Throughout Europe, people rock T-shirts with the slogan, “Sorry I Can’t It’s Padel Time.” It won’t be long before the motto starts popping up across Denver, according to Evan Brown. The founder of the Aspen Padel Club, Brown is behind the Mile High City’s first dedicated outdoor padel court, which will debut during a grand opening event on June 28 at Cloud 9 Park in the mixed-use 9+CO development in Hale.

One of the world’s fastest growing sports, padel—a mashup of tennis and squash—is played by over 30 million people worldwide, according to the International Padel Federation. Fewer than 10 percent of players reside in the United States, where pickleball still reigns, but Brown believes Europe’s cult racket game (pronounced PAH-del) is primed to explode stateside as more courts open.

Similar to pickleball, the mostly doubles game is low-impact, but the ball moves faster over a larger area and players need more speed and fitness to play shots that bounce off the walls. Brown, who was introduced to padel while working a tech job in New York City, says pickleball is akin to driving go-karts while padel is more like racing F1. “Pickleball can feel like a snooze,” says Alex Martino, 31, of Denver. “Padel requires athleticism. It’s fast and competitive, but unlike tennis, you can still have fun playing with people of different skill levels.” Martino is one of 40-plus enthusiasts on Denver Padel, a What’s App chat group that’s already formed around the forthcoming court at Cloud 9 Park.

Read more: 5 Reasons Why Pickleball Fans Should Try Padel

The community aspect of the game is what inspired Brown to launch the Aspen Padel Club in September 2024. Regular Kevin O’Hagan, a 57-year-old lawyer in Aspen, says the inclusivity and accessibility of the sport have attracted everyone from the town mayor to elementary school teachers. “It’s nice to have a place for locals and not billionaires,” he says. “We’re a tightknit, hardcore group. We were out there playing all winter.” The court, located at the base of Smuggler Mountain, is currently being renovated and should reopen later this summer, and Brown says additional courts are in the works. He’s also helping with Olympus, a padel facility slated to open this August or September in Colorado Springs.

“My vision is to have spaces that create meaningful interactions,” Brown says. “There won’t be exorbitant initiation fees or long waiting lists. I want them to feel hyperlocal.” To that end, the court at Cloud 9 Park will be free of charge from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; online reservations will be required. Play during peak times—7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.—will cost $80 per hour. It will also be one of the first courts in the country to have a vending machine that rents rackets and balls. (Rental deposits are refunded after gear is returned.) Brown plans to host free clinics and post-play events in collaboration with some of the businesses in the 9+CO development.

Juan Alvarez, a 31-year-old data analyst in Denver, has been counting down the days until the opening. He currently makes the drive twice a week to padel courts in Parker and Boulder. “I haven’t had this feeling of being addicted to something and wanting to get better at it since I played soccer in high school,” he says. “And now, instead of 50 minutes, I can drive five minutes or even ride my bike to play.”

3 More Places to Play Padel in Denver

Racket Social Club

This sleek pickleball and padel complex recently opened in Englewood and hosts everything from tournaments to expert-led training sessions on its eight courts. They’ve ditched memberships in favor of a pay-as-you-play model and charge $128 for 90 minutes of padel and $40 per hour for pickleball; classes start at $20.

Padel Haus Denver

Since opening in 2022, New York City’s original padel club has slowly been making its way west, opening outposts in Atlanta, Nashville, and by late this summer, Denver. Known for its elevated facilities and social scene, the club’s Mile High City location in Five Points will feature five indoor courts, spalike locker rooms, an athlete-worthy gym, co-working spaces, and a juice bar. Member and nonmembers are welcome.

Great Divide Brewing Co. Padel Courts

One of Denver’s most beloved craft beer companies has put in permits to build padel courts at its popular River North Arts District Barrel Bar location. Depending on the final design, the 65,000-square-foot-facility could be reconfigured to have six indoor and six outdoor courts or five indoor and six outdoor. The concept remains under city review.