning a tournament is so difficult that reaching five in a row is truly incredible.” Highlights here.

Meanwhile Off-Court…

Women’s World No. 1 Delfi Brea joined Red Bull’s elite padel roster alongside Juan Lebrón, Ale Galán, and Bea González.

🎯 Quick Hits

WME Sports just signed four junior padel players, investing in the future of youth development within the sport (🇦🇷🇺🇸🇸🇪)
British royalty Kate Middleton says she’s obsessed with padel, and even plays with her parents in their 70s (🇬🇧)
France’s private padel clubs are no longer operating solo. Operators representing ~75% of the country’s facilities just formed the Association Nationale du Padel (ANP), creating what some insiders are calling a “counter-power” to the French Tennis Federation as the sport enters its next growth phase (🇫🇷)
Padel’s UK gold rush is starting to look a little... frothy? The sport just crossed 1 million players in Britain, but operators are already warning that clueless “cowboy” investors are piling in chasing easy money (🇬🇧)
UK real estate giant SEGRO just partnered with LTA to bankroll grassroots tennis and padel expansion across the UK. With British participation exploding from 15K players in 2019 to 860K+ in 2025, real estate for courts, programming, and ecosystem control is now more relevant than ever. (🇬🇧)
Spicy player debates:
- Should friends include you even if you’re the clear weak link (because “real friends help you improve”), or does competitive culture override social loyalty (because “court time is expensive”)?
- If you’re experiencing wrist pain, do lightweight rackets save your arm, or are they the likely culprit?
- Tennis vs. padel: friends or rivals? My opinion: friends.

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Kavála, 🇬🇷
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Pack Your Racket

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 12 May 2026 11:33:23 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

The World No. 1s keep losing, and with the Buenos Aires P1 this week, the throne is officially in play. We’re heading courtside to cover it live.

And just in time for summer, padel tourism got a crucial infrastructure play. More on why it might be a billion-dollar vertical.

Also in this issue:
— The flip-flop shot that ends points
— Padel club meets dog park
— “We have to work for padel as a sport and not for money”
— Functional racket, or collector’s item?
— 30 illegal courts

…and plenty more. Nos vemos en La Ciudad de la Furia!

🇺🇸 Club Openings

Coming Soon

Acapulco Roots + Dog-Friendly

Punto Azul is bringing eight outdoor padel courts (3 of which will be covered) to the Oak Forest / Garden Oaks neighborhood of Houston, TX. Founded by Acapulco native (the birthplace of padel 🇲🇽) Jose Castrejon, the club is rooted in importing the sport’s rich culture, with a focus on community, hospitality, and youth development through a dedicated academy. Rounded out by a fully dog-friendly layout, on-site café, workspaces, bar, gym, and locker rooms, the club is slated to open at the end of September 2026.

Now Open

Flagship Makes It Official

Over in Metro LA, Culver City, CA’s Chamber of Commerce officially welcomed Padel Up’s flagship location with a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony last Thursday. The club features three indoor courts with 30-foot ceilings, plus a lounge space, showers, lockers, cold plunge, and sauna. The event included complimentary coaching sessions, open play, food truck bites, hydration stations, and a raffle for a one-month membership.

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Per our friends at Padel Nation, after nearly two years in the making, Padel Haus’ Denver location is finally soft-opening this week, featuring five indoor courts, 25-foot ceilings, a high-end gym, co-working space, and its signature “Juice Haus.” An official grand opening weekend is slated for June 26 (more to come soon).
Down in Westlake, FL, Xcel Padel teamed up with Love Serving Autism to bring the sport to kids of all abilities.
Our friends up north are getting busy too… Toronto’s District Padel & Pickleball Club just opened, featuring a 55,000-square-foot facility with eight indoor padel courts. 🇨🇦

📈 Up Your Game

The Chancletazo: Niche, Fun, & Highly Effective

If you didn’t already know this shot, add it to your arsenal now! The chancletazo is one of the cleanest ways to finish points, especially at an intermediate+ level.

In Spanish, “chancleta” = flip-flop. So a chancletazo is essentially smacking someone with a sandal… i.e., quick, sharp, and a little(?) disrespectful.

In padel terms, it’s an aggressive, controlled volley (not smash!) usually taken slightly above net height and designed to jam your opponent at the feet and end the point without needing raw power.

Mind you, it’s very much a setup-dependent play that only works if you build the point correctly. And just like a dejada (aka drop shot), the best players already know it’s coming before they hit it.

After watching this incredibly helpful 14-minute video (in Spanish, but with English subtitles), here are my notes below:

Step 1: In order to “unlock” the chancletazo, you need to build the point first
- The entire setup hinges on a deep, controlled backhand ball into the middle… leaning toward your opponent’s backhand side.
  - This is because from the right side of the court, your opponent’s natural shot after the glass is crosscourt (aka, they’re uncomfortable going parallel, their options get predictable, and their partner might overreach and “steal” the ball)
Step 2: Position is key
- Instead of casually drifting forward:
  - Get set early with an open stance
  - Keep the racket up and wrist firm, letting the shoulder and body drive the shot
  - Load off the front of the foot (heel slightly raised)
  - Take a small, intentional step forward into the ball
Step 3: Hit flat and parallel (i.e., not cross-court), while aiming at the feet. Control > power!
- ❌ Crosscourt = more glass interaction = more time for your opponent
- ✅ Parallel = cleaner path = faster, more direct pressure
- This should be a 60% power shot, with a focus on precision. This way:
  - Your shot is still effective and you recover faster for the next ball
    - Worst-case scenario, if you don’t finish the point right away, it puts pressure on your opponent by forcing a weaker return shot

…and there you go. Happy flip-flopping! 🩴

🌍 International Happenings

Padel Tourism Heats Up Heading into Summer

Three months ago, UK-based Padel Business Magazine dropped a killer insight report previewing the rise padel tourism, where more people are more designing their entire trips around padel. From coaching camps in Spain to wellness-heavy retreats in Bali and the Maldives, the model is evolving fast. Demand is clearly there, but now the big question mark (especially headed into summer—at least for our Northern Hemisphere readers) is supply and how well it’s packaged.

Enter Privé Padel, which just officialized a move to productize this trend. Its new “Privé Passport” is essentially a global matchmaking engine between padel players and premium travel experiences. We’re talking 40+ curated hotels across 15+ countries, bundled with perks (i.e., upgrades, late checkout, spa credits) and, more importantly, guaranteed access to padel… either on-site or via local club partnerships. And within this guaranteed access lies coaching, wellness, and destination immersion. To exemplify it even further, our friends at Padel Nation provided great coverage of Privé’s launch at Miami’s THesis Hotel.

Personally, I think padel is starting to follow the trajectory of golf as a global travel driver, but with a model that is (1) more accelerated and (2) better suited to modern behavior. Unlike tennis, which never quite translated into a true travel ecosystem despite its global footprint, padel—and to a lesser extent pickleball—naturally lends itself to group trips, repeat play, and social / community experiences. After all, padel provides:

equipment that’s drastically easier to pack (vs. tennis & golf)
a stronger international footprint (vs. pickleball)
a better workout (vs. golf & pickleball).

As an American that’s played padel across 12 countries spanning 3 continents (more on that here), I’m extremely bullish on the sport’s tourism sector. If you’re heading somewhere this summer, pack your racket!

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Power Shift in Asunción (🇵🇾)

If you needed confirmation that the 2026 season is starting to tilt, the Premier Padel Asunción P2 just gave it to you loud and clear.

On the men’s side, No. 2 seeds Fede Chingotto / Ale Galán (“Chingalán”) took down Agustín Tapia and Arturo Coello again (6-3, 7-5), marking their third straight win over the world No. 1s. While Tapia and Coello are undoubtedly still elite, cracks are starting to form.

On the women’s side, Paula Josemaría / Bea González keep winning. They once again beat Delfi Brea / Gemma Triay (4-6, 6-3, 6-3), extending their streak to four Premier Padel titles (Miami, Newgiza, Brussels, and now Asunción). Josemaría notched her 50th career title, while González somehow remains undefeated in Asunción across three different partners. Unfortunately, it seems like Brea has physical issues starting to loom, which could obviously matter a lot in the coming weeks.

Overall, the P2 in Asunción carried a €262K prize pool, split equally across men and women. Each champion walked away with €12,750, while early-round players also earned a check.

Looking into this week with the Buenos Aires P1 (which I’ll be attending), the stakes feel higher with both draws flirting with a genuine power shift at the top.

In anticipation for the tournament, Bullpadel installed a pop-up court right next to the iconic Obelisco. Running for three days, the court will host open public experiences, influencers, and pro athletes.

Meanwhile, Some Premier Padel Scheduling Updates

Officially a one-year adjustment, the 2026 Premier Padel calendar has been reshuffled due to geopolitical disruptions, with the Qatar Major canceled and:

Kuwait (October 26 - 31; initially a P1 tournament) stepping up as a Major tournament 🇰🇼
Pretoria (July 26 - August 2; initially a P2 tournament) stepping up as a P1 tournament 🇿🇦

Each upgrade means more ranking points, more prize money, and a stronger field.

🎯 Quick Hits

Audemars Piguet just joined Premier Padel as official timekeeper, doubling down with a bet on world No.1 Agustín Tapia (🇨🇭🇦🇷)
Padel GOAT Fernando Belasteguín draws a line in the sand as padel’s boom turns into a business gold rush (🇦🇷🇪🇸🌎)
Despite UK padel exploding, a structural tension is emerging between top-down ambition and the operators actually building the sport, per the LTA (🇬🇧)
Just 13 weeks after releasing the BL.003 racket model, Lamborghini and Babolat have now dropped the BL.001 (🇮🇹🇫🇷)
Sadly, open-air glass courts are killing thousands of birds each year (up to 135 per court). Fortunately, there may be a netting solution (🇪🇸)
Interesting read on how European markets are now looking to adapt from Sweden’s 2020-24 padel boom and bust (🇸🇪🇪🇺)
Padel expansion hits a political nerve in Malta, as 30 “illegal” courts get fast-tracked over archeological land, just days after promises of a public park (🇲🇹)

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Managua, 🇳🇮
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Is Nike about to enter padel?

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 05 May 2026 11:36:53 GMT

Bienvenidos a El Remate! I’m Aris, a padel-obsessed Missourian who spent the last two years living in Argentina and Spain to deeply understand the sport’s strategy, culture, and business. I’ve played and competed across 3 continents and 12 countries, and recently started documenting my journey on Instagram.

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Leo Augsburger won a Premier Padel title in Belgium, then drove to a local club in Argentina to play a weekend tournament with his childhood friend.

Meanwhile, Tom Holland is hosting celebrity padel events in LA, Nike might be quietly circling the sport, and an Argentine soccer legend has apparently reinvented himself as a Miami padel sage.

Also in this issue:
— Get your serve up to speed
— Massive moves for women’s padel
— Draft day, feat. a franchise relocation
— The pro tour goes to South America
— A potential #2 US padel hub emerges, using “the Miami playbook”

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Club Openings

Coming Soon

🏄‍♂️ West Coast Eye Candy

What started as a side hustle is now turning into a calculated bet on becoming 🇺🇸’s #2 padel hub (watch out, Houston!). Vortex Padel is bringing 4 outdoor courts (amid a scenic backdrop), a pro shop, lounge, and a community-first atmosphere to Orange County (California). The aim is to expand to 2-3 additional clubs across OC and “follow the Miami playbook,” keeping players consistently within the Vortex ecosystem. Target opening is late 2026.

📈 Up Your Game

Purify Your Serve

Unlike tennis, your serve in padel is a setup. However, most rec players completely misunderstand that. And our friend Sandy from The Padel School does a fantastic job breaking it down in this oldie-but-goodie five-minute video.

The much-less-sexy (but necessary) fix is to simply prioritize control. How so, you ask?

Spin: Please, no heavy spin. Instead, use just enough slice. Think brushing slightly down the back of the ball to keep it low after the bounce and off the glass. Overdo it, and you lose control and make the rebound easier to read.
Speed: Your serve should only be as fast as you can control. If adding pace kills your accuracy, you’re being reckless rather than aggressive.
Placement > Power: There are two high-percentage targets that actually matter:
- Into the side glass (early) → forces awkward timing and low contact
- Down the T with slice → stretches your opponent and jams their positioning
First vs. Second Serve: Yes, you have two serves… but that’s not a license to swing out of your shoes on the first and “just get it in” on the second. Your goal should be to build a serve where both deliveries are reliable and intentional.

