In October 2022, my wife asked me to accompany her to play a mini padel tennis tournament for couples. I gave her my opinion that this sport is for people who were never good at tennis and invented it smaller and easier. Well, reluctantly, but she took me to play the darn so-called “Padel”.
No surprise, just as I expected, a mini tennis court enclosed in glass walls, artificial grass, a tennis ball, and a set of rules very similar to tennis with the use of walls. The only thing different and unexpected was the racket, which is what I called it when I asked for it, but everyone quickly corrected me and told me it was called “PALA”. I stayed quiet and learned my lesson.
We got started and the first ball came. I hit it and it went very quickly to the glass wall. The person in front of me instantly tells me that “it’s a bad ball”.
Obviously my “competitive warrior mode” comes in and I start to focus a little more. In summary, at the end of the day we lost more than half of the matches and I left quite upset with that, but I got to score 2 or 3 points which made me remember my years of tennis glory and the satisfaction was incredible.
Three days later we were back on the court. After a few months we had already formed a group of “padeleros”, just “boomers” between 40 and 60, but very hooked on the new sport and that is how the name of the group was created: “Los Pikados” (means really hooked on something in Spanish).
Since then, like many people in Mexicali, BC, we play 2 to 5 times a week, or as much as our knees, shoulders, legs, and joints allow us.
In my case, I think I am in good condition, and I have played up to 35 sets in a week. Padel came to change the lives of many people, my wife and one of my daughters also practice it, as do my sister and many friends.
The last local tournament had nearly 800 participants and registrations were closed; I think it is inevitable to admit the popularity of this sport. We have made very nice new friendships and we have met up with old friends, in addition to being able to share it with the family.
If you add to this that it is excellent exercise and all the benefits that it entails, I think it is one of the best things that could have happened to Mexicali and 30 million Padel fans around the world cannot be wrong about this new trend.
In conclusion: A little padel or what?
