NEW YORK (PIX11) — On the heels of the pickleball craze, a new sport, padel, is coming to New York City next week.
A1 Padel’s Grand Master Tournament will be held at Wollman Rink in Central Park from Oct. 9-15, organizers said. The relatively new sport is a mix of tennis and squash that started in Mexico. The players use a paddle to hit a ball off a glass wall in a caged court.
Fans can see the pro padel players compete in multiple matches during day and evening sessions starting Monday, according to organizers. The two semifinals and championship match will be next weekend.
The tournament schedule is as follows:
- Oct. 9: First round, six matches
- Oct. 10: First round; five matches
- Oct. 11: First round; five matches
- Oct. 12: Second round; eight matches
- Oct. 13: Four quarterfinals
- Oct. 14: Two semifinals
- Oct. 15: Finals
Tickets cost from $25 to $300 and can purchased on the tournament’s site. ESPN will be broadcasting the tournament.
Padel is relatively new in the United States but is very popular around the world. About 10 million people either follow or play the sport in the country, compared to six million players in Spain, organizers said.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.