At the end of the day, your serve is about forcing an uncomfortable first shot so you and your partner can control the point from the start. Suerte!

🌍 International Happenings

The Pro Scene is Reshaping Itself

The Pro Padel League had a busy week heading into its third full season. The North American association held its first-ever auction-style player draft in midtown Manhattan, with all ten ownership groups in attendance alongside league CEO Mike Dorfman. The draft wasn’t streamed live (and instead relied on social media coverage), but Dorfman hinted that a live broadcast product is the direction they’re heading.

Meanwhile, the Matrix franchise is relocating from Arkansas to Washington, D.C. ahead of this 2026 season. The women-led ownership group cited D.C.’s international makeup as a key draw, with franchise founder Barbara Hudson pointing to the city’s global profile as a natural fit for a global sport. The PPL’s 2026 season opens in New York in July.

And finally, the pro game seems to be getting serious about female players (more on this here, per my firsthand experience at the Miami P1 in March):

World No. 1 Delfi Brea signed with LA-based WME Sports, one of the world’s most powerful sports agencies, which already has an established padel division and leverages its tennis infrastructure through IMG. The 26-year-old Argentine has accumulated 25 professional titles, including Premier Padel Major wins in Paris, Italy, and Qatar, and is currently running a 19-4 record with partner Gemma Triay in 2026.
Also, the Reserve Cup (known for its exclusivity, spectacle, and massive prize pool) is finally opening the door to women’s padel, with the Marbella edition in June set to include female matches for the first time. Confirmed participants include Bea González, Delfi Brea, Alejandra Salazar, and Marta Ortega.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Pregamin’ the Asunción P2 (🇵🇾)

Fresh off Brussels, the Premier Padel Tour is hopping continents for a back-to-back run, starting this week with the Asunción P2 and ending with the Buenos Aires P1 next week.

Ojo! Landmines are now everywhere in the men’s draw. “Loose cannons” Juan Lebrón / Leo Augsburger are freshly coming off their first title together from Brussels, so it’s up to the rest of the draw to keep their egos in check… Keep an eye on 17-year-old Paraguayan wildcard Facundo Dehnike, who could run straight into Franco Stupaczuk / Mike Yanguas. Meanwhile, “golden boys” Coello / Tapia are lurking for a bounce-back post-Brussels.

In the women’s draw, Paula Josemaría and Bea González are coming off a three-tournament heater. While the top 8 get a bye, they shouldn’t get comfortable. Josemaría / González could open against tricky duos like Castelló / Rufo, so watch for that.

You can tune into the tournament live here.

Meanwhile Off-Court…

Fresh off winning the Brussels P2, Leo Augsburger answered a call from a childhood friend and spent his week off playing in a local tournament in Posadas, Argentina… which they won, of course (lmao).

🎯 Quick Hits

A-List actor Tom Holland hosted a celebrity padel tournament in Los Angeles for his non-alcoholic beer brand, BERO (🇺🇸)
Is Nike finally getting into padel? Leo Augsburger won the Brussels P2 wearing hard-court Nike tennis shoes, despite inking a landmark racket contract with Siux two weeks ago. This’ll be worth watching... (🇺🇸)
Following his retirement, Argentine soccer star Gonzalo Higuaín has quietly become a padel regular and “mental coach” in Miami (🇦🇷🇺🇸)
Pro padel celebrity lookalikes 😂
Community musings:
- Seems like it’s a clear consensus that you unconsciously adapt your level to your opponents…
- How can you stay mentally strong when you feel like the weakest player?
- Contrarily, when your partner melts down and your opponents smell blood, what should you do?

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Punta del Este, 🇺🇾
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

For more on-the-ground 🌎 padel content from a 🇺🇸 POV, follow @padelyanqui on Instagram! 🤝 And if you have any feedback or news to share, just respond to this email :)

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Serena's New Mission. Ranking Shake-Ups. A Threepeat.

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:47:49 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Staged or not, who cares? Serena Williams made a surprise cameo at a Miami area padel match… in a partnership to unofficially tackle one of the biggest issues plaguing US padel.

Meanwhile, a chaotic Brussels P2 shakes up the pecking order, and the global push toward Olympic legitimacy keeps gaining steam.

Also in this issue:
— Why your slice is unconsciously costing you
— A new top men’s duo emerges
— Which college is dominating the padel scene
— Should you be using different rackets for different seasons?

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Club Openings

No announcements this week, but last week, we were graced with a whopping 25+ courts coming to seven locations across five states… when it rains, it pours! ☔

📈 Up Your Game

Why Slice Is Losing You Points

More slice = more control = more wins… yeah? Ehhh, not exactly.

Ultimately, slice is a tool that helps keep the ball low. And after all, low ball = opponent hitting up = you controlling the point.

But cuidado! When it comes to slicing, there’s only a specific time and place for it.

From the back of the court, slice is mostly useless because your opponent is at the net, so they’re volleying. Therefore, it’s unlikely your slice shot will bounce → no low skid → no advantage.

Even worse, your margin for success is minuscule. Plus, with a slightly open racket face, your ball floats and you get punished.

Diving deeper, here are my three takeaways from this helpful 10-min video:

Most players think slice = wrist. Nope!
1. Slice comes from preparing above the ball and driving forward. Not chopping down, nor flicking your wrist (looking at y’all, pickleballers 🤨)
  1. When you rely on wrist, you lose control, depth, and consistency
Slice backfires with:
1. Low balls at the net → You physically can’t slice well here, plus you’ll lift the ball, making it easy for your opponents to attack
2. Fast exchanges → No time to prepare makes your slice break down. ‘Nuff said
3. Opponents adding slice (don’t fight fire with fire!) → Trying to slice back = fighting spin physics. It’s much easier to go flat and push through
Fortunately, slice does win you points in these situations:
1. At the net, when you’re above the ball → In other words, you’re attacking and slice keeps pressure on
2. From the back, ONLY when the ball is above waist height → Now you can get over the ball and generate real backspin

TLDR: If you’re slicing everything, you’re playing lazy. Ideally, the goal is to hit the right shot, at the right time, for the right reason.

🌍 International Happenings

Serena Shapes US Padel

American tennis GOAT Serena Williams just made her official padel debut, crashing a match at Reserve Padel as a last-minute fill-in. Tbh, it’s unclear how “organic” the whole thing was (the photos and video suggest it may have been somewhat staged), but either way, it marks yet another major name and brand stepping into padel… particularly in the still-emerging US market.

The stunt launched Heineken 0.0’s “Unexpected Doubles” campaign (with Premier Padel and Playtomic), promoting padel’s social fabric in a subtle effort to combat 🇺🇸’s rising “play-then-leave” culture.

Serena, for her part, is no stranger to the beverage world. This Heineken partnership aligns well with prior collaborations with Michelob ULTRA and Rémy Martin, as well as her ownership stake in Cincoro Tequila.

And as she’s begun to immerse herself more seriously in padel (after playing casually since ~2019), she’s already floated Coco Gauff as her ideal partner.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

New Contenders, a Threepeat, & Touch of Class

Well That Was Unexpected… (🇧🇪)

The Brussels P2 was nothing short of phenomenal. It gave us a shake-up, (maybe?) a new contender, and a threepeat.

On the men’s side, “loose cannons” Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger captured their first title together, taking down both Chingotto / Galán in the Semifinal and Coello / Tapia in the Final. After dropping the first set in the Final, they flipped the switch and closed it out 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, finally breaking their losing pattern against the world’s most dominant duo. Highlights here.

Weirdly, the turning point might’ve come earlier than the Final. After their Semifinal win, “LeBurger” pointed to a seemingly small moment: a Galán double fault.

“That double fault helped us… it gave us much more confidence,” Augsburger said.

From there, you could see the shift: LeBurger started playing looser, more aggressive padel, while Chingalán were suddenly on the back foot.

Post-tournament, Lebrón acknowledged that sustaining this level is the real challenge. After all, the duo has only been together four months, with their time together being nothing short of a drama-filled roller coaster (more on that here and here).

Some fans saw LeBurger’s performance as a legit title shake-up if their egos stay in check. Others pointed out their inconsistency. There’s also a growing sentiment of relief at seeing someone (literally anyone) disrupt Coello / Tapia. There was also noise around Augsburger’s on-court demeanor, which came off as confidence to some, arrogance to others.

Meanwhile on the women’s side, dominance continues. Paula Josemaría and Bea González made it three titles in a row, taking down the World No. 1 pair of Gemma Triay (who was playing her 100th career final) and Delfi Brea in the Final 7-5, 6-2. Unlike Miami and Newgiza, this Final against Brea / Triay only lasted two sets and was much more controlled. Highlights here.

Off-Court Updates

Just before the Brussels P2, the Laureus World Sports Awards took place in Madrid 🇪🇸, where Delfi Brea, Arturo Coello, and padel GOAT Fernando Belasteguín made appearances alongside the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Simone Biles.
And just like that, Paquito Navarro and Martín Di Nenno are officially back together. Their previous run nearly took them to World No. 1, and stylistically, they complement each other far better than their recent partnerships. The pair will debut at the Italy Major (starting June 1).

🎯 Quick Hits

The Pro Padel League locked in Padeltek as its official racket partner in an effort to double down on commercialization and infrastructure (🇺🇸🇨🇦🇲🇽)
Skechers is partnering with Madrid-based El Estudiante (the world’s largest club feat. 40 padel courts) to embed its brand directly into daily player experience and grassroots competition (🇪🇸)
Padel took center stage at the European Parliament, further pushing toward Olympic legitimacy and institutional backing (🇪🇺)
Hook ‘em! UT Austin swept both men’s and women’s titles at the first-ever USPA US Collegiate Padel Championships (🇺🇸)
Community musings:
- How does temperature affect your racket? And should you be using different rackets for different seasons?
- Screaming during a match: justified or disrespect?
- To prevent slow starts, what do top players do beforehand to “switch on” fast?

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Belgrade, 🇷🇸
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

For more on-the-ground 🌎 padel content from a 🇺🇸 POV, follow @padelyanqui on Instagram! 🤝 And if you have any feedback or news to share, just respond to this email :)

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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"We’ve Forgotten How to Play Padel"

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:47:15 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

US padel just crossed one million players. Whether that number holds up to scrutiny is a different conversation. We have it below.

The Brussels P2 is live this week with Coello/Tapia returning to defend. And the PPL released an open letter, hoping to forever change the trajectory of pro padel in North America.

Also in this issue:
— Hella new court openings, from the waterfront to the cornfields to the desert
— The bandeja mistake costing you net position
— Top seeds get hit with an embarrassing upset
— Wait… who should we be warming up with?

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Court Openings

Now Open

This Saturday, St. Pete Athletic is officially opening its new 18,000 sq ft expansion, introducing five padel courts alongside its existing racquet sports ecosystem. Based in St. Petersburg, FL, the club is rolling out a full launch week: preview nights, open play, clinics, and a grand opening tournament. 🌴
Mesa Padel Club has officially opened in downtown Mesa, AZ (30-minute drive from downtown Phoenix), featuring four outdoor courts. Positioned as a more accessible entry point to a sport often labeled “exclusive,” the club offers clinics, rentals, a pro shop, and a lounge designed for players and spectators. 🌵
Alas, Philadelphia-based Ballers just opened in Boston’s Seaport district. The 30,000-square-foot waterfront social complex features three outdoor padel courts (first outdoor in the city), five pickleball courts, a chef-driven food truck, and curated social spaces. The franchise is backed by names like Andre Agassi and Kim Clijsters. 🦞

Coming Soon

PURE Pickleball & Padel has secured final building permits for a ~196,000 sq ft indoor pickleball and padel complex in Scottsdale, AZ, clearing the way for construction to begin. The facility will feature 40 pickleball courts, eight padel courts, and a 1,200-seat championship arena. If that’s not enough, it’s expected to become the largest indoor pickleball and padel venue in the world upon its 2027 opening. 🌵
A former dine-in theater in Virginia Beach, VA is getting a second life as Padel Foundry, a purpose-built indoor padel and wellness hub slated to open in early 2027. The project is backed by a $6.3M acquisition. 🏖️
Quail Creek Country Club in Naples, FL is bringing padel into the fold with a new three-court complex set to open in summer 2026. The facility will integrate leagues, clinics, and youth programming alongside its existing racquet offerings. 🐊
Padel is coming to Fort Wayne Country Club, which is unveiling the first outdoor court in the state of Indiana, built by Off The Glass, the only fully vertically integrated US padel court manufacturing and installation company. 🌽

📈 Up Your Game

Clean Up Your Bandeja

So the bandeja is one of the first overhead shots most players learn in padel, which is exactly why so many players think they already have it. In reality, it’s one of the most misunderstood shots in the game. To quickly refresh, its job is to keep control, apply pressure, and hold the net position.

