North America’s 1st skilled padel league is officially underway with the assist of some well-known friends.
Latin music star Daddy Yankee, 2009 U.S. Open up champion Juan Martin Del Potro, previous environment No. 2 tennis participant Tommy Haas and MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco were being among the the famous people who aided kick off the Professional Padel League’s opening weekend in Florida.
“We were so blessed to have the most effective ambassadors with us for the Pro Padel League opening weekend kick-off in advance of our inaugural season beginning,” league commissioner Marcos del Pilar reported.
Padel was invented in Mexico in 1969. The sport is a hybrid of tennis and squash, is generally played in doubles and has an enclosed court docket about a third of the dimensions of a tennis court docket. Above 25 million folks enjoy padel throughout 90 countries, according to the International Padel Federation, citing 2022 stats.
“Padel reminds me of the early levels of Reggaeton in the ‘90s when it was just setting up up,” Daddy Yankee mentioned. “It’s at the very same stage and the Professional Padel League has a massive prospective to develop the activity and get even bigger. I want to be a aspect of it and depart a legacy.”
The Professional Padel League options seven groups: the Toronto Polar Bears, San Diego Stingrays, Miami Computer, Los Angeles Beat, Las Vegas Smash, Arkansas Matrix and Cancun Waves. Haas is an operator of the Stingrays, Giovinco is an proprietor of the Polar Bears and del Potro is an advisor for Miami FC. Daddy Yankee also introduced his ownership of the new Orlando franchise, which will join the league in 2024.
The PPL year commenced with 3 matches on Saturday and 3 additional on Sunday at the SVP Tennis Centre in Zephyrhills, Fla.
The inaugural PPL season will conclude on June 10-11 with its championship weekend. A semifinal round will decide which two groups contend for the PPL Cup.
“We are making a league that is not only generating possibilities for absolutely everyone associated, but changing lives that will leave a long lasting effects and generate a legacy for long term generations,” Del Pilar said.
