MILWAUKEE — Wisconsin's first-ever padel ball court has opened in Milwaukee, bringing a globally popular sport to Milwaukee. Padel MKE, located on the city's south side, gives people the chance to play the sport that is a cross between tennis, racquetball, and pickleball.
Padel is already popular across South America and Europe. A few quick notes on the sport. The game is played on a court roughly the size of a pickleball court. Players use what is essentially a tennis ball. You can hit the ball off the wall. Games are always played as doubles. The racquet is about the size of a pickleball paddle but thicker and has holes in it.
"The growth of the sport in the U.S. is extremely exciting because this is a sport that is huge worldwide," Cesar Bracho, a padel player who started playing as a child, said.
Before Padel MKE opened in March, Bracho would drive to Chicago every week just to play.
"And for the love of the sport, I would do it," Bracho said.
The facility was started by the husband and wife team Rodrigo Alvarez and Megan Gregoric. Alvarez, who played professionally in Spain and Mexico, wanted to continue playing after moving to Milwaukee.
"It's not as easy as pickleball, but it's not as hard as tennis. You don't have to have the skills of tennis to play this sport," said Alvarez, co-owner of Padel MKE.
While pickleball facilities continue to expand across the country, Alvarez doesn't see his business as competing with the pickleball trend.
"I actually don't compete with them. I believe it's other kind of people who like pickleball. My people is more a tennis player, a soccer player," Alvarez said. "Pickleball players are not exactly our target for some reason."
The new facility is already attracting 25 to 30 players daily. About 30 million people play the sport worldwide, according to a global padel report compiled by PWC.
"Growing really fast. A lot of people who come here are actually from other countries. I would say 50 percent," said Gregoric, co-owner of Padel MKE.
While padel is primarily played as doubles, Padel MKE will match solo players with partners. They also provide equipment rentals and teach newcomers the rules.
Padel MKE is open seven days a week from 7 am to 11 pm. You can play during non-peak hours for $12.50 an hour, and during peak hours it's $20 an hour. Monthly memberships start at $250.
This story was reported on-air by James Groh and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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