This 12.5-minute video does an excellent deep-dive. My notes below:

Mistake #1: Dropping the elbow and hitting too low. That might feel natural if you’re coming from volley-heavy habits, but the bandeja usually comes off a lob, which means you need a higher contact point and more margin. If your elbow drops, the shot becomes riskier and suddenly a defensive overhead turns into a panic shot.

The cure: Keep your elbow in line with your shoulder, or even a little higher. Make the movement obvious in practice, and record yourself if you have to (because what feels high enough often isn’t). The goal is to take the ball at the highest point you can comfortably reach so you buy yourself margin and control.

Mistake #2: Hitting too far in front. A lot of players rush the ball because they know the lob is coming, but they end up running faster than the shot and getting underneath nothing. That takes away body rotation, forces wristy contact, and makes the bandeja much harder to control.

The cure: Run with the ball, not ahead of it. Stay active with your feet, make small adjustments, and line up the contact point as you go. It may feel awkward at first, but that’s usually what progress looks like in padel.

Mistake #3: Preparing too late and hitting too close to your body. If you wait until the ball is already on top of you, you lose time, space, and the ability to use rotation and momentum.

The cure: Get the racket prepared as soon as the lob leaves your opponent’s racket, then move into position with your body already set.

Overall strategy, once the technique is cleaner: Aim for the corners and side glass, not the back wall, because the back wall gives your opponents an easier read and often lets them move forward. A good bandeja is deep, controlled, and… idk… annoying? Point is, it keeps them back and gives you time to stay at the net.

🌍 International Happenings

Growing Pains Hit the USA

So two announcements landed in the same week, and together they tell an interesting story about where U.S. padel is and where it’s trying to go.

First, the Pro Padel League (which spans 🇺🇸🇨🇦🇲🇽) published an open letter from CEO Michael Dorfman that’s worth reading in full. In a nutshell, the league is proposing guaranteed multi-year contracts, covered tournament expenses, equal prize money for men and women, and a franchise model designed to build actual fan bases. In other words, they want to avoid the financial structure that’s plagued professional tennis for decades: in 2025 for example, roughly half of total ATP/WTA prize money went to just 20 players. PPL is explicitly trying to build something that doesn’t replicate that pyramid.

Second, the USPA announced that padel has crossed one million players in the United States, per the 2026 SFIA Topline Participation Report (the first time the survey has tracked the sport). Mind you, the SFIA report doesn't disclose its counting methodology… a gap worth noting, since “someone who picked up a racket once” and “someone who books courts monthly” are not the same market signal. Prominent figures in the space caught on by sharing constructive pushback (here and here).

That milestone is genuinely exciting. It’s also worth pausing on.

This isn’t a knock on the USPA, which has done tremendous work building infrastructure and competitive programming. It’s rather a question about methodology… one the industry should be asking openly, precisely because the stakes are getting higher. Look, we’re all on the same team here, and the instinct to celebrate is right. But the discipline to interrogate the numbers is what keeps the celebration honest to benefit current and future players, operators, and investors alike.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

3-Hour Match, Toxic Upset, & Untimely Reset (🇪🇬🇧🇪)

Men’s: High Drama, Yet (Kinda) Predictable… Women’s: Low Drama, Yet Hella Unpredictable

The Newgiza P2 was an absolute fever dream, and my head is still spinning. On the men’s side, Fede Chingotto / Ale Galán once again showed why they’re the most reliable force on tour, dispatching Stupaczuk / Yanguas 6-4, 6-1 in the final. Highlights here. Galán said they’re “playing at a very high level,” a clear warning shot to world No. 1s Tapia / Coello, who sat this one out.

Meanwhile, “loose cannons” Juan Lebrón / Leo Augsburger made the news… again. Knocked out by a qualifying pair, they dropped the final set 6-🥯 in a match where momentum completely abandoned them. At one point, Lebrón openly admitted, “it seems like we’ve forgotten how to play padel,” Fans couldn’t stop saying how when things go wrong for this pair, they absolutely unravel.

My theory: On paper, this partnership should work. Lebrón brings intensity, emotion, and experience; Augsburger brings raw power, youth, and upside. But I feel like they’re still searching for a shared identity. Lebrón tends to feed off energy and rhythm, while Augsburger’s more composed (sometimes borderline detached) demeanor doesn’t always provide that spark. Hence, a team that can look dangerous one set and completely lost the next.
The timing makes it even more interesting. Augsburger just signed a massive 14-year deal with Siux, locking him in as a long-term face of the sport, which only raises the stakes around his on-court development. So now you’ve got a player being positioned as a future cornerstone… paired with one of the most volatile personalities on tour… producing wildly inconsistent results. That tension does not resolve easily.

The women’s final, meanwhile, was absolutely wild. Paula Josemaría / Bea González edged Delfi Brea / Gemma Triay in a 3-hour, 3-set war (6-4, 5-7, 6-4) that felt like it could swing every five minutes. There were 13 breaks of serve (seven in the third set alone 😧) and the rhythm of the match was basically nonexistent. Highlights here. Josemaría now quietly sits at 19 Premier Padel titles, and at this point, it’s less dominance and more sustained control over the entire field.

Overall, the real story out of Newgiza might’ve been the conditions. The outdoor court neutralized smashes almost entirely, forcing even the biggest hitters into more conservative patterns. The “super high lob” became the meta, with players realizing quickly that anything too flat or aggressive was getting punished.

Pregamin’ the Brussels P2

There’s barely time to process any of that, because this week, the tour has already moved to Brussels, with the storyline of top seeds Coello / Tapia returning to defend their title. On the women’s side, Josemaría / González and Brea / Triay continue to look inseparable, as the top of their draw has evolved into matchups decided by a handful of points.

🎯 Quick Hits

Beyond the Newgiza P2, Egypt is locking in its status as Africa’s padel hub, with its squash-heavy sporting culture steadily fueling the talent pipeline. That momentum is now formalized: the FIP just confirmed both the 2026 Junior Africa Cup and 2027 Africa Cup. (🇪🇬)
Buenos Aires will host the FIP Senior World Cup for the first time, marking its South American debut as the tournament expands to 32 national teams set across five age groups: 40+, 45+, 50+, 55+, and 60+. (🇦🇷)
British tennis and padel’s grassroots took center stage at the 2026 LTA Awards, where volunteers, coaches, and clubs were honored for driving the sport’s growth across the UK. (🇬🇧)
Community debates:
- Do you warm up with your partner or opponents? Some players insist warming up with opponents is standard to scout weaknesses, while others argue it’s overrated and even misleading before match intensity kicks in.
  - My take: partners all day.
- Hmm, seems like most players are stuck in a “matches-only” ecosystem where structured drilling is rare, expensive, or socially awkward to organize… is squeezing in 10–15 minute pre-match reps an acceptable solution?

🤩 Cool Court of the Week

📍 Cape Town, 🇿🇦
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

For more on-the-ground 🌎 padel content from a 🇺🇸 POV, follow @padelyanqui on Instagram! And if you have any feedback or news to share, just respond to this email :)

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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I Went to a Premier Padel Tournament So You Don't Have To (Jk, You Need to Go)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:37:49 GMT

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This one’s a bit different from the usual Tuesday rundown.

Miami Beach, no windows, neon lights, house music at 10am. Coello sitting in the bleachers like a regular person, Carlos Alcaraz two rows in front of me. And let’s not forget OnlyFans sponsorships. I watched every match from qualifiers to the final. In no specific order, here’s what I saw:

1) The pros are still just people.

Monday and Tuesday were the qualifier days. The big names hadn’t started playing yet, but there they were, chilling among the rest of us. On separate occasions, I saw Tino Libaak and Arturo Coello watching early-round matches in the bleachers with their respective girlfriends, completely mixed in with everyone else.

Tino Libaak + gf (left). Arturo Coello + gf (right).

I remember when a match ended, people started leaving the stands and crowding around Coello for autographs and photos. He kindly obliged.

As much as I loved this, I sadly don’t know how much longer stuff like this will last. As padel grows (especially Stateside), the machinery of professional sports fame will start building the walls it always builds. Enjoy this era while it lasts.

2) Carlos Alcaraz showed up for the Round of 32.

He was in a VIP box for the Round of 32. I somehow — before he arrived — ended up in that same box (thank you, media pass privileges 🫡), and found myself sitting two rows directly behind him. A random yokel from Missouri, sitting behind one of the best tennis players alive, watching the best padel players alive. Yeesh… what am I doing here?

I feel that Alcaraz simply being there matters beyond the celebrity angle. Tennis and padel are in a complicated relationship: parallel cultures, overlapping fanbases, competing court time. Take it for what it is.

Left: the GOAT + yours truly (coincidentally) two rows behind. Right: my POV

3) Lefty-righty pairs are everywhere.

As an upper-intermediate rec player (or 4.22 on Playtomic after playing for 5 weeks in Spain), I don’t often face lefty-righty pairs. At this tournament, they were everywhere, and I didn’t think that was a coincidence.

Here’s my theory / the tactical reality: hitting down the middle (aka, the lowest-error shot in padel) is taken for granted when both your opponents are righties. Against a lefty-righty pair, that same shot goes right into both forehands. Your safety valve now becomes their weapon.

Beyond that (and from my experience), your muscle memory is built around righty-righty patterns… i.e., where to lob, where to chiquita, which side has the weaker volley. A lefty flips the whole map. So at the professional level, this edge is deliberately cultivated. Watch for it… or “ojo,” as they say.

4) Angle shots are a first language.

At my level, I avoid steep angles. The margin for error drastically shrinks, and I can usually depend on consistency to win points while my opponent makes mistakes. At the P1 level, angles are the vernacular.

Watching literally everyone — from the Qualifiers to the Final — hit cross-court at angles that seem geometrically impossible from that position, and make it repeatedly, is a good reminder of how many shots you’re leaving off the table by playing safe. The pro game is purely a different game.

5) Women’s padel deserved a bigger crowd.

As a rough observational estimate, 2-2.5x more people were in the stands for men’s matches than women’s. Witnessing that gap was uncomfortable to watch.

Before anyone tries to stop me and tell me I’m “virtue signaling,” here’s my blunt take: women’s padel is a different style of padel, and in some ways a more instructive one. The points are longer. The rallies are more constructed. The defense-to-attack transitions are more deliberate. (Here’s the info to back it up.) If you’re trying to improve your own game, you will learn more per minute watching women’s padel than men’s padel, because the men’s game operates at a pace and power level that’s simply not replicable for most of us. Also, isn’t it just cool to see what each gender of the human body is capable of doing on a padel court?

I grew up ball-boying for World Team Tennis, which ran men’s and women’s in the same ticket, same crowd. The women got real love. Padel in the U.S. isn’t there yet. Ojalá it gets there.

6) Miami didn’t know this was happening.

I (very) naively went into the week expecting some ambient awareness of the tournament throughout the Miami area. Hotels with padel fans. Restaurants / bars mentioning the event. The general “Miami-is-excited-about-this” energy. My mental benchmark was Dallas during Texas-Oklahoma weekend, something I experienced firsthand every October in college. When both teams come to town for the Cotton Bowl, you feel it everywhere. With Miami being the unquestionable padel capital of the US, I assumed that meant the P1 would land similarly.

None of that existed. Outside the convention center in Miami Beach, this tournament might as well have been invisible. The city did not seem to know or care. Expos for other industries were going on at other halls adjacent to the tournament. Visitors were at their hotels, pools, or restaurants for entirely unrelated reasons. Heck, even at the men’s final (objectively the highest-attended match), there was still a handful of open seats.

