Padel at Boar's Head Resort

Grand Opening Monday, June 16

Join us for our padel grand opening on June 16 at 5 p.m., featuring a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by exciting exhibition matches and complimentary beginner clinics.

Clinic Registrations

What is Padel?

Padel, pronounced (puh-DEL) in the US and (PAD-dul) in other countries, is a racquet sport that originated in Mexico. Padel is a hybrid of other racquet sports; racquets are solid, and the balls are slightly softer than tennis balls. The court is smaller and surrounded by walls that can be played off, similar to squash. As of 2025, the sport boasts around 30 million players across 130 countries, supported by more than 70,000 courts globally. With the recent surge in popularity in the United States, UVA and Boar's Head Resort are proud to take the lead in implementing courts on university campuses.

Boar’s Head will have three padel courts for members and guests to enjoy. These are the first "infinity extreme" courts in America and can withstand winds of up to 160 miles per hour.

Court hours of operation will mirror The Sports Club.

Reservations

Court reservations can be made by logging on to Club Automation or via the mobile app. Additionally, members or guests can call or stop by the Front Desk to make a reservation.

Court Fees

Court time will be complimentary for members through June 30. Beginning July 1, the court fee is $32 per hour. Court fees are $45/hour for resort guests.

Playing Padel

Padel is played in a doubles format, though singles can be played recreationally. Teams score when the ball bounces twice on the opponent’s court, strikes an opponent or hits a fixture before going over the net on an opponent’s volley.

Like tennis, padel is played in sets. To win, an individual or team must win three sets. Winning a set requires winning six games with a two-game advantage over your opponent. If neither side is up by two games, a tiebreaker is played to determine the winner of the set.

Paulo Andrade

Head Padel Pro

Hailing from Odivelas, Lisbon, Portugal, Paulo Andrade is a sports professional with a strong foundation in athletic performance, physical training and padel coaching. With a degree in physical education and sport and a master’s in sport training, Andrade worked his way into becoming a federated athlete in multiple disciplines, playing roller hockey, futsal and appearing in the Portuguese Cup in third division football.

Andrade’s journey with padel began during university studies, where he found a personal and professional calling to the sport – he completed a master’s in padel club management in Murcia, Spain, and has spent years coaching players and hosting clinics. One of the most enriching experiences in his career came when he was invited to Angola to offer padel clinics, an opportunity that reinforced his belief in the sport’s global potential.

Andrade’s coaching philosophy is rooted in continuous learning, humility and human connection. He believes in building trust with players, challenging them to evolve and transmitting the values that make padel a unique sport, including its competitiveness, well-being and strong sense of community. His mission is not only to develop better players, but to help people grow through the game.