While there are probably a million and one reasons an American might visit Paris, up until very recently playing padel in the heart of the city wouldn’t have been one of them.
Personally, I’ve never felt like I really needed a “reason” to visit the City of Lights. At least not beyond just wanting to stroll around the Luxembourg Gardens and sip wine in front of Medici Fountain… or get lost in the back alleys of the Marais after wandering down Canal St. Martin… or catch a bite at old favorites like Breizh Cafe, Frenchie, Holybelly, KGB, L’Avant Comptoir, Les Climats, and Parcelles.
But with the 2024 Summer Olympics quickly approaching, thousands of Americans will soon be headed to Paris to do what we arguably do best: watch sports.
And if you’re someone who is headed to France for the summer games that would like to actually play some sports — like padel — in addition to just watching them while in Paris, you’re in luck…
Say “Bonjour” to Central Paris’s New Padel Haven
When Martin Lévy, the co-founder of the new Parisian padel club Padelistes, first reached out to me about his project, I started to tell him that we really only focus on the U.S. padel market. But, before I could, he quickly added, “There will be a lot of Americans here this summer for the Olympic games, and they’ll maybe want to know where to play [padel] in Paris!”
He had a point. And, in case it wasn’t already obvious, Paris is one of my favorite cities on Earth. So, I asked him to tell me more.
He begins: “Padelistes is first and foremost a family affair. Before embarking on their padel adventure, the Rapin brothers, Antoine and Hugo, thirty years old, from Paris, had a thousand lives in just a few years: restaurant managers, event and video content producers…”
Then, in 2010, after a quick succession of “outstanding professional successes” Antoine and Hugo happened to meet Martin, who was both a real estate broker and sports agent specializing in soccer and sports marketing.
Martin explains that the Rapin brothers joined his team to help with consulting and event promotion, and the three quickly became close friends.
A little over a decade later, this Parisian partnership took a unique turn when, with the support of Wilson and the Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT), the trio launched an eight-part series on YouTube documenting the rapidly evolving world of padel in France and beyond (of which Godard would no doubt approve).
Parisian Padel With a Mexican Twist
The three friends became so enamored with the sport that they decided to launch their own two-court indoor padel club, Padelistes, in the heart of Paris this past April.
Of the club’s signature French styling accented with a dash of Latin flair, Martin tells me, “This club is a tribute to the Mexican roots of padel. With an easy going atmosphere made of wood and vegetal elements and a patio, Padelistes is both a place to play and live.”
Best of all for Americans visiting Paris, unlike many padel clubs in major U.S. cities, Padelistes is relatively centrally located and is just a few metro stops away from many of the city’s top tourists attractions. And should you have your own car, the club even offers three hours of free parking next to Bercy Shopping Mall #2.
Building on a Lead
While Padelistes only opened a few months ago, Martin proudly reports that the project is off to a great start, telling me, “We only opened in early April, but things are doing very well! People love the chill and cozy atmosphere, and are impressed by the [35+ foot high ceilings] — which is very rare [for an indoor padel club].”
When I ask about what kind of players the club is attracting, he explains, “the level of players is very [diverse]. You have beginners who come to discover, you have very good and experienced players. You even have families and young players.” He then excitedly adds, “We’re even goiing to organize lessons for children to create a young French generation!”
In terms of strategies for attracting new players and growing the club, Martin says, “We are pretty strong on social networks like Instagram. We also have partnerships with brands like Corona and our newest sponsor, Alpine. We are going to start organizing tournaments in June. And word of mouth is also very strong.”
As it turns out they also have a “secret weapon” they will soon deploy to bring even more attention to the Padelistes brand that is very in keeping with the media backgrounds that led to them launching the club in the first place…
“The big thing is we are also going to produce a video podcast from the club, every month. We will talk about the sport of padel with guests from around the sports business, champions, etc,” Martin tells me.
Yet Another Reason to Visit Paris
If my French were better, I’d happily tune in, and I still may just to see everyone who comes through the doors over the next few months as the French Open tennis leads into the Olympic games. Which brings me to my final question, “Have any Americans played at Padelisties yet?”
Martin happily responds, “We already had tourists from San Francisco come last week. They loved it!” Then he quickly adds, “All Americans are welcome! We rent rackets, balls, etc., so you can come without anything but just sneakers! And if you don’t want to play, we have a ping-pong table, a terrace, darts, good beers and music.”
Personally, I’m going to go for the padel.
You can visit Padelistes daily between 7am and midnight at 20 rue Escoffier. Bookings can me made online via their website. You can contact them via phone at (33) 6 67 47 24 13 or via email. And when you do visit, please be sure to tag The Padel State in any Instagram photos!
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