🎾 Tennis, Pickleball, Padel: Da Kine Sports War?🏓
Private clubs an’ public places, dey trying fo’ be moa kine tings fo’ moa kine people, yeah? Dey trying hard fo’ make shua da tings stay cool between da tennis an’ da odda sports dat stay popping up fasta an’ fasta like da pickleball. Da official name stay Barnes Tennis Center, but once you step inside, real quick you going see dat maybe dey gotta think about adding moa to da name, yeah? 🏟️🤔
One day, had one faddah an’ his grown up daughtah come in, dey all dressed up like dey going play tennis. Da lady at da front desk ask dem, “Eh, what you guys going play today?” Da daughtah say, “We going play pickleball.” Da lady say, “Eh, you wen’ try play padel yet?” Da daughtah say, “Nah, not yet, but we going try ’em. I heard dat one stay super fun.” 🎾🏓😀
Dis kine talk story, an’ dis kine choices, stay pretty standard in odda parts of da world fo’ plenny years already, but not so much in da USA, yeah? But soon, going be moa common. Da Barnes Center, wit all da different kine racket sports dey get, look like da kine template fo’ da future. Private clubs an’ public places trying fo’ be moa tings fo’ moa people, protecting demselves economically from da changes in what people like, while trying fo’ keep tings cool between da old time favorite game of tennis an’ da new guys on da block like pickleball. 🌐🔮🏓
“I get one good friend who call dis place da Disneyland of racket sports,” said Ryan Redondo, da big boss an’ general manager of da Barnes Center. 🏰🎾🏓
Da coronavirus pandemic, since it made people like go outside moa, gave some racket sports one big boost. But dat unexpected surge seem like it’s here fo’ stay, an’ dat’s making some people in da industry feel hopeful. 🌤️🌈🎾
“People get scared, but I tink overall, we going find out dat dis is good fo’ da industry an’ going lift all racket sports,” said Joe Dudy, da president an’ chief executive of Wilson Sporting Goods. “I not saying people not going worry, but I no tink dey should be. Had one big fight between tennis an’ pickle when pickle started to get big, an’ now get moa tennis players than when dat started.” 🎾⬆️🥒🏓
Tennis participation still growing in da USA aftah plenny years of no changes, an’ had up to 23.6 million players ova da age of 6 in 2022, according to one report by da Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Pickleball, which started out as one funny kine ting with one funny kine name, is booming an’ not just with da old folks, as it keep getting moa popular in schools. Had 8.9 million players in 2022, according to da organization — way moa than da 4.8 million in 2021 — with odda studies showing even moa big numbers. 📈🎾🏓
Da new kid on da block is padel, one fast kine mix of tennis an’ squash, dey play ’em on top one court wit glass walls, an’ already get about 20 million players all ova da world, according to da numbers from Wilson. Dis one was started in da late 1960s an’ early ’70s in Mexico, an’ get plenty similarities with platform tennis, which was invented in Scarsdale, N.Y., in 1928. Both use da kine paddles wit holes an’ usually play doubles, but platform tennis mostly play when da weather stay cold, on top one rough, elevated surface dat can be heated from undaneath fo’ melt da snow an’ ice. ❄️🔥🎾🏓
Padel first got popular in Spain an’ Argentina an’ now growing fasta fasta in odda parts of Europe, including traditional tennis strongholds like France, Italy an’ Britain. Even though get only about 200 padel courts in da USA — most of dem in private houses — da sport starting fo’ attract big money, an’ moa an’ moa courts being built, with facilities opening up in Florida, California an’ da New York area. Redondo tink maybe in 10 years could have as many as 40,000 courts in da country. 🌍🌎🌏🏓
“Eh, we living in one rackets world,” said Dan Santorum, da big boss of da Professional Tennis Registry, which certifies teaching professionals, who moa an’ moa looking fo’ get certified in multiple racket sports. “Plenny of da search firms looking fo’ triple threats when dey looking fo’ teaching pros fo’ clubs. No moa only one director of tennis. Now get one director of rackets. 🏅🎾🏓👍
“I tink what going happen is da triple threat in da North going be tennis, pickleball an’ platform tennis, an’ in da South, going be tennis, pickleball an’ padel, although you going see some indoor padel in da North too.”
