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 culture, strategy, 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 weekNike is looking to padel as a lifeline, with its stock trading near a 12-year low, while the UK is about to double its court count.
And the Golden Boys just won their fourth straight Paris Major in a third-set tiebreak, despite being one point away from biting the dust. Plus, one veteran pro says padel has a serious problem.
Also in this issue:
— The three chiquita patterns
— Women’s padel gets a four-month pilot
— ‘90s legends prep for world domination
…and plenty more. Seguimos!
🇺🇸 Court OpeningsNo new court openings this week, but last week, we were graced with ten new courts across three states!
📈 Up Your Game What to Do Post-Chiquita
Ever hit a chiquita then immediately wonder, “Do I go or stay?”
Welp, you’re not alone. The chiquita is one of padel’s most useful shots for turning defense into attack.
But hitting it is only half the battle. What you and your partner do next is what really creates the pressure.
In this 1-minute video, Coach Joel Molina breaks down the three basic chiquitas, with each having a different movement pattern:
Parallel: You hit it down the line → you go forward, while your partner stays back to protect the middle and cover defense.
Middle: You hit it toward the middle between your opponents → both of you go to the net.
Cross-court: You hit it cross-court → your partner goes forward, while you stay back. Your job is to protect the middle and cover the defensive space behind your partner.
Overall, your movement dictates whether you capitalize on the pressure you just created.
🌍 International Happenings More Courts Coming than What’s Already Built (🇬🇧)
Across the pond, the UK just counted 2,683 padel courts across 819 venues. Another 2,000+ courts are sitting in the planning system, either awaiting decision or approved and unbuilt, with 80-100 new applications filed every month. Local market experts are even considering this 2,000+ figure “conservative,” given that nearly 29% of applications don’t specify a court count, and so get defaulted to two courts.
Meanwhile, the US announced 1,000 padel courts across 31 states this April… and keep in mind, America has ~5x the UK’s population.
Beyond padel getting a “head start” in the UK thanks to its proximity to and cultural ties with continental Europe, the country has (so far) done a relatively better job building padel as a mass-participation sport. Disused tennis courts, leisure-center car parks, and even old five-a-side soccer pitches have been converted into court space, with local councils actively tendering public land for padel.
But look, padel in the UK is still far from perfect. Noise complaints have been blocking new club approvals in multiple cities. And like the US, pricing has drawn criticism for being opaque and expensive, while female participation is trailing well behind men’s. Fortunately, the US is still a relatively nascent market, giving it the flexibility to learn from what our fellow English-speaking, culturally similar “older brother” got right and where it went wrong.
🏆 Pro Padel Roundup A Serious Tournament, But “Not a Serious Sport” (🇫🇷)
Last week’s Paris Major was one for the books. The tournament drew a record 81,000 fans across the week, up 26.5% from 2025, with ~15,000 packed into Philippe-Chatrier for Sunday’s finals.
On court, Golden Boys Coello / Tapia remain the Kings of Paris, winning their fourth straight Roland-Garros title, edging Chingotto / Galán 6-3, 4-6, 7-6. Chingalán even served for the championship in the third, but Tapia and Coello broke back before cruising through the tiebreak 7-1. It was their 40th meeting and the duo’s 27th title together. Highlights here.
The women’s final was a different movie altogether. Sánchez / Ustero obliterated Fernández / Calvo 6-2, 6-0 in just 71 minutes to claim their first Major together after falling in the Italy Major final back in June. Highlights here.
Looking ahead, Premier Padel takes a two-week break before the Rotterdam P2, from September 28 - October 4.
Additionally brewing in the Pro sphere:
Javi Garrido and Lucas Bergamini split after their Paris exit, while veteran Gonzalo Rubio blasted the constant reshuffling: “We’re still not a serious sport.” He’s calling for limits on partner changes by 2027.
Despite France boasting ~850K players and 4,000+ courts, no French men were directly admitted to the Paris Major’s 39 direct-entry spots.
Chingalán’s coach Jorge Martínez will finish out the 2026 season before shifting toward player development and coach education at Madrid’s M3 Padel Academy.
🎯 Quick Hits Since announcing three racket models in late July, apparently Nike is also exploring a tournament sponsorship in Portugal. While padel may be the company’s lifeline amid its stock trading near a 12-year low, the sport remains lower-priority in North America vs. running and soccer. (🇺🇸)
Empower Padel and the LTA launched a four-month pilot to grow female participation across Britain, targeting 1,000 unique participants and 200 regular monthly players. (🇬🇧)
Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina’s SVITO Padel Club in Kyiv was damaged in an overnight Russian strike on September 8. 💔 At least no injuries were reported. (🇺🇦)
French brands 4Padel and Babolat extended their equipment partnership another four (no pun intended) years, with a co-branded product line now in the works. (🇫🇷)
The FIP Senior World Cup kicked off its fourth edition in Buenos Aires (the first time Argentina has hosted), with defending champions Argentina (men) and Spain (women) headlining a field including ‘90s legends Alejandro Lasaigues and Roberto Gattiker returning to the court. (🇦🇷)
Juan Lebrón pulled off a “from downtown” x3 at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. (🇫🇷)
🤩 Cool Court of the Week📍 Punta Hermosa, 🇵🇪
More info here!
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See you next week & keep smashing those volleys 🎾