The Royal Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET) presented this Thursday at the Ciudad de la Raqueta, in Madrid, the pickleballthe new sport integrated within its structure that combines elements of tennis, paddle tennis, badminton and table tennis.
During the presentation ceremony, award-winning sports players such as Ernesto Cárdenas, Martín Suárez, Sabrina Mendes and Gemma García They marked their presence on the track. They were joined by former professional tennis players such as Pato Clavet, Vivi Ruano and Álex Corretja.
Clavetformer ATP number 18, revealed that it is a fairly simple sport, and argued that “to know how to play it you have to understand it“: “The goal of this is to have fun. At first I was a little confused, because you have to understand the game, the concept, the rhythms, how to play, but then it becomes easy.”
How to play
A sport with dynamics and technique similar to tennis, which became popular in a few years in USA and who now hopes to reign and be able to reach all audiences in Spain.
Composed of two or four players, the scheme begins by taking the ball from behind the service line and hitting below the waist to throw it diagonally, waiting for the ball to bounce once on each side of the court. Once done, both teams will hit the ball without it having bounced.
The president of the RFET, Miguel Diazhighlighted the positive points of pickleball: “We integrate it into our statutes, into our unions, because we believe in this sport. In the United States it is brutal, the increase it has, it is a very simple sport, it is a sport for diet, which can be entered into the schools as an initiation.
“This sport is going to be known by many people, by many practitioners and I hope we can see it as a sport as active as in the US,” he said.
In addition, Roberto Perezpresident of the Spanish Pickeball Association expressed his utmost happiness in welcoming the current representatives of this sport: “Today I came here to support this event that has stars who achieved the top in Europe, and to demonstrate what this sport is. We are very happy with the agreement we have come to become a federation”.
“Now, with this integration agreement with the Spanish Tennis Federation we are going to grow much more, we are going to be able to have Pickle World in schools, institutes, in sports centers in all areas and we are going to provide a new sport for the city, a sport with a very high inclusive value,” Pérez stressed.
Álex Corretja trusts in the pickleball boom: “In the 90s paddle was for entertainment”
The former tennis player and captain of the 2012 and 2013 Davis Cup, Álex Corretja trusts in the pickleball boom and stated that “when it started padel in the 90s It seemed like it was a sport for entertainment and it has become a super sport, not only popular, but also very professional. I think in the end it also depends on how explode in our country, and I hope it explodes, because everything that involves playing sports, having fun, is positive,” said the 49-year-old Spaniard.
Corretja also stressed the importance of having someone who determines well the rules of sport.
“There are a series of things that until you adapt are a little different, but it is true that it is important that there is someone who explains it well to you, because if you don’t start playing however you want and I think the good thing when you play a sport is that you do it to the best of your ability,” he said.
‘Pato’ Clavet: “Pickleball is not coming to replace tennis or replace it”
The former Spanish tennis player and former world number 18, Francisco Pato Clavet stated that pickleball “is not coming to replace tennis or replace it” even though they are two “very compatible” sports.
“I think there are synergies and they can help each other. It helps each other to promote themselves and so that tennis people can play pickleball and pickleball people can start in the world of tennis as well,” said Clavet.
The athlete, who holds eight individual titles, revealed the difficulties and similarities between both sports: “They are different rules and you have to adapt a little, but as soon as you get the mechanics of the game it is very fun. Also for those of us who come from tennis it helps, because it is a lot of touch.”
“The paddle, the ball, are different. Not stepping in the red zone is a challenge. The truth is that from the moment I started the first point until the end I have noticed an evolution,” he said.
Regarding its evolution and impact in Spain, Pato Clavet highlighted: “It is a sport that everyone can practice, it is easy. Also, look in the United States, it has become a boom. Everyone plays it. If there has been good adaptation and adhesion there, it will be good here as well.”
2023-10-19 15:08:29
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