Get some big projects in da works: none bigger than Swing Racquet + Paddle in Raleigh, N.C., which planning fo’ build 28 tennis courts, 25 pickleball courts, 16 padel courts an’ three beach tennis courts on top one 45-acre plot of land with a 100-year lease from da city. Swing wen’ make deals with Wilson an’ Sweden’s Good to Great Tennis Academy, which going provide instruction on da Swing campus an’ whose leadership includes Magnus Norman, a former No. 2 in da ATP rankings who has coached leading players Robin Soderling and Stan Wawrinka. 🏗️🎾🏓🌴
Rob Autry, Swing’s founder an’ big boss, said dey already started building on da campus, which supposed to open to da public next year an’ expecting one million visitors every year fo’ tournaments an’ odda events, including concerts. 🎶🎾🏓🎉
“Da idea is fo’ bring in all these racket an’ paddle sports unda one roof an’ really spread out all these sports an’ lean into their differences an’ their own cultures an’ give dem their own little neighborhood,” Autry said in one phone interview. 🏘️🎾🏓
If everything go good, da plan is fo’ open up moa modest multisport Swing facilities in odda locations, mostly in da Sun Belt to start. ☀️🏓🎾👍
In da meantime, da Barnes Center stay running on 16 acres in San Diego. Even though it’s a public place, it’s still mostly about tennis, with 25 courts, and it’s a hub for the keiki. Last year, it was the site of an ATP 250 tournament and a WTA 500 event that attracted top-tier players. 🎾🏆
But the center also got four new lit-up pickleball courts and seven new padel courts, built on the edge of the property where couldn’t make tennis courts. 🌌🏓🔦
This is the best-case scenario at a time when there’s tension over who gets to use the available space between tennis and pickleball players. Same kind of fights been happening in Spain in urban areas between tennis and padel. Even though pickleball and tennis can share the same courts with blended lines, that often leaves both communities not too happy. But the alternative, for tennis, often means losing ground, especially when clubs can fit four pickleball courts on one tennis court and often make more money. 💸🎾🏓
The United States Tennis Association, when Gordon Smith was the big boss, wasn’t interested in making friends.
“When Gordon was there, pickleball was like the devil,” said Stu Upson, the outgoing big boss of USA Pickleball, in a 2021 interview. 😈🏓
Smith said he had only one problem with pickleball. “Losing land,” he said. “If someone wants to build pickleball courts, great, but if someone has four tennis courts and wants to make them into pickleball courts, that’s different.” 🎾🏓🌳
So, going forward, going have to see how these different sports can all get along and thrive together. After all, at the end of the day, we all just like have fun and play, right? 🎾🏓🤝💖🌈
NOW IN ENGLISH
🎾 Tennis, Pickleball, Padel: The Next Sports Battle?
Private clubs and public spaces are striving to accommodate more types of sports for more types of people, right? They’re working hard to maintain harmony between tennis and other rapidly emerging sports such as pickleball. The official name is the Barnes Tennis Center, but once you step inside, you quickly realize that perhaps they should consider expanding the name. 🏟️🤔
One day, a father and his adult daughter came in, dressed to play tennis. The lady at the front desk asked them, “What sport are you going to play today?” The daughter replied, “We’re going to play pickleball.” The lady asked, “Have you tried playing padel yet?” The daughter responded, “Not yet, but we’re going to give it a shot. I’ve heard it’s a lot of fun.” 🎾🏓😀
This type of conversation, and these types of choices, have been common in other parts of the world for many years, but not so much in the USA, right? But soon, it will become more common. The Barnes Center, with all the different racket sports they offer, appears to be a blueprint for the future. Private clubs and public spaces are trying to offer more to more people, protecting themselves economically from changes in tastes, while trying to maintain harmony between the long-time favorite game of tennis and newcomers like pickleball. 🌐🔮🏓
“I have a good friend who calls this place the Disneyland of racket sports,” said Ryan Redondo, the director and general manager of the Barnes Center. 🏰🎾🏓
The coronavirus pandemic, which led people to spend more time outdoors, gave racket sports a significant boost. But this unexpected surge seems like it’s here to stay, and that’s making some people in the industry feel hopeful. 🌤️🌈🎾
“People are scared, but I think overall, we’re going to find out that this is good for the industry and will lift all racket sports,” said Joe Dudy, the president and chief executive of Wilson Sporting Goods. “I’m not saying people won’t worry, but I don’t think they should be. There was a big fight between tennis and pickleball when pickleball started to gain popularity, and now there are more tennis players than when that started.” 🎾⬆️🥒🏓
