Africa’s first-ever padel tennis courts in Strubens Valley

Saturday, 29 February saw the launch and opening of the first-ever Padel tennis courts in Africa at the iJUMP Arena in Clearwater Crossing, Strubens Valley.

Active people all over Johannesburg had the opportunity to play the hugely popular sport, which promised more action, more fun and more socialising.

Padel tennis is a fascinating combination of traditional tennis and squash. The court is smaller and has glass walls on the back and sides, allowing a variety of creative returns by using the glass.

The game is more competitive and caters for all ages and abilities, as points are won on strategy, not just power.

“While on the court the players actually play and hit volleys; they don’t walk around court collecting balls,” said Marketing Manager and Padel tennis addict, Bradley Sybesma.

The game is played with a stringless padel which has many benefits for the player. The padel is closer to the hand making hand-eye co-ordination more intuitive.

The sport now has over 12 million players around the world, with 11 500 courts in Spain alone.

Padel tennis is the second-biggest sport in soccer-crazed Argentina and Spain, and has an international governing body, The International Padel Federation, and a professional league called the World Padel Tour.

Jodi Klassen who played padel tennis for the first time at the launch, had this to say about the experience, “So much fun! I found a new hobby, you will see more of me. I enjoyed the sport and would recommend it to anyone.”

Members of the community who would like to experience the exhilarating sport can find out more at https://www.padeltennis.co.za and info@padeltennis.co.za.