Admittedly, I’m probably in the 0.0001% of Americans who follows pro padel closely enough for this to register as a surprise. Most of the people in those stands were Spanish speakers (and from my POV, most of those accents seemed to have come from Argentina, Spain, Mexico, and Colombia). After all, much of our country’s still-nascent padel culture runs through the Latin community, not through our broader sports mainstream. That’s fine, and honestly pretty cool. That’s the early-adopter phase of a sport’s growth in a new market. The question is whether the next five years look like exponential growth or plateau. I think exponential. But the proof is in the attendance numbers, and the attendance numbers in 2026 still have room to grow.

7) The box seats were a networking event with padel as the backdrop.

Not sure how I feel about this one, as someone who sat in both. In the main grandstands, people were locked in. In the VIP boxes, people were busy showing face — leaving mid-set, moving to different boxes, reappearing, disappearing. Even at the semi-finals, with the top-four seeded teams in the world on court, some boxes had half their occupants gone by the second set. Those tickets are expensive. The players on court are the best in the world. And people seem to be coming for completely ulterior motives.

I’m not judging anyone’s reason for being there. After all, I haven’t walked a mile in their shoes. Industry events are industry events. But it did produce a surreal visual: an electric match between top-ten players, watched by a fluctuating, half-engaged population of “very important” people. Worth keeping an eye on as the sport scales.

8) OnlyFans is sponsoring players, and I had many questions.

Two initial observations:

Over the course of the tournament, I couldn’t help but raise my eyebrow when seeing a handful of male and female players competing with the OnlyFans logo on the back of their shirt. I mean I get it, sponsorship money is sponsorship money, and padel players outside the top-20 are not earning life-changing prize purses.
Like no offense to the company, but what are they even trying to accomplish in padel, especially among brands like Babolat, Heineken, On, Rolex, Red Bull, Bullpadel, and Prada? What’s the conversion funnel? Just feels like a really expensive opportunity cost.

But after educating myself (while going down a 2-min rabbit hole), it started making a bit more sense… I guess. TLDR, the brand entered padel in 2024 to diversify its image beyond adult content, promote the “OnlyFans sports” sector, and provide athletes with direct funding and content monetization opportunities.

Regardless, I still think it’s kinda funny. No further comments…

9) The wiping-hands-on-glass habit is 🤢

I’ll admit this is very much a personal opinion, but I’ll let it rip anyway: every single player, at some point, wiped their sweaty-ass palms on the glass. I see this occasionally at club level, but at the pro level it’s constant and almost ritualistic.

Here’s my issue. I don’t care how often José comes onto the court, the glass is never clean. There’s always ball residue on it. Other players’ sweaty hands have been on it. If you wipe your hand on the glass and then regrip, you’re weakening your grip and adding foreign debris to your handle. Doesn’t a wristband solve this problem entirely? Maybe the pros know something I don’t, but until someone explains it to me, this one stays on the weird list.

Delfi Brea whispers to the wall mid-game at the Quarterfinals.

10) It’s 2026 at the pro circuit. Why aren’t we using AI to call shots?

Each team gets two “challenges” per set. In the instance of a challenge, the match awkwardly pauses while the chair umpire reviews the replay as “The Pink Panther Theme” hums in the background. Genuinely funny. Also genuinely absurd.

I’m just kinda surprised at this still, given there have been dozens of press releases around AI line-call technology and how it’s “already transforming” racquet sports. None of that was in this building. The umpire’s word + two challenges per set is where we are. I assume this changes, I just don’t know when. For now, I guess 2018’s calling?

11) Some technical difficulties, and that’s okay.

The programming had some rough edges, and they weren’t hard to spot. At one point, Bad Bunny’s NUEVAYoL cut in over the PA while Coello was mid-serve (the point continued anyway). I remember something similar happening in one of the women’s quarterfinals. The scoreboard graphics glitched out a couple of times and occasionally failed to update the game score. And if you watched online, you’ve probably already heard complaints about streaming quality.

Uh, pretty sure if Tapia is serving to the deuce side, the scoreboard should not be reading 15-30… this was also the Men’s Final.

None of it killed the vibe. The energy inside the building never wavered. But this is not yet a precision operation, and it shows in the small stuff.

At the end of the day, this is purely an observation. They’re building six top-quality courts in five days inside a convention center hall that was doing something entirely different last week. Some friction is just baked in.

12) The better team won. Every time (almost).

The lone exception was the No. 1 seeds (both men’s and women’s) falling to the No. 2s in the final. Everything else tracked essentially perfectly to seeding throughout every round.

While the sport is beautiful to watch point-to-point, it’s highly predictable in aggregate. The same pairs keep winning, no matter how ugly. Each partner stabilizes one another. The bad patches get absorbed, so upsets are rare.

Agustin Torre (no. 51, left) and Francisco Cabeza Teres (no. 86, right) — who I saw absolutely dominate in the Round of 64 — get manhandled by Tapia / Coello in the Round of 32.

But if you’re watching padel for the craft, it’s extraordinary. Even in a lopsided match. Which leads me to…

13) Padel is objectively more fun to watch than tennis.

I’ve played and watched tennis my whole life. I will never stop playing and watching tennis.

But point-for-point, rally-for-rally, padel is a more engaging spectator sport. The walls create longer points with more reversals. Offense and defense flip back and forth constantly, with a lob resetting everything. You never fully know who’s winning a point until it ends. There’s no dead time between players shagging balls, because the enclosed court keeps things moving. And the atmosphere is uniquely intimate and buzzing.

In my humble opinion, tennis has padel beat on unpredictability of outcomes. Its sheer scale (i.e., five-set matches, four Grand Slams, 128-player draws, etc.) creates a kind of dramatic volatility padel simply hasn’t built (yet). Plus, singles produces more drama and more upsets. And the individual storyline of a player alone against another, with no partner being able to save you, carries a narrative weight that padel simply can’t replicate.

14) Miami P1 ≠ Premier Padel Tour

Last thing worth noting, which I had to remind myself: this (at least for now…) is the only Premier Padel tournament event on US soil. Everything I’ve described (i.e., crowd composition, atmosphere, awareness gap in the broader city, etc.) is specific to Miami, and Miami only. A P1 in Madrid, Buenos Aires, or Dubai is likely very different. To which degree I don’t know, but I sure as hell intend to find out. When I do, I’ll be reporting back. If you want to make a trip out of one of them, let me know. That idea is very much on the table.

TLDR: Go to one of these events. If you play, watching this level of padel in-person is one of the fastest ways to level up your game (it's pure osmosis). And even beyond that, it broadens your horizons. It's fun as hell either way. I'm already counting down to the next one.

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Great Problems. Search Data. Regretful Decisions.
The Partnership Tennis Hates. 1,000 Courts. Coachella.
📌 Hot take editorials:
- I Said US Padel Is Ass-Backward. Here’s What Ensued

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

For more on-the-ground 🌎 padel content from a 🇺🇸 POV, follow @padelyanqui on Instagram! 🤝 And if you have any feedback or news to share, just respond to this email :)

Hasta pronto & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

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Great Problems. Search Data. Regretful Decisions.

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:36:57 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Padel just crossed 1,000% global search growth. We’ve never been here before. If you’re reading this, you’re still early. Buckle up.

Also, one club is coming soon, while another is having issues meeting demand. Meanwhile on the pro circuit, things get especially interesting on the men’s side given a team’s strategic decision… which in hindsight has not aged well.

Also in this issue:
— Why your grip is costing you matches
— Intel on monthly padel spending + earning sponsorships
— Big-timers bet big across two continents
— Venue announced for London P1 this summer
— A three-generation family of padel champs

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Club Openings / Expansions

Two Coming Soon

🏔️ Franchise Expands Footprint to Denver

US padel club franchise Studio Arenna (which announced plans to open in suburban DFW two months ago) is now expanding to urban Denver. Located in the city’s Sun Valley neighborhood (just 2 miles from downtown), the club will feature six indoor courts, 32-foot ceilings, locker rooms with showers, and a mix of fitness classes. Here’s a quick preview of how it’s coming along so far…

🦞 Suffering from Success

Padel Boston is announcing an expansion that will double its footprint to nearly 25,000 square feet and bring its total to six courts. Fueled by overwhelming demand since its 2024 launch, the upgraded facility will add new courts, a second lounge, and expanded event space.

📈 Up Your Game

Fix Your Grip Before It Fixes You

You’ve been playing padel for a while. You feel decent from the back, okay at net… but under pressure, things get weird.

So you start tinkering with different grips for different shots. Adjusting mid-rally. Trying to “find something that works.” But now, you’ve just overcomplicated it to where your game is hella inconsistent.

Fortunately, Sandy at The Padel School wonderfully provides a detailed solution in this 7-min video.

Reality is, you’re probably overthinking everything except the most vital part, aka your grip.

Instead of it being some “bEgInNeR rEcOmMeNdAtIoN,” the continental grip is the foundation of the entire sport because it provides mobility.

Unlike tennis, you don’t have time to adjust your grip every shot. So you need one grip that lets you do everything. And the continental grip is your answer.

It allows full wrist mobility (i.e., opening the racket face, closing it, adjusting angles on the fly). If you’re in the wrong grip, that flexibility disappears. And suddenly, you’re late, stiff, and guessing.

But what most players (myself included, until watching this video) still get wrong is that they think “continental” just means where you hold the racket.

Rather, it’s also:

The angle of your hand (slightly off-center, not rigidly straight)
The index finger acting like a trigger for control
The freedom in your wrist, not locking it up

And most importantly… how hard you’re squeezing (cc: anyone struggling with elbow pain or wrist tightness). The right way, with 1 being loosest, 10 being tightest:

3 / 10 in ready-position
3-4 / 10 during preparation
7-8 / 10 at contact only → then immediately relax again

So take this advice and ~~run~~ win more matches with it!

🌍 International Happenings

We Just Got a Ton of Fresh Data (🇺🇸🌎)

So, the 2026 Padel Global Search Report dropped this week, and boy did I have a field day combing through these numbers. Global search interest in padel grew over 1,000% between 2004 and 2025, with nearly all of that concentrated in the last five years. Worldwide interest is up 49% YoY, and early 2026 is tracking even higher (March hit 96/100 on Google Trends’ index). We’re still in acceleration mode, and far from peaking. Point is, if you’re reading this in April 2026, you are an early adopter. Period. Buckle up!

The 🌎 vs. 🇺🇸 story is where it gets interesting, especially for my fellow Americans of our El Remate fam. In the context of padel search interest, padel beat pickleball every week of the past year globally. But flip to the US, and pickleball still dominates padel search interest by 10x. However, get this: in November 2025, US interest climbed ~65% over five consecutive weeks and held there through March 2026.

Surprise surprise, the mature markets (i.e., Spain, Portugal, Italy) are basically flatlined on growth in terms of internet search interest. The real action is in emerging anglophone and Asian markets: UK (+121%), Australia (+102%), Indonesia (+887%). Meanwhile, six countries (Cyprus, Indonesia, Switzerland, the UK, Tunisia, and Croatia) entered the global top 20 for the first time. The sport’s center of gravity is moving… worth paying attention to where courts get built next. 👀

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Pregamin’ Newgiza (🇪🇬)

This week, the pro circuit heads under the pyramids in Egypt for the Newgiza P2. The tour has already touched Asia, Europe, and the Americas this 2026 season, and now lands in Africa.

On the men’s side, all eyes are on Chingotto / Galán, who return as defending champions and top seeds, especially with Tapia / Coello sitting out (which, after losing in the Miami final, may likely come back to bite them). Chingalán should handle the early rounds comfortably, but things could heat up quickly with a projected quarterfinal clash against González / Di Nenno, a matchup that feels closer to a coin flip than the seeding suggests. On the opposite side of the draw, Stupa / Yanguas (the 2024 champions) are setting up the possibility of a blockbuster late-stage showdown. Meanwhile, Lebrón / Augsburger continue to embody “loose cannon” energy. I swear, you never know with these two…

Over in the women’s draw, Brea / Triay come in as the favorites after back-to-back titles in Gijón and Cancún, but they’ve got a tight pack chasing them, including Josemaría / González (who they most recently fell to in Miami) and Sánchez / Ustero, making the top tier feel pretty rocky. With all seeded pairs entering directly in the Round of 16, expect fewer early-round surprises but a sharp jump in match quality almost immediately.