Tennis participation is still growing in the USA after many years of stagnation, with up to 23.6 million players over the age of 6 in 2022, according to a report by the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Pickleball, which started out as a quirky game with a quirky name, is booming and not just among seniors, as it continues to gain popularity in schools. There were 8.9 million players in 2022, according to the organization — far more than the 4.8 million in 2021 — with other studies showing even larger numbers. 📈🎾🏓
The new kid on the block is padel, a fast-paced blend of tennis and squash, played on a court with glass walls, and already boasts about 20 million players worldwide, according to Wilson’s figures. This game was first introduced in the late 1960s and early ’70s in Mexico, and shares many similarities with platform tennis, which was invented in Scarsdale, N.Y., in 1928. Both use paddles with holes and are typically played in doubles, but platform tennis is mostly played in cold weather, on a rough, elevated surface that can be heated from underneath to melt snow and ice. ❄️🔥🎾🏓
Padel first gained popularity in Spain and Argentina and is now rapidly growing in other parts of Europe, including traditional tennis powerhouses like France, Italy, and Britain. Although there are only about 200 padel courts in the USA — mostly in private homes — the sport is beginning to attract major investments, with more and more courts being built and facilities opening up in Florida, California, and the New York area. Redondo thinks that in 10 years there could be as many as 40,000 courts in the country. 🌍🌎🌏🏓
“We live in a rackets world,” said Dan Santorum, the director of the Professional Tennis Registry, which certifies teaching professionals, who are increasingly seeking certification in multiple racket sports. “Many of the search firms are looking for triple threats when they are looking for teaching pros for clubs. It’s not just about having a director of tennis anymore. Now there is a director of rackets. 🏅🎾🏓👍
“I think what’s going to happen is the triple threat in the North will be tennis, pickleball, and platform tennis, and in the South, it will be tennis, pickleball, and padel, although you will see some indoor padel in the North as well.”
There are some big projects in the works: none larger than Swing Racquet + Paddle in Raleigh, N.C., which plans to build 28 tennis courts, 25 pickleball courts, 16 padel courts, and three beach tennis courts on a 45-acre plot of land with a 100-year lease from the city. Swing has struck deals with Wilson and Sweden’s Good to Great Tennis Academy, which will provide instruction on the Swing campus and whose leadership includes Magnus Norman, a former No. 2 in the ATP rankings who has coached leading players Robin Soderling and Stan Wawrinka. 🏗️🎾🏓🌴
Rob Autry, Swing’s founder and director, said they’ve already started building on the campus, which is expected to open to the public next year and anticipates one million visitors annually for tournaments and other events, including concerts. 🎶🎾🏓🎉
“The idea is to bring all these racket and paddle sports under one roof and really celebrate the differences and unique cultures of these sports, each having its own distinct neighborhood,” Autry said in a phone interview. 🏘️🎾🏓
If all goes well, the plan is to open more modest multisport Swing facilities in other locations, primarily in the Sun Belt to begin with. ☀️🏓🎾👍
Meanwhile, the Barnes Center operates on 16 acres in San Diego. Despite being a public facility, it’s primarily about tennis, with 25 courts and serving as a hub for the youth. Last year, it was the site of an ATP 250 tournament and a WTA 500 event that attracted top-tier players. 🎾🏆
But the center has also added four new illuminated pickleball courts and seven new padel courts, built on the edge of the property where tennis courts couldn’t be constructed. 🌌🏓🔦
This represents the ideal scenario at a time when there’s friction over court space between tennis and pickleball players. Similar disputes have been happening in Spain in urban areas between tennis and padel. Even though pickleball and tennis can share the same courts with blended lines, this often leads to dissatisfaction from both communities. However, the alternative often means losing ground for tennis, especially when clubs can fit four pickleball courts on one tennis court and often generate more revenue. 💸🎾🏓
The United States Tennis Association, under the leadership of Gordon Smith, wasn’t keen on making allies.
“When Gordon was there, pickleball was like the devil,” said Stu Upson, the outgoing head of USA Pickleball, in a 2021 interview. 😈🏓
Smith admitted he had only one issue with pickleball. “Losing space,” he stated. “If someone wants to build pickleball courts, that’s great, but if someone has four tennis courts and wants to convert them into pickleball courts, that’s different.” 🎾🏓🌳
So, moving forward, it will be interesting to see how these different sports can coexist and thrive together. After all, at the end of the day, we all just want to have fun and play, right? 🎾🏓🤝💖🌈
