First-Ever Indoor Padel Court At U.S. Mall Opens In Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — Nearly two years after Pickleball America opened at the Stamford Town Center, officials on Monday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the mall to usher in a new venue for another kind of racket sport that's quickly gaining popularity here in the United States: padel.

A freestanding padel court is now open and can be found in the new wellness wing of the Stamford Town Center just outside the entrance to Pickleball America. This is believed to be the first-ever indoor padel court at a mall in the country.

The court is enclosed in glass and was designed by Sportsfield Specialties, offering what organizers describe as a state-of-the-art experience.

"A lot of work went into building this," said STC General Manager Dan Stolzenbach during Monday's unveiling, noting the area used to be a marble seating area.

"As part of our modernization of the mall, we're removing those [areas] and replacing those with things like restaurants, padel courts, and who knows what will happen in front of Macy's," Stolzenbach added. "We couldn't be more excited to have this here. If you haven't played yet, I encourage you to try it because you will love this sport. It's a lot of fun."

Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons spoke briefly and said she's "thrilled" to see the new court open.

"This is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and it's so fitting that the first one at an indoor mall is here in Stamford, which is one of the fastest growing cities in the state," Simmons said. "This is already adding to the vibrancy of this mall and the reactivation of this mall as a destination spot for activity and to bring people together in a social way."

Stamford Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Heather Cavanagh also spoke during Monday's event, and said the court "marks a major step in reimagining retail spaces for modern, active lifestyles."

"The space aims to be more than just a place of play; it's a new community hub where fitness and recreation meet retail," she said, noting a new padel lounge next to the court that's set to open in the coming weeks.

Padel blends elements of tennis and squash, with players able to play balls off the surrounding glass.

Popular in Europe and Latin America, padel is considered to be more athletic, competitive, strategic and fast-paced compared to pickleball, also one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.

Padel players use a solid, thick paddle with holes in it and a ball similar to a tennis ball, but smaller and less pressurized.

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"Padel, in the U.S., has moved from virtually invisible to high-growth status with around 100,000 players, over 650 courts, and nearly 2,000 USPA (United States Padel Association) members by early 2025," an announcement on the new padel court from Pickleball America noted. "Today, padel is rapidly gaining traction in urban and affluent markets and projected to continue its explosive rise in both participation and infrastructure."

Pickleball America co-founder Joe Schipani, who also holds the title of Chief Racket Sports Officer, explained how padel is different than other racket sports.

"The game breathes such a love and excitement for competing and playing and learning the complexity of the angles," he told Patch, noting the ability to use the court's enclosure to your advantage. "You have to retrain yourself for shot selections. There's new branches on the tree of learning to select what's the right shot to hit and when... It's a fantastic game."

Fellow Pickleball America co-founder Jay Waldner said the hope is to introduce padel to more people through introductory lessons.

"We're trying to be at the forefront to get this going and to educate," he said.

There's a potential for more padel courts at the mall, both inside and outside, according to Waldner, although there are no plans at the moment.

Padel court reservations can be made after a free guest account is created through the Pickleball America website. Operating hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Pickleball America opened in September 2023. Since then, according to officials, the facility has attracted over 10,000 members and guests, as well as 500-plus corporate team building and special event groups and tournaments.