Beyond the draw itself, this event carries real weight: 600 FIP points are on the line, meaning early-season separation is up for grabs. Can’t wait for this one!

🐝 Off-Court Buzz

Looking ahead, Olympia was just announced to host the London P1 this August. For context, the venue daties back to the 19th century, and has just undergone a massive £1.3 billion transformation into a modern, multi-use destination for entertainment, business, and culture.

🎯 Quick Hits

The US National Padel Team heads to high-altitude Quito for the America Padel Cup, taking on Ecuador in a multi-division showdown that blends elite men’s and women’s matchups with a rising U18 squad. (🇺🇸🇪🇨)
Community musings
- Pulse check: how much is everyone spending on padel per month?
- How do players actually get sponsored? The consensus from players and coaches is it comes down to one of three lanes: strong tournament results, consistent social media presence, or deep club-level networking where brands can repeatedly see and “feel” your influence in action.
Around the world
- After discovering padel during Covid, former US Open champion Dominic Thiem is launching Smash Padel Club — a new franchise aiming to scale community-driven padel across Austria and Europe, with more than 200 courts planned. The first flagship location opens May 20. (🇦🇹🇪🇺)
- Another step closer to Brisbane 2032! Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games is adding padel as an official medal sport, with its debut set for December 2026 in Riyadh. The initiative is backed by the Olympic Council of Asia and aligned with the FIP. (🇸🇦🌏)
- ‘90s / ‘00s soccer legend Ronaldo Nazário is backing padel development group Galácticos Rackets with plans to build 100 padel courts across Brazil. The project blends premium clubs and tech-enabled arenas. (🇧🇷)
- Padel made a high-voltage crossover into motorsport as the Hexagon World Series set up a court inside Madrid’s Jarama Formula E weekend. The event featured 30,000+ spectators, F1-linked drivers, and Real Madrid’s Raúl Asensio picking up a racquet. (🇪🇸)
- This is what it’s like to be a three-generation family of padel champions! (🇬🇧)

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Phnom Penh, 🇰🇭
More info here!

A review from the El Remate fam... 😎

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

The Partnership Tennis Hates. 1,000 Courts. Coachella.
Trouble in Paradise
📌 Hot take editorials:
- I Said US Padel Is Ass-Backward. Here’s What Ensued

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

For more on-the-ground 🌎 padel content from a 🇺🇸 POV, follow @padelyanqui on Instagram! 🤝 And if you have any feedback or news to share, just respond to this email :)

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

Leave a comment

The Partnership Tennis Hates. 1,000 Courts. Coachella.

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:42:41 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

A whopping five club openings in one week, including America’s 1,000th court. Padel reaching 250,000+ Coachella attendees. And the story of how Premier Padel ended up partnering with a product tennis literally banned.

Also, Playtomic is making player ratings more… visible, the pro tour hits pause in Doha, and agent drama brews heading into Egypt. Oh, and “skin to win” — yay or nay?

Also in this issue:
— Why your slice volley needs help
— Boujee viboras on a parking garage
— Fired for playing padel
— Bounciest balls debate

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Club Openings

Now Open

🌳 Upstate Uprising

40Forty Padel is opening on April 11 in Mauldin, SC (19min drive from downtown Greenville), bringing two outdoor panoramic courts plus a full café/bar setup, lessons, and community events to the Southeast.

🗽 Long (Island) Padel

This week, Padel& is opening a Syosset, NY location. The 17,000 sq ft facility will feature four indoor courts with 25ft ceilings, a lounge space, pro shop, sauna, locker rooms, and cold plunges.

🌴 The 305 Empire Expands with #1,000

Adjacent to the University of Miami campus, the 1,000th padel court in the U.S. has opened at the THesis Hotel in Coral Gables, FL, marking the city’s first-ever padel venue in partnership with Privé Padel.

Coming Soon

🚙 Parking Garage Padel, But Make It Boujee

ICON Padel Club is bringing seven covered rooftop courts to Aventura, FL (just north of Miami). The club will feature pilates, yoga, sauna, cold plunge, gym space, organic food, and a bar.

🏙️ Trading Floor Takeover

Philadelphia-based Ballers just announced plans to open in downtown Chicago. The private members club (built on the old Chicago Mercantile Exchange trading floor) will feature padel, pickleball, golf simulators, a full gym, recovery amenities, and a restaurant + bar.

📈 Up Your Game

Stop Butchering Your Slice Volley

POV: You’re up at the net, ready to make your opponent cry “uncle!” once they encounter your venomous volleys. Yet somehow your ball floats long, dies into the glass, or sits up like a gift for said opponent.

According to this 13min video, that’s because most players aren’t paying attention to these four truths. My notes below:

Truth #1: Too many players hit the ball too early and too far in front of their body.

It might feel aggressive, but it actually kills control. When you make contact out in front, you end up doing too much with the wrist, which makes the ball float or lose precision.
- Instead, wait a beat longer and contact the ball more in the back, between your turned shoulders. That’s where you get more stability, more control, and a cleaner slice.

Truth #2: Players forget to use their non-hitting arm.

If your non-hitting arm is dead weight, you’re robbing yourself of rotation, balance, and power. Keep it engaged, and suddenly your torso helps do the work instead of forcing your arm to carry everything alone.

Truth #3: Using the wrist to create the slice is a scam.

A good slice volley comes from a controlled arm movement with a blocked wrist. The effect should come from the motion itself.

Truth #4: (to tie it all together): Your preparation needs to be short.

If your backswing gets too big, you lose control the moment the ball speeds up. Instead, keep the prep compact, rotate the shoulders, and stay ready to punch or slice with intent.

And then one quick reminder: Slice is for balls you have time to shape. Fast balls call for survival (i.e. flat shots), while slower balls give you the chance to work the angle and the spin.

🌍 International Happenings

Market Leader Gets Cheeky

Since launching in 2017, Madrid-based Playtomic has become the default platform for matchmaking and player ratings across much of Western and Central Europe, and is now pushing into still-fragmented growth markets globally (including a major expansion push into 🇺🇸). That matters because in many of its core markets (e.g. 🇪🇸, 🇬🇧, 🇵🇹, 🇩🇪, 🇮🇹, 🇫🇷, 🇳🇱, etc.), it effectively functions as the infrastructure layer for recreational padel, shaping everything from how games are formed to how player levels are assigned and interpreted.

Against that backdrop, Playtomic is now quietly A/B testing a peer-rating visibility feature in select regions. Instead of keeping feedback fully anonymous, players can now see whether others generally rate them as “accurate,” “higher,” or “lower” relative to their assigned level when browsing open matches.

Early reactions from players have been quite mixed, tbh. Some see it as a useful layer of transparency for matchmaking, while others are already uncomfortable with the added visibility. One recurring theme in early discussions is that people don’t mind the rating system itself, but dislike the moment it becomes socially legible (i.e., seeing that a real person has actively marked them as “lower” or “overrated”). As one user put it, it’s the kind of feature you’re not sure you actually want to look at, even if it’s technically useful. Others are already debating edge cases, such as like delays in rating data, or whether recent losses unfairly distort perception over time.

My personal take (having played nearly 40 matches on Playtomic across Europe):

Knowing whether other players consistently see someone as “higher” or “lower” than their assigned level helps cut through the noise of self-rated profiles and recent streak effects. It becomes a kind of trust signal for match quality, similar to how seller ratings work on platforms like eBay, where the goal is simply to reduce mismatch risk before you commit time and money.
At its best, this improves matchmaking honesty. At its worst, it adds another layer of over-analysis to something that used to be more intuitive and social. But from a player perspective, it does help answer: “Am I actually getting the level of game I’m paying for?” (hence why I’m cautiously optimistic)

Regardless, I’m eager to see how this potential add-on pans out, and how other players in the global market react…

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Men’s Drama Hits the Bye-Week (🇺🇸🇶🇦🇪🇬)

Doha

Welp, this week was meant to be all eyes on Doha for the Qatar Major, but instead the calendar took an unexpected detour when Premier Padel and the FIP announced the event’s postponement, citing “unprecedented circumstances in the wider region.”

In response, a steering committee has now been formed to reassess what this means for the structure of the 2026 season moving forward. Updates are expected soon.

Looking Ahead, Things Get Weird

So now with Qatar gone, attention immediately shifts to Newgiza P2 in Egypt (April 13-18), where Tapia / Coello have once again opted out of the tourney, opening a major door for Galán / Chingotto.

The stakes are massive. With the race rankings tightening post-Miami, Galán / Chingotto have a real chance to close (or even overtake) ground if they convert in Egypt.

Behind them, the field suddenly looks wide open. Stupaczuk / Yanguas remain dangerous contenders, Lebrón / Augsburger bring volatility and upside in equal measure, and Nieto / Sanz quietly sit as one of the most opportunistic teams in the draw. On top of that, Newgiza also brings a wave of new partnerships debuting to add another layer of unpredictability.

Miami Aftershocks: Players, Agents, + a Very Loud Internet

Off-court, the Miami P1 sparked a wave of drama involving Lebrón, Augsburger, Augsburger’s agent, and even players openly reacting to fan obsession over legacy pairings.

Augsburger’s agent, Lisandro Borges, repeatedly criticized Lebrón across social media, making claims about player protection and mental wellbeing while escalating tensions publicly. Augsburger himself quickly distanced from those comments, reaffirming his support for Lebrón and attempting to cool the situation.

At the same time, Franco Stupaczuk added fuel of his own via YouTube, openly expressing frustration with constant fan obsession over a Lebrón-Galán reunion narrative, essentially shutting down what has become one of padel’s longest-running “what if” storylines.

🎯 Quick Hits

Last week, Boston-based WHOOP signed a three-year global partnership with Premier Padel. This week, a great piece came out exploring how the brand evolved from being banned in tennis to becoming a strategic partner in padel. (🇺🇸)
LA-based padel club franchise Padel Up is bringing courts to Coachella, turning 250,000+ music festival-goers into potential first-time players. Playbypoint and SIUX are backing this bold initiative. (🇺🇸)
Since last week’s update, the National Padel League is now pushing past 40+ cities (up from ~35), with Texas (especially Austin) emerging as a true epicenter of grassroots growth. Early signals from local organizers also point to deeper community engagement (300+ player turnouts) and more structured competitive pathways, suggesting the “City to Nationals” pipeline is starting to actually take shape... (🇺🇸)
A woman was fired for playing padel while on sick leave… and won the lawsuit! (🇮🇹)
Spicy community debates:
- Skin to win, baby! A spicy etiquette-based debate breaks out over body shots at the net… and seems the consensus leans heavily toward “fair game” as long as you’re not headhunting.
- Players are trying every brand of ball (Wilson, Head, Siux, list goes on…), even going as far to use pressurizers. Seems that the “bounciest” options are Adidas RX Speed and Tretorn Serie+

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Budapest, 🇭🇺
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Trouble in Paradise
Can Anyone Beat Them?
📌 Hot take editorials:
- I Said US Padel Is Ass-Backward. Here’s What Ensued

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

For more on-the-ground 🌎 padel content from a 🇺🇸 POV, follow @padelyanqui on Instagram! 🤝 And if you have any feedback or news to share, just respond to this email :)

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

Leave a comment

Trouble in Paradise

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:42:35 GMT

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Wow… what. a. week.

Just got home after spending seven days religiously following the Premier Padel Miami P1 from start to finish. I learned a ton, met some really cool people, and most importantly, my obsession with the game got even stronger (which I, quite literally, did not think was possible).

The layout was well-designed, the courts were pristine (shoutout to my guy Jaime - the way he and his team at PadelGalis orchestrate the rapid build-up & takedown of six courts in five days is mesmerizing), and the atmosphere was electric.

I was initially planning to write a quick blurb here with my observations and takeaways from the tournament, but over the course of the week, that list kept growing to the point where not writing a full piece would feel like a disservice.

So… stay tuned. Full breakdown coming soon. Anyway, let’s get to it!

🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Miami still wears the crown as America’s padel capital, but the race for No. 2 is heating up fast.

Meanwhile, the underdogs pull through on both sides to prove the virtue of patience. And the Pro Padel League just locked in another $15M, while Carlos Alcaraz thinks he could take down the world No.1s.

