The wealthy's new favorite sport is coming for pickleball's crown (2024)

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The big story

You say pickleball; I say padel

There's a new racquet sport on the block making noise, except this one's sound isn't driving people crazy.

Padel has gained steam this year as a more active alternative to the widely popular pickleball, writes Business Insider's Kathleen Elkins, who's already been won over.

Often described as a mix between tennis and squash, padel is played on a court smaller than tennis but bigger than pickleball. It's also surrounded by four glass walls with two openings, allowing players to chase shots outside the enclosure.

The larger court and the ability to play balls off or outside the four walls mean the game requires a higher level of athleticism than the more stationary pickleball. (Settle down, pickleballers. Your game requires quicker reflexes.)

While you might have heard of padel, there's a good chance you've never seen a court in person. The sport has been dominated by the ultrawealthy. Some elite have built courts in their backyards after catching the padel bug.

There's even a debate over the correct pronunciation of padel. While some opt for "paddle," others pronounce it "Pa-DEL," because the rich love nothing more than adding a bit of flair to what they are doing.

Padel has aspirations of growing beyond the 1% in the US and taking on pickleball.

The sport is already incredibly popular in Spain and Argentina. And padel's quick learning curve has some believing it has the potential to get big in the US. (The one exception in the US is Miami, where it has already taken off.)

But access to courts is arguably padel's biggest hurdle. Pickleball courts can really be set up anywhere, with four courts fitting inside one tennis court. Padel courts' size and walls don't offer the same luxury.

The scarcity of courts makes padel cost prohibitive. One spot near Kathleen's apartment runs about $38 per person for a 90-minute session.

But padel's exclusivity could be both its biggest limitation and greatest asset. After all, a status symbol doesn't remain one if everyone has it.

Sports can be restrictive. Paying for a country club is just as much about getting in as it is about keeping others out. Take golf, long a darling of the wealthy. The pandemic led to a surge in the sport, taking away some of its exclusive shine (and crowding courses).

It's not a zero-sum game. High-end padel courts could remain while more affordable options become available. But watching how the elite's interest in the sport evolves with mass adoption will be interesting.

News brief

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The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.