The boom in the sport where “shovels” are used is not only seen in the number of players, but in the great investment in the courts. Greater profitability, use of less space and low maintenance are some of the advantages of this discipline compared to tennis. However, tennis is not dead according to those in charge of clubs and sports spaces.
Although paddle tennis arrived in Chile about thirty years ago, with two courts that were built at the Prince of Wales Country Club (PWCC) in the municipality of La Reina, it was not until 2015 that more spaces for his practice began to appear. to the ease of their assembly with structures of the mechanical type. But in the Covid pandemic, there has been a real explosion. Not only in our country, but all over the world. As restrictions began to be lifted, many returned to outdoor sports and this discipline was a favorite.
The first courts of this recent era of paddle tennis in Chile began at Club Deportivo Lo Cañas (now Club Vitacura) and Balthus (now non-existent), both in Vitacura. Then some courts appeared in other places in the eastern sector of the capital, such as Club Las Encinas (La Reina) and in Ciudad Deportiva ZK (Las Condes). Today, there are in many parts of the country. Even in some sectors like Chicureo (municipality of Colina) there is an oversaturation, say those who run this type of business.
What happened to tennis?, which could be said to be one of the flagship sports of paddle tennis. According to sports venue and club officials, there has been a decrease in infrastructure investment for white sports. Not only because there is a boom in paddle tennis, but also because it is more profitable.
The first is the surface. Designed in “doubles” (four players), a tennis court is 23.77 meters long and 10.97 meters wide. Although most of the time they are only busy for singles (two players). Regarding paddle tennis, the dimensions are 10×20 meters. In fact, in many places they refer to this discipline as “10×20”. But in the latter sport, the distance between the courts can be much less than in tennis, because it is enclosed in a glass structure.
A tennis court costs an average of around $25 million to build, while a paddle tennis court – taking into account that much of the structure is imported and the rent for shipments has increased in recent years – averages between 25 and 30 million dollars. But the detail is in its maintenance and use. “Depending on the time of year (since in winter the influx decreases a lot), you can get between 3.5 and 4.5 million dollars from a paddle tennis court per month. In tennis, on the other hand, it is lower, even reaching half that of paddle tennis. At peak times, rent for tennis is around $14,000 per hour, while paddle tennis is $32,000. In strictly business terms, paddle tennis is a better bet, as long as the courts are well located,” he comments. Pedro Covarrubias, commercial director of the University and Sports City, of the University of San Sebastián (USS).
This place (former Sports City of Iván Zamorano) is strategically located at the end of Bilbao Avenue to the east, just on the border of the municipalities of Las Condes and La Reina. It has 10 tennis courts and 15 paddle tennis courts, one of the places with the most courts for the sport of “pala”. They even already have the construction of 9 other courts in progress. Next to this place there is another club (Espacio Pádel) with more than 10 courts and a few blocks away – on Cuarto Centenario Avenue – is another project that will have 16 courts.
“In general, the investment in a paddle tennis court pays for itself in 6 to 7 months”, he specifies. Martín Sotomayor, director of the Vitacura Sports Corporation , referring to the 5 courts of Club Vitacura (former Club Lo Cañas), administered by the municipality of this municipality, which also has 7 tennis courts and a long tradition in white sports. Sotomayor also adds: If you’re on flat ground, you basically have to build a radiant, which doesn’t happen with other types of courts. Thus, paddle tennis has not only meant a sports boom, but also a real estate boom. There are owners who have the land thrown away, waiting for a building permit, a bigger project or that, quite simply, another real estate agency buys it from them and, in the meantime, with the profits of paddle tennis, they can pay dues.
Interview
But there is also maintenance, which in paddle tennis is less and less complicated than in tennis. In the latter sport, you have to pay staff to maintain the dirt floor, as well as mark the boundaries with chalk, among other elements. “Whereas in paddle tennis much less maintenance is required,” he says Nicolás Luján, player and teacher of the Padel district , located in the municipality of La Florida, and adds: “That is why it is very unlikely that someone will invest in the construction of new tennis courts. In fact, there are places where they have been replaced by those of paddle tennis. Luján was a professional tennis player and two years ago he started to be 100% involved in paddle tennis.
A specific case of what the teacher of this sport refers to happened in Los Presidentes Avenue (Peñalolén). Where previously there were several tennis courts, today they have been replaced by the new sport. The place is called Padel Point. “I think to some extent the start of paddle tennis in Chile was due to the tennis players themselves. They were the ones who started to try this new sport given the similarities that exist between the two games and the ease of adaptation to paddle tennis having the basis of tennis. There are many former tennis players we have in the club. They themselves tell us how quickly paddle tennis has become their main sport”, explains Mercedes Bachelet, founder of Pádel Point . “Tennis contributed to the initial boom, but we believe the real flow of players is yet to come,” concludes Bachelet.
Player Profile
Another key factor that tips the balance in favor of paddle tennis over tennis is – according to those interviewed – the profile of the players. Tennis requires more physical effort and training, while paddle tennis is well suited for a more recreational time in some people who were not used to playing a sport.
“A lot of people who weren’t very good at tennis stay happy in paddle tennis. Even people who have not played sports and are overweight can be very good at paddle tennis. I think, sportingly, it’s not that tennis moves, but rather that it recruits tennis players who no longer play and raises people who are not athletic and want to get into something more recreational and with less physical demand”, says Sotomayor.
Pedro Covarrubias gives a similar opinion: “Sportingly, tennis players are more professional. On the other hand, there are paddle tennis professionals, but we can find a greater diversity of profiles, even overweight people. Anyway, in both sports, they are very wise people. Very polite. Something important for those of us who run clubs. Something that doesn’t happen so much in football,” explains the commercial director of Ciudad Deportiva.
And the founder of Pádel Point adds: “Paddle tennis is a very easy sport to learn and practice, years of practice are not necessary to have a good time. The structure of the court is a great ally, unlike tennis, since the walls keep the balls on the court and this gives dynamism to the game. Another big point in favor is that it is not an intimidating sport. Sometimes starting a new sport can seem difficult and therefore demotivating, but with paddle anyone can reach a relatively good level after playing a few times,” explains Mercedes Bachelet.
tennis is still alive
Despite the boom in paddle tennis, tennis still retains a significant number of players and continues to be attractive in terms of activity, “especially in off-peak hours, when there is more occupation than in the case of paddle- tennis,” says Sotomayor. While the director of the Vitacura Sports Corporation adds: “In Spain, paddle tennis has grown a lot and has started to eat away at some tennis courts, but later people who start playing paddle tennis, in general, return to tennis, because the truth is that they are very different sports.
For Andrés Otero, former Sports Undersecretary and current General Manager of the Chilean Tennis Federation Besides the pandemic factor, the paddle tennis boom also responds a lot to fashion. “What I can say is that the tennis clubs are always full. Here at the Tennis Federation, we have a huge demand for the use of the courts, which are not always available, because we give the priority to teachers and our tournaments or selective”.
Regarding the possible greater profitability of paddle tennis courts, Otero comments: “I don’t know if it’s more profitable, I think it’s a complement. It’s giving people a new sporting alternative, and it’s “is always positive. I insist, the tennis clubs. They are at full capacity, which shows that there is a historic demand for a sport which is the one that has given our country the most exploits in the world. ‘history.
Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