Also in this issue:
— The “boring” shot that secretly wins points at every level
— Pro partner prank
— Breakthroughs for intermediate players
— American company enters Premier Padel

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Club Openings

The Case for America’s “Second [Padel] City” Gets Stronger

I think it’s fair to say that Miami is undeniably is the “padel capital” of the US. But what about the runner-up? Back in January, my guy Austin wrote a deep-dive on this exact topic. I may be biased given my Texas background (hook ‘em 🤘), but I strongly think greater Houston comes in at #2 given the climate, relatively lower cost of living, thriving Latino community, and vast cultural diversity in general. This week, seems like my case just got stronger.

Anyway, Racket Social Club’s newest flagship just opened in suburban Katy, TX, bringing an 18,000-square-foot, purpose-built padel facility with five indoor courts and the tallest ceilings in the area at 30 feet. The club is backed by a strategic Adidas padel partnership and is positioned as a premium social-sport destination.

📈 Up Your Game

The Most Boring Shot Is the One Killing You

You’re playing a solid point. Yet midway, you feel like you just need to, idk, do something. Add pace, hit a winner, or prove some sort of point.

Instead, you dump a volley into the net, or float one that gets punished.

Meanwhile, the pros are doing the exact opposite. In this 17min video analyzing Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger, the biggest takeaway was restraint.

Many times, the chiquita ended up doing much of the damage. These soft, low balls to the feet:

force awkward contact
pull opponents out of position
create space for the next shot
allow you to quietly take the net

In reality, most players treat tough balls like emergencies. Pros, however, treat tough balls like setups by asking, “how do I neutralize this… and make the next ball easier?”

So when they’re stretched, they go slower, lower, and safer… which ironically creates pressure.

That all said, here’s a great, easy pattern to get in the habit of:

Chiquita to the feet → force a weak reply
Move forward immediately (don’t admire your shot)
Close space + cut angles
Win the point with positioning (not power)

In reality, you’re not losing points by not being aggressive enough. Rather, you’re choosing the wrong moments to be aggressive… as a good mental note, those “right moments” usually come after 2-3 smart, “boring” decisions.

🌍 International Happenings

Money Talks (🇺🇸🇨🇦🇲🇽)

So the Pro Padel League just raised $15M in fresh funding, bringing its 12-month haul to $25M as investors double down on padel becoming a legit North American sports asset class.

The round was led by Charlotte Hornets owner / private equity magnate Rick Schnall (who, naturally, got hooked while playing), alongside Left Lane Capital and other investors. The league now boasts 10 franchises across the US, Canada, and Mexico, with some already reportedly valued north of $10M… an insane jump from the ~$200K buy-in back in ‘23.

This new capital is being funneled into league infrastructure, player development, and building out a full-blown media product, as PPL looks to become something far more mainstream. They’re also doubling down on PPL 2, their developmental circuit, while continuing to stack commercial partnerships with brands like Frederique Constant and Franklin Sports.

One underrated nugget: PPL is already experimenting with media rights deals globally (mix of rights fees + rev share) and even staged exhibition matches at the Miami Open (imo, a smart move to hijack attention from an already padel-curious audience).

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Underdogs Ate (🇺🇸)

Remember how last week, we wondered whether anyone would ever beat the No. 1s? Well, well, well, how the tables have turned. 😈 With nearly five hours of total play time and two third-set battles, the No. 2 seeds stole the spotlight (again).

On the women’s side, Paula Josemaría and Bea González finally broke through, but not without a full-on rollercoaster which lasted just under three hours. After taking the first set, dropping the second, and falling behind 5-3 in the decider against defending champs Delfi Brea and Gemma Triay, it looked like another near-miss. Instead, they rattled off four straight games to steal the match and secure their first title together. Highlights here.

On the men’s side, Fede Chingotto and Ale Galán edged out Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia in a razor-thin 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 battle that came down to the finest of margins. The stats were basically identical across the board, so this one might as well have been a coin toss. But when it mattered most, “Chingalán” found another gear, particularly in that third set where Chingotto seemed to be absolutely everywhere. Fans noticed too, with many calling out just how dominant he was throughout key stretches. The win marks back-to-back Miami titles for the duo and their second trophy of the season. Highlights here.

Also in the pro-sphere:

During the Miami P1, Ale Galán pulled a prank on partner Chingotto, telling him Adidas had arranged a surprise hit with Lionel Messi. Oof 😂
Tennis bigshot Carlos Alcaraz (who sat two rows in front of me during the P1 men’s semifinals lol) casually thinks he and Jannik Sinner would beat Tapia and Coello. Sinner thinks Carlos would have to “run for both of them” while he contributes.
Arturo Coello, who recently decided to reside full-time in Miami, gave a full behind-the-scenes look at life in the 305: training, recovery, outdoor living, and even downtime with his girlfriend.
England-based fruit breeder BerryWorld just signed women’s world No.1 Delfi Brea as its 2026 ambassador.

🎯 Quick Hits

According to intermediate players, turns out the biggest breakthrough isn’t a new “magic” shot. Rather, it’s learning when not to play fast, and instead winning through positioning, footwork, and smarter rhythm control (especially chiquita vs. lob decision-making).
Around the globe:
- Boston-based WHOOP just locked in a three-year global partnership with Premier Padel to become the tour’s official health and performance wearable partner. (🇺🇸)
- Argentine soccer-legend-turned-padel-evangelist Carlos Tevez officially launched Apache 32 Pádel in Buenos Aires as he doubles down on his country’s fastest-growing racket sport trend. (🇦🇷)
- The National Padel League is doubling down on momentum from a breakout 2025 season, launching a 2026 campaign with a new Spring/Fall dual-season format, expanded women’s divisions, and a strengthened national “City to Nationals” pipeline. Backed by continued endorsement from the United States Padel Association, the league is scaling into six major U.S. regions after already drawing 1,900+ players across 35+ cities last year. (🇺🇸)
- A charity padel tournament in Miami hosted by Young Musicians Unite just raised over $23K to help bring instruments and teaching artists into >75 local schools. (🇺🇸)

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Nairobi, 🇰🇪
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Can Anyone Beat Them?
GOAT Recognizes Goat
📌 Hot take editorials:
- I Said US Padel Is Ass-Backward. Here’s What Ensued

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

For more on-the-ground 🌎 padel content from a 🇺🇸 POV, follow @padelyanqui on Instagram! 🤝 And if you have any feedback or news to share, just respond to this email :)

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

Leave a comment

Can Anyone Beat Them?

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 09:47:42 GMT

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What’s up El Remate fam! Checking in this week from Miami to make the pilgrimage to this week’s Premier Padel P1 tournament. Stay tuned, lots more to come!

🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

From indoor builds to outdoor courts popping up, America’s urban land grab is officially on.

Meanwhile, Coello / Tapia and Triay / Brea remind everyone they’re not to be messed with, while we inch even closer to Brisbane 2032.

Also in this issue:
— Why your footwork is quietly costing you games
— Ex-rivals squash the beef
— Taking more risks = better now?
— Where to watch the top Americans play next month
— Dad goals

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Club Openings

Urban Padel FTW

🏙️ Padel Gets Windy, Despite the Indoor Setup

I’ve been waiting for this one! Proximo Padel just cut the tape, bringing padel to Chicago’s Northwest Side with a 27,000-square-foot indoor facility featuring four courts (+ pickleball on the way). Founded by two Colombian brothers (wonderful guys btw) with a corporate background, the club is betting on community-driven matchmaking and a multi-location expansion strategy to anchor the sport’s growth across the Chicagoland area.

🦞 Beantown Goes Outdoors

Philadelphia-based Ballers is set to open this spring in Boston’s Seaport district, introducing the city’s first outdoor padel courts, with three courts anchoring a 30,000-square-foot open-air complex. Backed by names like Andre Agassi and Kim Clijsters, the venue blends padel and pickleball with food, events, leagues, and social programming. Amenities span dining and lounge areas to seasonal activations, including winter ice rinks.

🐝 Additional Club Buzz

— Tempe, AZ-based Conquer Padel is rolling out dedicated retail spaces to bring lululemon into its clubs nationwide.
— Austin Padel Center, which we covered a few weeks ago, has officially opened its three indoor courts in the city’s north side. The 22,000 square-foot facility is slated to open six more courts by fall.

📈 Up Your Game

Why You’re Always Late to the Ball

More and more pros like Paquito Navarro are saying the same thing: padel is getting faster these days, and if your movement doesn’t keep up, your game won’t either.

The problem is that most amateur players barely train it. But if you do, you’ll instantly separate yourself.

I came across this 7.5-min video, which does a great job of breaking down where you’re leaking points. My notes below:

Mistake #1: Your “Ready Position” Isn’t Ready

Most rec players stand upright, weight on their heels, waiting for the ball like spectators.
- Instead, stand like a goalkeeper about to prepare for a penalty kick. Slightly bend your knees, put your weight forward, and have your body lean in. You should feel like you could explode in any direction instantly.

Mistake #2: You’re Standing Still at the Net

Instead of being flat-footed, stay active through small adjustment steps. Look for chances to move forward and apply pressure.
Sure, you might get lobbed. But the reality is that passive players lose slowly, while aggressive players win (and lose) on their terms.
Train your movement so you can attack and recover.

Mistake #3: Using the Wrong Footwork at the Wrong Time

Crossover steps feel fast, but they’re not always right. Use them in defense, and you’ll feel off-balance and jammed, with limited options.
- Instead, to avoid late contact every time, think:
  - Crossover = distance (chasing lobs, covering ground)
  - Lateral steps = control (defense, quick reactions)

Mistake #4: You Admire Your Shot

You hit, then pause to watch your shot, despite the point still being alive.
- In reality, you need to recover immediately. Assume every ball is coming back, even after a great shot (admittedly I’m quite guilty of this).

🌍 International Happenings

Inching Closer… (🇪🇺)

Just two weeks after padel’s inclusion in this summer’s Asian Games was announced, the sport has now secured its spot as a medal event at the European Games 2027 in Istanbul… yet another major step toward Olympic inclusion.

Following a breakout debut at the European Games 2023 in Kraków, where thousands packed into a city-center court, the sport proved it can deliver the atmosphere and audience. Backed by the European Olympic Committees and key figures like Luigi Carraro and Spyros Capralos, the sport continues to check every box required for Olympic inclusion, ideally targeting the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Business as Usual (🇲🇽)

World No. 1 pairs Arturo Coello / Agustín Tapia and Gemma Triay / Delfi Brea swept the Cancún Premier Padel P2, showing that the throne is still very much occupied.

On the men’s side, Coello/Tapia edged out Juan Lebrón and Leo Augsburger in a gritty three-set battle (7-5 in the decider) to extend their absurd run to 18 straight finals. Mexico, meanwhile, remains Coello’s personal playground (he’s still undefeated there on the Premier Padel circuit), while Tapia quietly added another milestone, surpassing Ale Galán as the most decorated active player. Highlights here.

Over on the women’s side, Triay/Brea dispatched Bea González / Paula Josemaría in straight sets, closing with a borderline bagel (6-1) after a tight opener. Since bringing in coach Seba Nerone, they haven’t lost… now sitting on two titles this season and 11 overall as a pair. Tune into the highlights here.

Overall, the tourney’s outdoor setup brought hella wind, which had fans joking about lobs flying sideways, but even then, the same elite names rose to the top. Fans online displayed equal parts awe and fatigue, like: “can they lose for once?”

🎯 Quick Hits

Want to witness 🇺🇸’s best padelistas compete? The P1 Las Vegas Open returns for year three in late April with a $25K prize pool and equal pay across men’s and women’s draws.
Former rivals Mike Yanguas and Juan Lebrón have officially buried the hatchet, turning one of padel’s most heated on-court clashes into an unlikely friendship.
Players debate:
- Is a weeklong padel camp in Spain actually worth it, or just a glorified (and expensive) vacation?
- Maybe taking more risks is better after all?
Dad goals 👨‍🍼

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Kuwait City, 🇰🇼
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

GOAT Recognizes Goat
Revenge ‘n’ Trash Talk
📌 Hot take editorials:
- I Said US Padel Is Ass-Backward. Here’s What Ensued

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

For more on-the-ground 🌎 padel content from a 🇺🇸 POV, follow @padelyanqui on Instagram! 🤝 And if you have any feedback or news to share, just respond to this email :)

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

Leave a comment

GOAT Recognizes Goat

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:51:38 GMT

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Buenas, dear readers! Writing this from Fort Lauderdale, FL, where we just closed out this year’s RacquetX. Even in my humble opinion, padel really stole the show compared to the other racquet sports represented. There’s so much innovation happening across the sport, both in the U.S. and globally. Here’s a quick peep of the event from my POV:

Anyway, let’s get into what’s hot this week:

🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Padel’s pricing spectrum continues to widen across the States. Meanwhile, investors are hurling money at the sport.

