The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
Growing sport finding a home in Louisville
Padel game similar to tennis and squash
Move over, pickleball: Louisville is quickly becoming a regional hub for padel, a racket game with features similar to tennis and squash that’s one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.
Padel is played by about 30 million people worldwide, according to a 2024 report from the International Padel Foundation. In the United States, there are at least 90,000 amateur players.
The center of padel’s presence in the Derby City is near the banks of the Ohio River in Butchertown. PATL, co-founded by Lexington native Andrew Herring and his former college tennis teammate, Kevin Ye, opened its Louisville location in April.
At the start of summer 2024, Louisville had the only registered padel club within a 250-mile radius. The next closest padel spots are in Chicago and Atlanta, where PATL’s other club is located.
Padel’s growth is skyrocketing across the nation, the United States Padel Association said in a statement to The Courier Journal. The number of padel clubs recognized by the association more than doubled to at least 70 in 2023. The association also quadrupled its number of registered members to 1,750 in 2023 and planned to host nearly twice as many tournaments in 2024 than it did in 2023.
Padel uses the same scoring system as tennis, but the court its played on is one-third of the size of a traditional tennis court, Herring said. The ball used in padel is also similar to the one in tennis, but is slightly smaller.
Padel courts are lined with glass walls, which are part of the field of play, similar to squash. There is also a door on both sides of the court, where players can run out of to keep a rally going.
“It’s just a much easier sport to play than tennis because you don’t serve overhand. It’s all underhand serves,” Herring said. “That’s the hardest part about tennis — teaching people how to serve.”
When you and three friends are ready to play, visit PATL Louisville’s website and click “Book Now” under the section marked “Book a Court.” You will be directed to a calendar, where you can book one of three courts as long as there is availability. The courts are open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Louisville padel players can also reserve a spot for an open play session, which take place from 6-8 p.m. on Monday and Thursday nights. The sessions provide a “very low key social setting” for those who want to connect with the city’s community of players, Herring said.
“That’s kind of what we’re focusing on right now, is less of the competition aspect and more in community building and to build a foundation, so that we can do these things (like competitive leagues) going forward,” he said.
If there are enough players to do it, PATL Louisville could have a competitive league up and running by the end of fall, Herring said.
At the newly opened MatchSet store in Westport Village, rackets range from $100 to $299, according to the store’s website. Padel players can find a bag at MatchSet for as low as $69.99. The most expensive bags cost $119.99.
Players at PATL can buy and rent rackets on-site, Herring said, adding that while an increasing number of brick-and-mortar stores, such as Chuck and Mike’s Tennis Shop, carry the perforated rackets used in padel, players might only find what they are looking for through an online retailer.
Here’s when PATL typically hosts a clinic:
● Tuesday and Wednesday nights
● Thursday, Friday and Sunday afternoons
● Saturday and Sunday mornings