STAMFORD – Pickleball has been such a hit at Stamford Town Center that the founders of Pickleball America have added a padel court in front of the venue. It now shares the distinction with the pickleball courts as the only such court in a shopping mall in America.
The freestanding two-story padel venue surrounded by glass walls is now open and can be found in the newly created wellness wing of the Stamford Town Center located outside Pickleball America.
“We are thrilled to pioneer ‘Padel in a Mall’ soon after being the first to repurpose an anchor store in a mall with Pickleball,” said Jay Waldner, co-owner and founder of Pickleball America.
Padel, which is popular in Europe and Latin America, is a hybrid of tennis and squash. The game is fast paced, strategic and could include long rallies due to wall play. Players use a solid paddle with holes and a ball that is pressurized, like a tennis ball but slightly smaller.
Stamford Mayor Caroline Simmons and Stamford Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Heather Cavanagh got to “break in” the court Monday, Aug. 11, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony of the venue on the fourth level of the mall.
“It’s really exciting,” the mayor said after a set with Cavanagh and Pickleball America officials. “I’ve played pickleball here before with my kids. The [padel court] turf felt like Astroturf but a little bit thicker. However, I wore the wrong shoes [high heels] for the occasion.”
The mayor also pointed to other sports- and family-activity venues that have been added over the past couple of years. In addition to Pickleball America, there is a Soccer Zone, Angel Land (for children), and A Dance Space.
“We plan on adding a roller rink (Roller Land on Level 5) and golf (mini-golf),” Stolzenbach said.
Like the new padel court, Stolzenbach plans to recreate some of the ornate seating areas into other sports-related venues.
“A lot of work went into building this,” he said of the padel court. “We had to completely scrape a seating area of marble.”
As for the significance of the new padel court in conjunction with the successful two-year-old 13-court pickleball facility, both Simmons and Cavanagh called it important to the future of the mall.
“This installation marks a major step in the reimagining retail spaces for modern active (lives),” Cavanagh said. “This space aims to be more than just a space for play. It’s a new community hub. This is where fitness and recreation meet retail.”
Simmons believes mall General Manager Dan Stolzenbach’s plan for the aging mall has “reactivated” it into more of a social gathering place.
“We are thrilled about the repurposing of this mall,” she said. “We know that malls across the country have been struggling, particularly with brick and mortar retail at this mall. We also want to make sure we give people a reason to go out and shop in person and make it a lively social place.”
The rise of padel
Padel, in the U.S., has moved from virtually invisible to high-growth status with around 100,000 players, over 650 courts, and nearly 2,000 official USPA members.
Since Pickleball America’s inception in the fall of 2023, they have attracted more than 10,000 members and guests, 500+ corporate team building and special event groups and tournaments to their venue to engage in the sport.
A large percentage of players are new to the game and sports in general and tactical skills training is in high demand with more experienced players. The most popular programs have been intimate clinics with the professional team from “Three and Me” to “Coached Open Play.”
Mia Schipani, co-founder and Pickleball America CMO, said she the company is thrilled to be a destination for Stamford and that the addition of the padel court will add to the allure.
“We continue to grow our offerings as well as our business – the latest being a Pro Shop offering an array of top paddles and accessories to include Joola, Selkirk, Diadem, Master Athletics, Pikkl, Gearbox, CRBN, Holbrook and Wilson and next will be a dedicated Padel Lounge,” she said.
Padel at Pickleball America is located in the center of the Stamford Town Center on Level 4. Operating hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Padel court reservations can be made after a free guest account is created.
