New Racquet Padel Sport Fun to Play and Watch

If you like tennis but are intimidated by the big court, try out padel. It is a fun and exciting paddle sport similar to tennis, played at the Real Racquet Academy (RRA) off Buffalo Drive near West Sahara Avenue in West Las Vegas.

The Real Racquet Academy features scheduling and eight courts. The courts are open from 4 to 9 p.m. for evening play to beat the heat, but members of RRA can access the court anytime. There’s also a full-service restaurant for socializing after play. Padel is a fast-growing sport worldwide and starting to take hold in the United States. Padel is played on a court 25 percent smaller than a tennis court and the ball can be played off of walls like in squash.

To watch some of the best players, RRA will play host to a big United States Padel Association three-day tournament this weekend, June 11-13. The public is invited to catch all the action of this unique paddle sport that is huge in countries like Spain, Italy, Sweden and Argentina and starting to catch on in the United States just like its popular cousin pickleball.

RRA first introduced padel to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The club opened in 2012, within the world-famous Emirates Golf Club. As a result, padel is now firmly established in Dubai and across the Middle East with over 60 courts.

Padel combines the elements of tennis, squash, and racquetball. The game is played in doubles-only on an enclosed court made of glass and mesh, about a third of the size of a full-size tennis court. It is easy to learn with rallies lasting longer than normal tennis, making it a fun and addictive sport to play. Using a short, carbon fiber racquet, known as the “Pala” and a low-compression tennis ball, the service is made underarm and shots are played either before or after the ball bounces off the surrounding glass walls, adding a unique dimension to the sport over conventional tennis.

The RRA facility is located three miles south of Darling Tennis Center just past W. Charleston Blvd. The address is 1876 S Buffalo Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89117. Visit www.rrapadel.com or call 702-575-1700 for more information.