Jerez de la Frontera now has its first pickleball courts inside a sports club, and for the next ten days anyone in the city can walk in and try them for free — no membership required. The Racket Club, the city’s reference point for racket sports, completed a remodeling project that installed four pickleball courts, and the facilities are already open for members and for anyone willing to rent a court, Jerez News reported.
The club’s director, Gabriel Selma, said the courts will stay open for ten days so everyone can test them, with instructors on hand to explain the rules. After that, within ten to fifteen days, the courts will open for reservation through the club’s WhatsApp, the same system used for its tennis and padel courts, Cadena SER reported. Diariodejerez.es, which covered the presentation, quoted Selma saying the club expects a significant turnout because the sport is new and attractive for all ages.
Four Courts, Paddles and Balls Available to Rent
The remodeling produced four pickleball courts, which are available both to club members and to people who simply want to try the sport by renting a court. To remove another barrier, users can rent paddles and balls at the facility itself, so no one needs their own equipment to start, Jerez News reported. The club’s announcement did not specify rental rates or the exact reservation procedure, so those details need to be confirmed directly with the facility.
Pickleball, as the outlets described it, blends elements of tennis, padel, badminton and table tennis. It is played on a court with dimensions close to a badminton court, using solid paddles and a light, perforated plastic ball. The game demands quick reactions like badminton but also technical shots such as volleys and lifted strokes borrowed from padel and tennis.
What the City Council Says the Courts Add
Tomás Sampalo, the city council’s delegate for Health and Sports, visited the facility with Selma and with Rafael Jiménez Puertas, UNEI’s director of Operations Services, and Jesús Díaz, UNEI’s commercial director. UNEI is the concessionaire that runs The Racket Club. Diariodejerez.es quoted Sampalo as “very happy” with the project, noting that every visit to the Racket Club is to inaugurate something or take part in events that energize sport in the city. He said that with the first public pickleball courts in Jerez, the city improves its offering, and that a city of 215,000 inhabitants should have a very wide, enormously wide sports offer.
With the new courts, The Racket Club’s racket-sport lineup now totals 17 courts: seven padel courts (two glass and five wall), six tennis courts (three resin and three clay), and the four pickleball courts, according to the figures reported by Cadena SER and Jerez News.
UNEI, a Social Enterprise Behind the Club
The company operating The Racket Club is UNEI, an Andalusian social enterprise that describes itself as a leader in creating employment for people with disabilities. According to the club’s communication, UNEI has 2,100 employees, 87% of them with disabilities and 50% with mental health conditions, and it marks its 35th anniversary in 2026. Its business lines include integrated logistics, facility services, environmental conservation, advanced telecare and sports-facility management, as Diariodejerez.es and Cadena SER reported.
Free Trial Now, Schools in January, Classes from 2027
Selma told Diariodejerez.es that after the initial rental period, schools for children and adults would begin in January. Separately, both Cadena SER and Jerez News report that the club’s announcement states individual and group pickleball classes with specialized coaches will be offered starting in 2027. That gap — schools from January versus formal classes from 2027 — is the main point the sources leave unresolved.
Children were already trying the sport on the Wednesday of the presentation, according to Diariodejerez.es.
Questions Readers Still Ask About Pickleball in Jerez
- Where can I play pickleball in Jerez? The four courts are at The Racket Club in Jerez de la Frontera, the first pickleball courts enabled in a sports club in the city, per the club’s information of Nov. 4, 2026, as Jerez News reported.
- Do I need to be a member? No. The courts are open to non-members who rent a court, and paddles and balls can be rented on site.
- How do I book a court? After the initial ten-day open period, reservations open through the club’s WhatsApp within ten to fifteen days, per Selma in Diariodejerez.es; exact rates were not published.
- When do lessons start? Selma said schools for children and adults begin in January, while the club’s announcement points to individual and group classes with expert coaches from 2027.
