International padel tour makes U.S. debut in Miami Beach this week. Here’s what to know
The sport of padel needs no introduction to sports fans in Argentina, Spain and other countries in South America and Europe, where it has been extremely popular for decades. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Rafa Nadal are known to play it during their free time.
Padel, a combination of tennis, racquetball and squash, has been growing in the United States of late, with Miami as a hub. So, it makes sense that Premier Padel — the world’s leading professional padel tour — is making its U.S. debut with the motorola razr Miami Premier Padel P1 this week at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
The top-ranked male and female players will compete, with padel legend Fernando Belasteguín serving as tournament director.
“It’s a very important moment for the sport, and we’re delighted it’s in Miami, which is kind of the homeland of padel in the U.S. currently,” said Premier Padel CEO David Sugden. “The sport originated from the Hispanic world, it’s the No. 2 sport in Spain behind soccer, and we believe that will be replicated in many countries around the world in the coming decade.”
He said padel is to tennis what snowboarding is to skiing.
“There’s a different feel about snowboarding, as there is with padel to tennis, an entertainment element to it, so that is why Miami is a fantastic place to have your first tournament in the world’s biggest sports market.”
World No. 1 padel players Arturo Coello and Ariana Sánchez are Miami-based.
At just 22, Coello, a Spanish left-hander, has already cemented his place as one of padel’s all-time greats along with playing partner Agustin Tapia. Another player to watch is Spaniard Juan “El Lobo” (The Wolf) LeBron. “He’s a real character within the sport, and plays with his heart of court,” Sugden said.
On the women’s side, Ariana Sánchez, a 27-year-old padel icon from Catalonia, is rewriting history with her partner Paula Josemaría. The duo has reigned as World No. 1 since 2023, with 38 career titles, making them the second-best pairing of all time.
The tournament runs from Tuesday through Mar. 23. Tickets are available at miamipremierpadel.com