Watching Tapia vs. Being Tapia

El Remate #34 | What's hot in 🇺🇸 & 🌎 padel | June 2-9, 2026

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.

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

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:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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!

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

• Proceed With Caution

• Well That Escalated Quickly

• 📌 Hot take editorials:

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

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

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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 🎾