And if your fourth flakes, Sandy from The Padel School has a 3.5-minute “living room racket skills” session that might be the most valuable practice you do all week.

Also in this issue:
— Pro padel crashes pro tennis
— Playtomic shakes hands with pickleball
— Will AI harm padel?
— Another big American brand joins the padel party
— Wedding shenanigans

Game on. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Club Openings

A Tale of Two Price Points

🌲 Not Something You See Everyday: Coastal and Accessible

Over in Portland, OR’s Cathedral Park neighborhood, Foundry Padel is set to open in June. The new 13,800 sq ft indoor club will feature four courts with 40-foot ceilings, plus a two-story social lounge serving local beer and wine. Hoping to keep the sport accessible, the founders are aiming to charge $15 per player, per hour. The club will use Playtomic to help players match up and mix in.

🌴 Meanwhile on the Other End of the Spectrum…

Down in Palm Beach, FL just south of Trump International Golf Club, Court Club is opening a private club that will feature six padel courts, six tennis courts, and multiple pickleball courts alongside a full-service clubhouse with dining, spa, pool, and fitness facilities. Built on a five-acre former church site, the club will pair top-tier food and beverage with family-friendly amenities like kids’ camps, clinics, and daycare. The price of entry reflects that, with a $45,000 initiation fee and $9,500 in annual dues.

🤫 On the Down-Low

— Interesting things brewing in Los Angeles…
— Right before Christmas, we covered a suburban Houston padel expansion underway in The Woodlands, TX. As a quick update, the club (now targeting a late May opening) will be called Lobb’s Padel and will debut with five courts.

📈 Up Your Game

Next Time Your Fourth Flakes…

This week, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole and resurfaced with an oldie but a goodie.

In this 3.5 minute video, our boy Sandy from The Padel School walks through a short “racket skills” session you can do at home. The best part is you don’t need a court, nor much space. And it’s fantastic for muscle memory. Here are my notes:

Start with hit‑ups from weird positions
- Juggle the ball on your racket from your knees, from seated, even cross‑legged on the floor. It sounds silly, but what you’re really doing is learning to feel the racket head in different body positions so your hand and the racket start acting independently of the rest of your body.
Add hit‑downs around a cone
- Set a cone (or phone, soda can, etc.) in front of you and tap the ball down off your racquet as you move around it, changing direction from clockwise to counter‑clockwise. This forces you to control the ball while your feet and body are constantly shifting.
Do some mini wall rallies in tight spaces
- With as little as 7-10 feet (or 2-3 meters), you can rally forehands and backhands against a wall, gradually moving back and even setting a little target mark to hit. Alternate forehand/backhand, go softer or harder, and force yourself to keep the volley going for control training.
Mix in lunges and “ugly” positions
- Padel rarely lets you hit from a perfect, textbook stance, so Sandy builds that into the drills: lunges, split positions, little squat holds while you control the ball.
Level up with balance challenges
- Work on hitting off a wall while standing on one leg, adding in uneven surfaces like standing on a cushion. If you’re feeling particularly cheeky, feel free to incorporate a bounce off your racquet before hitting back at the wall. This exercise will pay off when you’re stretching for volleys off the glass.

What I love about this video / concept is how low‑friction it is. It’s short, light on the body, and you can do it almost anywhere. And it directly translates to softer hands, better control off the glass, and more confidence in awkward positions.

Do it & tell me what you think! 🏡

🌍 International Happenings

Investors Have a Field Day

For all the “pAdEl iSn’T iTs oWn aSsEt cLaSs” folks, peep what’s going on this week, with not one, not two, but three headlines you need to know.

First, Fitura Brands just launched with a $20M pre-money valuation to build a franchise platform spanning racquet sports, athletic pilates and recovery, with “Padel//SWT” positioned as its next-gen indoor padel club concept. The company is centralizing franchise development, vendor partnerships, marketing, site selection and training so each brand can scale quickly while sharing backend infrastructure. Within 🇺🇸 padel, this is a bet that premium, league-driven indoor clubs can anchor a modern sport-and-social ecosystem inside the $1 trillion American wellness economy.

Next, Miami-based Racquet 360 closed a $9 million round and has already deployed the capital across four units: National Padel League, RacquetX (hey I just went here!), Racket Central (digital/retail for padel and pickleball) and Racket Social Club locations. With revenue projected to grow more than 300% this year, the raise is explicitly framed as an “inflection point” play on U.S. padel demand, anchored by nearly 2,000 amateur players across 160+ teams in the National Padel League’s first season.

Finally, AO Ventures (the investment arm of the Australian Open), just increased its stake in Mindspring Padel, doubling down on what it sees as a key global platform for padel-court monetization. Mindspring’s model is to finance padel courts so clubs and venues can build without heavy upfront capex, directly attacking the biggest bottleneck in the sport’s growth, aka access to capital for infrastructure.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Cancún Awaits, PPL Gets Hot (🇲🇽🇺🇸)

With no major tournament to recap from this past weekend, this week’s pro circuit update shifts gears to what’s ahead between the Cancún P2 and Pro Padel League.

The Premier Padel circuit heads to Mexico this week as the Cancún P2 takes over the Rafa Nadal Tennis Center from March 17-22, with €264,534 in prize money and draws of 28 men’s teams and 24 women’s teams.

Meanwhile, some things kicking around in the Pro Padel League:

Argentine polo legend Nacho Figueras just joined the ownership group of the Florida Goats, one of the Pro Padel League’s fastest-rising franchises. The team relocated to Palm Beach from Orlando after winning the inaugural City’s Cup in 2024 and finishing first in the 2025 regular-season standings, and their 2026 roster already features top names like Gemma Triay, Paula Josemaría Martín, Leandro Augsburger, and Jon Sanz.
This year’s Miami Open is adding padel to the program, hosting the inaugural PPL II tournament and daily activations with the Pro Padel League from March 15-29. Two courts will anchor the new Publix Padel Park, with pro matches, clinics, open play sessions, and court bookings available via Playtomic.

🎯 Quick Hits

European padel-tech behemoth Playtomic is using pickleball to deepen its US moat by plugging DUPR’s established rating system into its app
Is padel AI-proof? My buddy Dario wrote a really good take worth thinking about…
Players hotly debate: if your coach only sees 5% of your padel, how do you actually know what’s killing you in matches?
Another major American sports brand gets into padel… and no, it’s (still) not Nike
Two weeks ago, we mentioned that Jakarta’s governor threatened padel growth in 🇮🇩’s capital. Turns out, he wasn’t fooling around… 😬
This is what it’s all about :) — a 🇬🇧 club is staying open 24 hours on weekends during Ramadan, so Muslim players can break fast, pray, then hit the courts in the middle of the night
Doing this at my wedding 💍

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Tepoztlán, 🇲🇽
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Revenge ‘n’ Trash Talk
Bet On It
📌 Hot take editorials:
- I Said US Padel Is Ass-Backward. Here’s What Ensued

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

For more on-the-ground 🌎 padel content from a 🇺🇸 POV, follow @padelyanqui on Instagram! 🤝 And if you have any feedback or news to share, just respond to this email :)

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

Leave a comment

Revenge 'n' Trash Talk

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:44:51 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Padel’s 🇺🇸 footprint just got a lot bigger (and wetter). And on the global front, padel took yet another massive step toward the Olympics, while the pro tour may have delivered its most drama-ridden weekend yet.

Also in this issue:
— Fellow addict/disciple tells you how to master the dejada (& it actually works!)
— Hollywood’s unexpected padel cameo
— Padel’s golf invasion
— What Tapia & Coello do with their racquets is ~~none of~~ now your business

Time to grab your mate (👯 or 🧉 depending on where you’re reading this from), your racquet, and a fresh can of balls. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Club Openings

Northeast 🤝 Northwest

🗽 Island Expands to Padel

Sportime Randall’s Island (long known as one of the biggest racket-sports hubs in New York City, sitting just east of Manhattan between Harlem, Queens, and the Bronx) has officially added padel to the mix. The sprawling sports complex already hosts dozens of tennis courts and the famed John McEnroe Tennis Academy, and now the club has opened three indoor padel courts inside its flagship facility. Expect leagues, clinics, tournaments, and plenty of open play to come.

🌲 Wet Region Breaks Dry Spell

Alas, after years of false starts, two ownership groups have signed deals to open the Seattle area’s first padel facilities: one in the city’s Ballard neighborhood, and another in suburban Kirkland. Public details are still pretty sparse, but thankfully my buddy Austin shedded a bit more light on this here. Big shoutout Pacific Padel.

📈 Up Your Game

POV: Your buddy gives you killer dropshot wisdom from his private lesson

A few issues back, we talked about the padel drop shot, or “dejada,” sharing tips from a Spanish Top-100 pro on how to turn it from a gamble into a weapon.

Those notes were great.

But this week I stumbled across a YouTube video that might be even more relatable, which I think deserves a Part II. Think of this as one amateur passing along what finally clicked. If he can figure it out, so can the rest of us ;)

My notes below:

Think “stop the ball,” not “cut the ball”
1. The biggest breakthrough came from a simple double volley:
  1. First volley → as vertical as possible
  2. Second volley → normal volley
2. Put your weight forward
  1. Once you lean into the shot instead of flicking at it, the racket face softens the contact and the ball naturally starts dying off the bounce
In this context, keep the racket closer to your body
1. The closer it is, the more control you have
Train the feel with “no-bounce” rallies
1. One drill looked almost like a beach-ball game. The student & pro rallied without letting the ball bounce, trying to keep the ball soft and low
2. This forced the student to get to the ball quickly, stay close and compact, and control the racket face
3. Great warm-up drill before matches too, btw
Put it together with a simple pattern that simulates match play: split step → volley → split step → drop shot, over and over
1. Clear mechanical cues will naturally emerge from this, like putting your weight forward, staying close to the ball, having a compact swing, and keeping a stable racket at contact

I tried this myself and it worked extremely well. Give it a go too. Happy dropshotting!

🌍 International Happenings

🏅 One Step Closer to the Olympics…

Padel has officially been confirmed as a medal sport at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, marking another key milestone as the sport continues its rapid expansion across Asia and the globe.

A formal agreement was signed between the Games’ organizing committee, the Olympic Council of Asia, and the International Padel Federation (FIP), which will oversee the sporting delivery of the tournament in coordination with the host organizers. The 2026 Games, running from September 19 - October 4 in 🇯🇵, will give padel one of the biggest multi-sport stages it has appeared on to date.

Because the Asian Games function as Asia’s equivalent of the Olympics, the inclusion is another quiet but meaningful step in padel’s push toward eventual Olympic inclusion, with many in the sport now eyeing a potential debut at the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Gijón, the City of Revenge (🇪🇸)

Two teams who fell short at the Riyadh P1 came roaring back in northern Spain, as Gemma Triay / Delfi Brea and Ale Galán / Fede Chingotto captured titles at the Premier Padel Gijón P2, delivering a weekend full of marathon rallies with a lil’ side of locker-room drama.

The women’s final was an absolute war, with Triay / Brea edging out Riyadh victors Ariana Sánchez / Andrea Ustero 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 in a 3-hour, 3-minute thriller. Even crazier to me was the stat sheet: 59 winning points vs. 57, but also 61 unforced errors from the eventual champs. Peep the highlights here, and pay attention to Ustero - her defensive gets are mind-blowing.

The men’s final delivered the sport’s emerging clásico. Galán and Chingotto took down world No. 1s Arturo Coello (on his 24th bday 😬) and Agustín Tapia 7-5, 7-6, snapping their four-match win streak… guess they’re human after all. Highlights here.

Fans online were eating it up. One viewer summed up the collective mood: “I seriously need to stop watching these finals - I’m way too emotionally invested.”

