The exhausts Juan Sebastián Cabal and Robert Farah have been the main impeller of the paddle in Colombia.
Photo: Juan Pablo Guzmán
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In Cartagena, Juan Sebastián Cabal and Robert Farah played again, it was at the Hilton Hotel, where they opened the first outdoor court in the Colombian Padel Caribbean. It is part of a new sports infrastructure that also includes pickleball and tennis courts.
For Cabarah and Farah, the hotel brings you great memories of their times of professional tennis players. “Before they had these paddle courts were the tennis, here with Sebas we made several preseason to prepare our tours and the Australian Open,” Robert Farah told The spectator.
He adds that they are very satisfied to see the growth of this new sport in Colombian Caribbean. For the two athletes who managed to be in 2019 the world number one duo in the ATP ranking, playing paddlers without a roof, represents a challenge. The opening party was against Mexicans Simón Charaf and Juan Pablo Pérez.
“The wind will influence the ball a lot, it will be a little more difficult to control and at the end of the day it is the best one in these conditions who will have good results,” Farah added.
For the Mexican, Juan Pablo Pérez, being in Cartagena and competing against Farah and Caval is a pleasant experience. “I would love at some point in the paddle for the level that they two arrived in tennis, the truth is that they are some examples to follow.”
He has been in the new sports discipline for 10 years and how the vast majority comes from tennis. “It is a sport that requires you more in a matter of mobility in shorter strokes, more explosive blows, it demands too much.” The racket is placed and remember “you can also take advantage of the topic of the height, to throw higher balloons.”
A story of short rackets
A publication of this newspaper argues that the paddle emerged in 1890, in the basements of an English ship. “The sailors threw a ball with the oars of the boats and since there were not enough spaces to move allowed to bounce the ball against the walls.
In 1924, the American Frank Beal took this hobby to the New York parks and baptized him as paddle tennisbecause it was played with short oars. In 1928 they began playing in pairs, as they are currently played.
Industrialization as such is attributed to the Mexican millionaire Enrique Corcuera, who in 1960 perfected the conditions and invented the current rules.
In 1991 the paddle managed to position himself as the second most popular sport in Argentina after football. That same year, even football serum in sales of items. The first world championship was played in Madrid, in 1992, with the participation of eight countries.
According to the Padelspain portal, although the United States has been slow to adopt paddle tennis, by 2025 it is impossible to ignore the explosion that the sport in the country is experiencing. In cities such as Miami, New York and Los Angeles, dozens of new clubs have emerged, but the highlight is the creation of a professional league with franchise format, inspired by the NBA model, which already begins to capture the attention of the media and large sponsors.
The commercial potential of the paddle in the United States is huge, and it is expected that in a few years the country will position itself as one of the main global referents of sport.
Meanwhile, in Dubai, the paddle has evolved to become an exclusive and luxury experience. Its facilities are located in resorts of high social and economic position, skyscrapers and private clubs, with tournaments that offer millionaire awards and attract international celebrities.
The paddle court has standard measures: 10 meters wide by 20 long, surrounded by two walls – of concrete or glass – three meters high, which allow the ball rebound during the game. In the case of the new scenario in Cartagena, the court does not have a roof, which gives a unique outdoor atmosphere.
In Colombia, the paddle also advances in a firm pace. Experts in the sector ensure that the country already has more than 160 active clubs and is positioned as a solid investment opportunity in the sports field, consolidating itself as a key destination for the development of paddle tennis in Latin America.
Sport and hotel
For Ricardo Kawa, hotel manager, this opening represents an important step not only to strengthen the supply of services of the establishment, but also to position Cartagena as a key destination in sports tourism, betting on integrative and dynamic experiences that go beyond traditional rest
“Under the framework of a growing demand for travel that integrate sport and outdoor recreation, sports scenarios such as the matchpoint padel club become an important encounter between the guest, the sport, the hotel, a space for premises and visitors,” he told The spectator.
The initiative is aligned with the global projections of the Hilton chain, which in its annual report highlights a remarkable growth in the sports travel segment, especially in youth and amateur categories. According to data submitted, the income generated by Hilton Worldwide Sport Sales tripled between 2019 and 2024, with 80 % from non -professional activities.
Facing 2025, the company identifies a new trend: the emergence of the “Travel Maximizer”, a type of guest that seeks to make the most of its free time combining rest, adventure and purpose in each displacement.
David Yaber, founder of Matchpoint Club, stressed that “travelers enjoy sport in their leisure moments, and if it is in front of the sea, much better. That connection with the environment generates a unique experience.”
In that sense, he explained that the club is focused on offering added value through sport, carrying modalities such as paddlebag, pickleball and tennis to privileged spaces such as world -class hotels. This opening is part of a strategic collaboration between Hilton Mexico City Reforma and Hilton Cartagena, two properties that share the objective of promoting sports tourism in Latin America.
At the end of the game all were winners. Simón Charaf Jones and Juan Pablo Pérez, traveled back to their country, will compete in Hermosillo, to the northwest of Mexico. Cabal and Farah went to Pereira, where this week they will be at the forefront of the Tour Padel CFF from June 26 to 30.
“This year there are eight stops and we are already for the fourth. We have free category where players of the highest level of paddle, Argentines, Spanish, Mexicans, are an international tournament, so we hope it is a success,” said Farah.
His playmate and life, Juan Sebastián Cabal says he is a tour at the national level, are step by step with requirements that are demanding for couples. They will return to Cartagena with their competition at the end of the year, “we will obviously want to be in the best possible club in which we can make the tournament,” he concluded.
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