Padel Finally Checks In

El Remate #19 | What's hot in 🇺🇸 & 🌎 padel | Feb. 17-24, 2026

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.

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! 📧

🔍 Topics we’ll cover this week

Hotels are finally putting their money where their mouth is on padel. Meanwhile, Cincinnati gets showered with more courts, while the rest of watch with FOMO.

We also do a detailed breakdown on one of the most essential shots in the game, plus an intense (albeit temporary) Coello-Tapia breakup out East.

Also in this issue:
— How padel helped KC woo World Cup talent
— Weaker partner & grip debates
— Players are multiplying like rabbits in the UK
— A near-tragic aftermath
— Updates from the 305, with love
— CourtReserve & USPA make moves

…and plenty more. Seguimos!

🇺🇸 Club Openings

🛏️ “Put it on the Room!”

Back in September, Condé Nast Traveler declared padel the new “It-Girl Amenity” at hotels. While I honestly thought this take was a bit aspirational at the time, seems like it’s now becoming a real phenomenon here in the States, with *three* headlines this week alone!

Popping Up across Mid-Market…

Hotel Dena in Pasadena, CA is set to add a public-access padel court alongside eight pickleball courts, transforming underutilized tennis space into a high-traffic racquet hub steps from the Pasadena Convention Center. I like the play: mid-market, urban hospitality integrating padel as recurring, community-facing operating income.

…and High-End!

European luxury brand Kempinski Hotels is launching its first U.S. branded residences project in Miami’s Design District, with padel making the cut on the amenity list. The two-tower development, scheduled to be completed in Q4 2029, will include a dedicated padel court alongside spa, pools, and high-end residential perks.

Also: Celebrity + Hospitality = Padel?

While this one isn’t technically on US soil, it’s deeply tied to a prominent American actor and hospitality brand. Anyway, Robert De Niro and Nobu Hospitality are teaming up to open Nobu Beach Inn, a 36-bedroom property as part of a 400-acre resort and residential development set across two miles of beachfront in Barbuda. 🇦🇬 Construction is expected to be completed in late 2026, and the property will feature two padel courts.

🐄 The Midwest Is Getting Spoiled

Last week, we saw four panoramic-glass outdoor courts make their way to Greater Cincinnati. Now, the metro area is getting even more, at two separate venues:

1. Opening March 16 in Mason, OH (25 miles from downtown), the revamped $260M Cincinnati Open Sporting Club will feature two padel courts, 31 outdoor tennis courts, six indoor courts, and six pickleball courts.

   

2. Cincinnati Sports Club is dropping seven figures on a 2026 capital upgrade, which includes new covered padel courts. Already a staple on the city’s East Side, the club is doubling down on racquet sports after recent investments in indoor pickleball, upgraded equipment, and an adults-only outdoor pool.

   

🌴 Updates from the 305

• Two weeks ago, we flagged Eko Padel & Pickle opening three padel courts inside a major Miami mall. I was particularly interested in the zero initiation fees, a huge step for public accessibility. While I’m bullish given this model’s success in Europe and LatAm, it will be fascinating to see how it does in the US, where funding sources differ. Anyway, here’s what we’ve learned since the initial announcement:

  • Ceiling height is ~24 feet

  • Features locker rooms, showers, lounge seating, retail shop, and a coffee shop serving empanadas, sandwiches, ice cream, and eventually beer and wine

  • Pro athletes Trey Boston, Lucas Faggiano, and Ariel Eslava are investors

  • Opening timeline now targets late March (slightly later than initially stated)

📈 Up Your Game 

Bandejas… More To It Than You Think

Per former Spanish No. 1 Adrián Torres, most players aren’t properly learning the bandeja. He shares several key points in this video. Here are my three big takeaways:

1. The bandeja is a throw (stop thinking spin - it’s the byproduct, not the goal!)

   1. The key is the kinetic chain, not the wrist flick. Think a baseball pitch, a tennis serve, or a javelin release.

   2. Your sequence should be: Hip rotation → Core engagement → Shoulder control (keep your scapula stable) → Elbow drives from 90° to 180° → Racket travels down on a diagonal → Light supination at the end

2. Separate acceleration vs. weight

   1. If you want more speed, move your elbow faster (aka 90° to 180° quickly)

   2. If you want more weight through the ball, use your hips more.

   3. Stay relaxed to play fast. Tension kills acceleration.

3. Swing down, not sideways

   1. Use a slight diagonal path, and finish naturally.

   2. Keep it simple, and add optional variations later.

🏆 Pro Padel Roundup

Middle East Tour Continues with Blockbuster Exhibition (🇦🇪)

Just a week after coming off their first Premier Padel title of 2026 in Riyadh, World No. 1s Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia split up for one night in Abu Dhabi for a thriller exhibition.

Coello teamed up with Jorge “Coki” Nieto (FIP No. 7, 2024 Premier Padel Finals champ), while Tapia partnered with Federico Chingotto (FIP No. 3, and arguably the best defensive engine in the game). Tapia & Chingo took it 7-6, 2-6, 6-3.

Off court, Coello toured the Zayed National Museum and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

No full highlights yet, but here’s a 32-second clip documenting the night.

🎯 Quick Hits

• The tea has finally been spilled on how Kansas City became the 2026 World Cup’s base camp capital… and of course, padel played a part. 😏

• Tournated and World Padel Rating have launched a white-label platform for the United States Padel Association, replacing spreadsheets with a unified system for tournaments, rankings, and memberships.

• Last week, we shared a horrific story involving an Aussie narrowly escaping death when a 3-meter glass wall exploded above him while playing in Bali. 🫣 Here’s the aftermath, which raises uncomfortable questions about safety standards and glass specifications.

• Turns out, UK padel participation more than doubled in 2025! 🇬🇧

• Florida-based CourtReserve just introduced “Public Booking,” a feature that lets clubs share a link for paid court or event reservations without requiring account creation or an app download. If adoption scales, this could become a meaningful lever for clubs looking to monetize casual demand without adding operational complexity…

• Currently in discussion:

  • Players weigh in on how to deal with a weaker partner in league play 😬

  • Wait, why are the pros using these weird grips?

• Finally… this meme

  

🤩 Cool Court of the Week

📍 Cape Town, 🇿🇦
More info here!

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

• New Sheriffs in Town

• One Small Step for US Padel, One Giant Leap for Accessibility

• 📌 Hot take editorials:

  • I Said US Padel Is Ass-Backward. Here’s What Ensued

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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 🎾