10(ish) Questions With…
Jared Finkelstein

When was the first time you played padel? My first time playing was at Wynwood Padel Club in January of 2021. I played with a friend from NYC (who also moved to Miami) and two of his work associates. He dragged me there.  I wasn’t excited to play.

Was it love at first sight? 100%. From the movement I hit the first ball I knew it was special. I left my first experience hooked and it was love at first sight. I was back at Wynwood PC two more times that week. Five days later, I was in my first WhatsApp padel group and one week later I was playing in my first Saturday tournament.

Where is your home court? What’s your favorite thing about playing there? I’m agnostic to the Miami Padel Clubs. I play at Ultra, Reserve, Real and Padel X but I also travel to play at Replay. For me it’s about the matches rather than the club. I want to play in high-level matches with people that also love the sport. The asthetics and amenities are icing on the cake. My personal opinion is that Reserve Solé Mia and Replay are the nicest clubs in South Florida.

From head to toe, tell us what gear you’re currently using. Bullpadel for everything except for Adidas sneakers.

Other than what you wear, what do you keep in your padel bag? Towels, change of clothes, sunglasses, stretching bands, creatine gummies, tiger balm and a water jug.

Pre-match meal? Protein shake.

Post-match drink? Never.

When we spoke in Miami you talked about how much more work there still is to get padel widespread national recognition. What’s one specific thing you’d like to see in the next 6 months that you think would have the greatest impact? Six months is such a short time period. We currently have 700 courts in the United States. When we hit 2,500, I think that will be a powerful moment. The only thing stopping the sport’s growth is access. The more courts, the more access, the more people will fall in love with padel.

Looking out at the current padel landscape, what company, person or organization excites you the most? What’re they doing and why do you think it's important? Red Padel Tournaments. They keep getting bigger and more unique. I had the privilege of being apart of the tournament held at the Miami Open.  The fact that we had a padel tournament hosted on the grounds of a major tennis tournament shows the momentum of the sport. After Djokovic won his semi-finals match and the crowd left center court, the padel stands were filled and the atmosphere was insane.

Tell us about something padel related that you’re working on. What’s the vision? What's the goal? I have no formal role or investments in padel. I am involved because the sport has brought me so much joy and I want to see it grow in the USA. I am a glorified cheerleader and my love for padel is palpable. I feel incredibly lucky that for the next 30+ years, I’m going to be able to play a sport that I love. ✸