by Grayling Holmes/ photos provided by Privé Padel

Wellness used to mean workouts. In 2025 and on the cusp of 2026, wellness means connection, and Privé Padel is at the heart of this cultural shift.

Although we are in the heart of winter here in St. Louis, in other parts of the world warmer weather abides and outdoor activities are at fever pitch. By March, people will wander outside again. For now, in this frigid weather, the high will be 17 degrees by Sunday, and dip to a low of 9 degrees with a wind chill below zero. Can you say Brrr-frigerator. Or better yet, Deeeep-freezer. But don’t get stuck in the Midwest cold. Think of Southern California, Florida, or other balmy places dotting the globe.

As an Amagansett native, Privé Padel co-founder Christopher Moore is thrilled to bring padel, the European racket sport sweeping the nation, to the Montauk Yacht Club on Long Island in the town of East Hampton.

By Spring 2026, these frigid temps will be in the rearview mirror, and you will be more than ready to liberate yourself from hibernation and get outdoors. In the meantime, let sugarplums of warm-weather fairies dance in your head. It’s Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa time in the city. Soon it will be time for St. Patty’s Day when the advent of warm weather delights will abound. Now is the time to imagine the joys of padel, the sport that is taking the nation, in fact, the world by storm.

Ask someone in America about padel, and you might get a puzzled look. Ask someone in Europe, the Middle East or Latin America, and you'll get an instant smile. Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Watch a match, and it's easy to see why: It's a frenetic pace with balls bouncing off the walls and players running everywhere -- including, outside the court -- to hit a return.

Padel can be like a tenning doubles game, so it’s very social; it’s very athletic.

It's a mix between tennis and squash with the competitive energy of a 100-meter dash. Learning the basics of padel is easy; you can understand the game in 30 minutes. Mastering the sport, however, is another story. This is a game of strategy -- not strength.

It's kind of like tennis -- but games only last to 11 or 21 points, so you don't have to wait for three lengthy sets. It's kind of like badminton -- but there's a real ball, so you don't need to chase a shuttlecock as it floats over the net. It's kind of like table tennis -- but you actually need to move, so get ready to sweat.

You can compare the sport to a lot of others, but ultimately, pickleball is simple: It's fun, and it's for everyone.

Privé Padel has brought the global movement of padel to America’s Heartland.

There is actually padel court in the St. Louis area now, it is in Padel + Pickle Club in Olivette. There are plans afoot by Privé Padel to pepper St. Louis and the Midwest with padel courts. This reflects just how quickly the sport is spreading beyond the coasts. It will soon become the next pickleball. Padels will be on fire.

In fact, you don’t have to dream of outdoor courts, at Olivette’s indoor, enclosed Padel + Pickle Club.

Tim Ezell of Fox 2 News St. Louis talked to Padel + Pickelball General Manager Ryan Leslie when it opened a year ago. When asked how it all came about, he said, “A guy in his backyard, he actually lived in Acapulco, Mexico, and he build a tennis court. It was actually on hill, and he was tired of the balls always falling down the hill, so he put pretty much four wall around the entire tennis court to prevent the balls from going down the hill. After that thus became the sport of padel.”

Members play padel at Padel + Pickleball Club in Olivette, Missouri.

At Padel + Pickleball Club they use glass enclosures on each side of the court and at the back wall. “It’s like playing tennis inside of a squash court, so everything is scoring by tennis rules. You play 15, 30, 40, love. You typically play the best of three sets. It’s a doubles game, so it’s very social; it’s very athletic. If you play any form of racquet sport, whether it’s pickleball, racquetball, squash, or tennis, this is for you,” Ryan said.

Although Privé Padel is based in Montauk, the brand’s vision extends far beyond the Hamptons. Padel is the fastest-growing sport in the world, with more than 25 million players globally and explosive growth across the U.S., and their goal has always been to help shape that momentum through design-driven, hospitality-anchored destinations.

St. Louis represents exactly the kind of market where padel is taking hold: energetic, community-minded, and eager for new lifestyle and wellness experiences. Privé’s mission isn’t just to build courts, but to build culture--- spaces where sport, social connection, and design intersect. Bringing that energy to St. Louis reflects how padel’s reach is expanding from coastal hubs to the heart of the country, uniting players everywhere under a shared global movement.

“Padel has naturally grown on the coasts, especially in cities like New York and Miami, where international influence is part of the culture. That exposure has been essential to its early success in the U.S. But for the sport to have real longevity, it needs to take root in regions that don’t have that same global influence. Growth in those markets is what will transform padel from a niche lifestyle experience into a truly accessible national sport,” said Nicholas Solarewicz, one of Privé Padel’s co-founders.

Nothing brings people together quite like padel, a sport that is less about competition and more about community. Because it is almost always played in doubles, the game naturally encourages conversation, teamwork, and shared moments of fun. Unlike tennis, which can feel distant across long baseline rallies, padel thrives on quick exchanges and close interaction, creating an instant sense of camaraderie.

“Our goal has always been to reframe padel from being a sport people play into a lifestyle people live. At Privé, we believe that your time on the court is just as meaningful as your time off it – spectating, mingling, and connecting with people who share the same mindset,” said Chris Moore, the other co-founder of Privé Padel.

He went on to say that “We look at a padel club the way a resort developer looks at a hotel lobby. It’s not just a place to play – it’s a place to gather, connect, and create moments worth sharing. Design and hospitality are at the core of how we bring that vision to life.”

The court itself enhances that experience. Compact and enclosed, it draws players and spectators into the same high-energy space. Laughter, cheers, and friendly banter are part of the game. At Privé, two state-of-the-art Spanish padel courts are surrounded by a grassy social lounge, thoughtfully designed to blend sport, hospitality, and culture into one elevated destination.

Privé is redefining what it means to be well with its signature blend of programming and diverse membership community of padel enthusiasts. It is where people come to move, connect, and belong. It is no surprise that A-listers, athletes, and business leaders are all hitting the court. Padel combines the physical benefits of tennis, the social ease of pickleball, and the ambiance of a private club.

From Montauk to the Midwest: How Privé Padel Is Bringing a Global Movement to America’s Heartland