Fora x Parker Palm Springs Padel Pro-Am

While watching pro tennis at Indian Wells has always been the main reason for racquet-sports aficionados to flock to the California desert in early March, that all changed slightly this past weekend thanks to the first-ever Palm Springs Padel Pro-Am at the famed Parker Palm Springs.

The event was co-hosted by Fora Travel and L.A.-based Padel Up, which operates both L.A.’s only indoor padel club (with three courts and 30-foot-ceilings in Culver City) and an outdoor club (with three rooftop courts at the Westfield Mall in Century City) and featured:

• • 12 total teams that included top-ranked padel pros from L.A., Miami, and Stockholm…
• • $10,000 in prize money for the winners, and…
• • An invite-only exhibition match featuring Argentine padel legend Fernando “Bela” Belasteguín, presented in partnership with Wilson Padel, alongside a surprise appearance by Argentine tennis icon David Nalbandian.

In addition to the Pro-Am itself, the weekend also featured a players’ dinner in one of the signature hedged gardens at the Parker Palm Springs (which is now also home to two stunning outdoor padel courts), as well as clinics, casual play, and court-side viewing for hotel guests.

According to organizers:

“The event reflects Padel Up’s strategy for growing the sport in the United States through experiential partnerships. By collaborating with brands and hospitality partners, the organization aims to introduce new audiences to padel and create unforgettable moments.”

With an estimated 500,000+ tennis fans descending on the area for the BNP Paribas Open, this certainly seems to be the ideal venue in which to try to attract new audiences to the sport, especially given the lavish surroundings of the host site.

This event also reinforces a growing trend we explored in a recent article about Privé Padel in Montauk, NY, and their new offering known as Privé Passport — namely, the rise of luxury padel tourism.

To that end, heading into this luxury padel event, its organizers also said:

“Tapping into the sports travel trend, th[is] weekend-long tournament and activation is designed to be a community-first experience for travelers to get close to the action in a relaxed yet elevated environment.”

From the looks of things, they succeeded at every level, and I, for one, am already looking forward to next year’s edition!