While padel’s popularity has been quietly exploding in the U.S. the past couple of years, a recent segment featuring the sport on NBC’s The Today Show promises to catapult padel into the American mainstream like never before.
During the nearly four-minute-long spot, hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager pointed out the fact that celebrities like Dwayne Wade and David Beckham are now huge fans of the sport, discussed the proper pronunciation of “padel,” and even played a head-to-head mini-match at Manhattan’s first and only padel club, Reserve.
This pitted Jenna and Reserve Founder and CEO, Wayne Boich, against Hoda and Reserve Pro, Willy Acorta, in a best-of-seven-point battle surrounded by the dramatic skyline surrounding Hudson Yards, where Reserve is located.
Despite the points being nowhere near as exciting — or impressive — as those you’ll see watching North American’s recently launched Pro Padel Tour (PPL) or the World Padel Tour, the duo almost instantly seemed to understand what all the fuss is about.
And with them declaring, “move over pickleball, there’s another hot new sport in town,” to The Today Show’s estimated 2.75 million weekly viewers, it would appear to be a safe bet that the U.S. padel boom will only grow from here.
