'Fastest growing sport in the world': play padel at this one-of-a-kind location

A new sport is coming to Nashville!

Sensa Padel Nashville opened up Friday morning. It's located in Germantown's Neuhoff District, at 1321 Adams Street.

General manager Scott Mitchell says padel is the fastest-growing sport in the world.

If you're not familiar, he says it's like a mix between tennis and squash or racquetball.

"We're the first one in Tennessee, first one in Nashville," he said, explaining it's been very popular in Europe for a while now.

Pablo Martín is from Madrid, where he grew up playing the sport.

"We have more than 20,000 courts in Spain," he said. "Having it as a reality here in Nashville feels awesome."

Now, Martín is the Director of Partnerships at Sensa Padel and had a hand in making it a reality.

"The process was tedious and was hard, to find those people who knew about padel, but you would be surprised how many people knew about padel," he said.

It's more fast-paced than pickleball and very easy to pick up.

"It's a very active sport, a very social sport, so even if you've never played a sport and you want to be a part of the community, I think it's awesome," said Martín.

"Don't be intimated," added Mitchell. "It's a ton of fun, it's very active...if you've played any of the racquet sports, you're going to pick this up real quick."

Mitchell says courts will be free this weekend and next week. After that, they will charge per court. You can sign up for a court on their website .

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It’s a sad reality that area animal shelters and non-profit rescue organizations face constant overcrowding -- with so many dogs, cats and other animals waiting for a forever home. Jason Lamb reports here that Metro leaders are working with those groups – including Critter Cavalry – to find solutions. I’ve fostered a dog from Critter Cavalry, so I understand the need is great. And I found my pup Domino through another local group, Proverbs Animal Rescue. Ultimately, it starts with all of us. Getting more dogs and cats spayed or neutered can help control the pet population – and ease the burden.

-Rhori Johnston