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Paddle tennis was invented in 1962 by Don Enrique Corcuera, who built the first tennis court at his home in Las Brisas in Acapulco, Mexico. It was by accident since Don Enrique wanted to add a tennis court in his house, and as the space was tiny, he ended up creating a smaller court with back walls and inventing a new sport called Pádel Corcuera or Pádel Tenis.
In 1968 he moved to Spain at the hands of Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe, who built the first tracks at the Marbella Club Hotel, making certain modifications to the court. Then it began to spread and play in Madrid at the Puerta de Hierro club and in La Moraleja.
In 1969 it arrived in Argentina in the hands of the renowned Menditeguy, Blaquier, and Gainza Paz families, who built the first courts in their homes, ranches, and private clubs. In the early days in Argentina, Padel tennis was a novel sport played by former professional tennis players (Roberto Aubone, Ricardo Cano) and renowned entrepreneurs. They spread and promoted it.
Paddle tennis boomed in 1987, with more than five thousand clubs distributed across the country, three million fans, 180 racket brands, and a high impact in the graphic and television media.
In the same year, the company Master Producciones created the first glass paddle tennis court and presented the Coca-Cola Professional Paddle Circuit, becoming the second most practiced sport after soccer. Argentina served as a springboard to spread paddle tennis in South American countries (Uruguay, Chile, Brazil).
As of 1995, paddle tennis began to grow in Spain in the number of fans to four million and in private, social, city council clubs, and urbanizations distributed throughout the country.
Currently, a grand professional circuit is taking place, the World Padel Tour, which is also in charge of spreading paddle tennis in new countries. Today, it is played (in addition to the countries previously mentioned) in Belgium, Italy, France, Portugal, England, Sweden, Japan, Arab Countries, the United States, Canada, and Austria, among others.
In reality, paddle tennis grows by its virtue. Since it is an easy-to-learn sport, it does not require much physical fitness. It is so much fun due to the continuity of the rallies, absolutely sociable (since the whole family practices it), it is also cheap ( because the cost of the track gets divided between four players), and its played by fans of every gender between 8 and 65 years old.
The court can fit in small spaces, and wear tennis apparel and shoes for practice. What is essential for this sport is the purchase of the paddle. It has specific measurements and characteristics typical of this new sport.
Paddle tennis also seduces celebrities and athletes from other sports like Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Iker Casillas, Sergio García, Rafa Nadal, David Ferrer, Fernando Alonso, the King of Spain Felipe VI, among others. I do not doubt that in the next decade, paddle tennis will expand to new countries in the world.
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Horacio Álvarez Clementi, @padel_retro.