And just to add a lil’ 🌶️, Argentine power-smash machine Leandro Augsburger stirred the pot during the week, casually saying he’s “not a fan” of Galán and doesn’t find him “a big deal.”

Galán’s response was calm, measured, and very veteran-esque… essentially “great player, tough environment, wish him the best.”

Next stop for the tour is the Cancún P2, followed by a much-anticipated Miami P1. Grab popcorn if you haven’t already.

🎯 Quick Hits

Padel has finally hit Hollywood! Paramount’s Preschool (March 17) puts padel front and center with Josh Duhamel facing off in a match, making it arguably the first major studio film to showcase the sport in action. Fast forward to 1:09 in the movie trailer to see for yourself
Why does Tapia swap rackets mid-tournament? Players debate whether it comes down to carbon type, rubber feel, indoor vs. outdoor conditions, or even marketing strategy
Padel, pickleball, and wellness tech took center stage at this year’s PGA Show, signaling how private clubs are adapting to changing preferences among golf consumers 🏌️‍♀️
Secret’s out! Here’s how world No. 1 Coello configures his HEAD Pro 2026 racquet
How to target the weakest player 😂

🤩 Cool Club of the Week

📍 Vilnius, 🇱🇹
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Bet On It
Padel Finally Checks In
📌 Hot take editorials:
- I Said US Padel Is Ass-Backward. Here’s What Ensued

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

For more on-the-ground 🌎 padel content from a 🇺🇸 POV, follow @padelyanqui on Instagram! 🤝 And if you have any feedback or news to share, just respond to this email :)

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

Leave a comment

Bet On It

Aris Sevastianos — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:39:18 GMT

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🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

LA’s first dual pickleball-padel facility just dropped three public padel courts, christening them with none other than the all-time padel GOAT. Meanwhile, Playtomic quietly flipped the switch on its APIs, Rafa’s academy is landing in the U.S., and you can now legally play your friends for $$$ from a mobile app.

Oh, and if you’re still blasting smashes instead of targeting the “Black Hole” down the middle… we need to talk.

Also in this issue:
— The Southeast’s suburban padel bet
— Gijón P2 preview + pro shakeups
— Padel alienating women? :(
— College padel hits the accelerator

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Club Openings

Sun Belt Spotlight

🌆 Downtown Pickleball Expands to Padel

Santa Monica, CA is getting its first-ever public padel courts as Santa Monica Pickleball & Padel (LA’s first dual Pickleball & Padel facility) unveils three courts in its downtown district. The launch is anchored by a grand opening appearance this Thursday from Fernando “Bela” Belasteguín, widely regarded as the padel GOAT after 16 consecutive years at world No. 1.

🍑 Suburban Superbastion

Just 19 miles from downtown Atlanta, Padel Highway is bringing four panoramic courts to Tucker, GA. The club is founded by a Mexico-rooted racket sports family betting on the Southeast’s appetite for social alternatives to pickleball. Positioned in an isolated zone (lower noises / smart zoning play), Padel Highway is leaning into tournaments, community programming, and multi-generational accessibility. The club has announced an April opening.

Additional Club Buzz

Initially announced last August, Rhode Island finally opened its first-ever indoor padel court. Two more outdoor courts are coming to the same facility (Newport Pickleball Club) later this year.
Down in Boynton Beach, FL, Replay Club is sharpening its luxury positioning under new management, expanding staffing and programming around its ten indoor padel courts. The club will now feature seven on-site padel professionals and a growing slate of group fitness classes.
While we only cover US club openings 🤷‍♂️, there’s something cool brewing for our friends right across the border in Vancouver 🇨🇦

📈 Up Your Game

Find the “Black Hole” 🕳️

So there’s actually a spot on the court where you’ll win the point almost every time, and it has nothing to do with hitting harder.

It’s what The Padel Analyst calls the “Black Hole,” which he breaks down super well in this ~2 minute video.

Imagine drawing a straight line between your two opponents. Somewhere along that line, there’s always a section that’s unprotected.

That gap is the Black Hole.

If they’re tight together → small gap
If they drift apart → gap widens
If they’re deep near the back wall → less dangerous (the glass bails them out)
If they’re close to the net → lethal. No reaction time. No wall help. Rally over.

Your job is to find it. But here’s where it gets tactical.

⚠️ The danger zone gets bigger when defenders are lined up perpendicular to your shot.

Example: You’re hitting a bajada from the back. Your partner stayed high at the net. You go parallel down the line. While it looks aggressive and feels powerful, what you’ve actually done is open a runway straight into the Black Hole on the counter. One clean redirect and you’re cooked.

The smarter play:

Avoid creating clean perpendicular angles
Shift their alignment before you attack
Look for separation at the net
Punish it through the middle

Aim for that Black Hole, baby!

🌍 International Happenings

Padel Tech Stack Loading…

First, Playtomic has officially opened its APIs to the broader padel, tennis, and pickleball ecosystem, allowing third-party developers to build directly on top of its infrastructure. That effectively turns Playtomic from a marketplace into a foundational layer for racquet sports tech. First to plug in is BreakpointCRM, giving clubs a more integrated way to manage and communicate with players inside the Playtomic universe. Sounds to me like deeper software tooling for clubs is coming…

At the same time, Rafa Nadal Academy is bringing its amateur Padel Tour stateside, with four U.S. stops across Miami, Austin, and Manhattan… all powered by Playtomic. The tour, already established in Spain and Italy, kicks off March 13 in Miami. Between infrastructure expansion and premium event partnerships, it’s been a statement week for Playtomic.

Finally, brace yourselves: padel itself is addictive enough, and one this ain’t gonna help make it any better. Lucra, a real-money competition platform, has partnered with Epic Padel and their club management app Zero.40 to let players compete for cash directly from their phones. The collab launches this spring across Epic’s US locations, with every operator that white-labels Zero.40 getting the feature automatically. Look, you were already playing your buddy for beers… now there's an app for that, a leaderboard, and apparently a compliance layer. Gotta love it.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Pregamin’ the Gijón P2 (🇪🇸)

The Gijón Premier Padel P2 2026 (March 2-8) marks the European return of the Premier Padel season, with the world’s top pairs battling for €252,250 at the Palacio de Deportes in northern Spain.

You can tune in via Red Bull TV here.

Quick refresher for newer fans: Premier Padel runs three tiers: P2, P1, and Major. P2 tournaments are the third highest-ranked in terms of ranking points and prize money. However, the level of talent remains the same, with the top dogs still competing.

Top women’s seeds Delfi Brea / Gemma Triay return to the city where their partnership first exploded, chasing a title that’s slipped through their fingers since Rotterdam. Meanwhile, No. 3 seeds Ari Sánchez / Andrea Ustero look to build on their Riyadh title.

On the men’s side, reigning Riyadh champs Arturo Coello / Agustin Tapia headline a 28-pair field.

Finally, some additional buzz around the pro sphere:

Franco Stupaczuk confirmed he split again from longtime partner Martín Di Nenno because rivals had “found many weaknesses” in their game. Stupa cited tactical predictability and stagnation.
- Meanwhile, Stupa renewed with Siux through 2029 (cementing a relationship that began in 2022) and unveiled the new Electra 2026 racket model
Reigning Riyadh queen Ari Sánchez just became the face of Adidas’ 2026 Arrow_hit racket collection, which introduces a system for adjustable racket weighting. Her signed edition drops in June.

🎯 Quick Hits

Hot Discussions
- Can you be overweight and still be good at padel?
- Your overhead still feel like a coin flip? Players talk about throwing baseballs to groove the kinetic chain, staying loose until the last millisecond, bending the knees, not trying to murder every smash, and plenty more...
Around the World
- Sadly, 🇬🇧’s padel surge may be quietly alienating women… hopefully there’s a solution?
- Jakarta governor Pramono Anung is pumping the breaks on padel in 🇮🇩’s capital, threatening demolition
- Qué chimba, parce! The new Colombian Padel Federation is officially live, with 233 clubs and 687 courts nationwide (171 of them built in the last year alone) 🇨🇴
Premier Padel and Bullpadel just dropped their 2026 collab
My buddy Austin documented a massive week in US college padel. Cheering on my fellow Longhorns - hook ‘em! 🤘
Remember the Palm Beach billionaire who got fined $250 daily for having a padel court in his backyard? Well, here’s a juicy update…
Also down in Florida, Reserve Padel hosted 600+ guests and raised $150K+ for a charity event benefitting the Brady Hunter Foundation to protect vulnerable animals and empower children.
Weird new trickshot unlocked 😵‍💫

🤩 Cool Court of the Week

📍 Shanghai, 🇨🇳
More info here!

Missed a recent issue? Todo tranca che ;) we got you covered:

Padel Finally Checks In
New Sheriffs in Town
📌 Hot take editorials:
- I Said US Padel Is Ass-Backward. Here’s What Ensued

Thanks for reading! My promise: I’ll keep the newsletters coming, you share with a friend if you’re enjoying. Está bien? Forward to a friend.

For more on-the-ground 🌎 padel content from a 🇺🇸 POV, follow @padelyanqui on Instagram! 🤝 And if you have any feedback or news to share, just respond to this email :)

See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾

Leave a comment

El Remate

POV: The Only 🇺🇸 at the World's Largest-Ever Padel Tournament

It’s a completely different atmosphere.

There’s a gigantic infrastructure gap.

The women get real love here.

The next generation is already built in.

They had how many racket brands?

Here are additional ideas I'd steal for a US event.

Here’s where you should sit.

You gotta go.

The Kids Aren't Alright

Coming Soon

Now Open

Coello Teaches (in English!) How to Avoid “Hero Smash Syndrome”

The Widening Youth Development Gap

Hometown Hero Delivers a Killer Finish (🇪🇸)

What the Players Say vs. What Gets Announced

Coming Soon

What Good Players Do Against Tricky Serves

One Pro’s Reality vs. One Region’s PR (🌎🇨🇭🇶🇦)

Reserve Cup Marbella Wraps In Style (🇪🇸)

Pregamin’ the Valladolid P2, feat. the Elephant in the Plaza (🇪🇸)

Nike Wants Padel's Best Player. But He's Already Taken(?)

Coming Soon

Now Open

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Stop Hitting Bouncy Bandejas

A New Rulebook, With 🇺🇸 Players In Mind

Women’s Upsets & Men’s Drama Hit the Valencia P1

And Alas… Nike Is *Finally* Entering Padel

Watching Tapia vs. Being Tapia

Now Open

Why Didn’t You Just Finish the Point Already?

Can Pro Padel Build a Major Fanbase?

Rome Restores the Hierarchy (🇮🇹)

Proceed With Caution

Coming Soon

Now Open

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

The Backhand: From Weakness to Weapon

Wake Up Bro, We Just Got More Global Data! Here’s My Blunt Take.

Pregamin’ the Italy Major

Some Albanian Drama

Well That Escalated Quickly

Coming Soon

Winter’s Over, But the Padel Avalanche Continues

Now Open

Historic Landmark Gets a Glass Wall

Nearly Sold Out Upon Arrival

First Dedicated Spot in the State

How to Win with a Weaker Partner

How Real Is the Tennis vs. Padel Rivalry?

The Dust Hasn’t Fully Settled from Buenos Aires

So Wait, How Close Are the Rankings?

Argentina Wants More, But Money…

All Roads Lead to Rome

Record Crowds, Empty Courts

Now Open

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

Hmmm… Which Should You Use?

New World Record, Tapia Concerns, + A Four-/Five-peat (🇦🇷)

Meanwhile Off-Court…

Pack Your Racket

Coming Soon

Acapulco Roots + Dog-Friendly

Now Open

Flagship Makes It Official

Additional Club Buzz 🐝

The Chancletazo: Niche, Fun, & Highly Effective

Padel Tourism Heats Up Heading into Summer

Power Shift in Asunción (🇵🇾)

Meanwhile, Some Premier Padel Scheduling Updates

Is Nike about to enter padel?

Coming Soon

🏄‍♂️ West Coast Eye Candy

Purify Your Serve

The Pro Scene is Reshaping Itself

Pregamin’ the Asunción P2 (🇵🇾)

Meanwhile Off-Court…

Serena's New Mission. Ranking Shake-Ups. A Threepeat.

And Alas… Nike Is Finally Entering Padel