SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The Pro Padel League has come to San Diego and the Barnes Tennis Center. It is a game played with a racket and a tennis ball.

“Padel is one of the most exciting sports. It’s a sport you can participate in and watch. You don’t even have to play it,” says Ryan Redondo, CEO of the San Diego Stingrays.

However, many people play padel. It is similar to tennis in that the court is divided by a net, but also has similarities to racquetball and squash.

“We like to say that paddle skateboarding is really easy to learn but difficult to master,” says Pro Padel League player Luis Estrada.

“It requires a lot of strategy and teamwork. It’s really great and once people get started, they’re hooked,” says Pro Padel League player Britany Dubins.

The sport’s scoring system is very similar to that of tennis.

“We play two sets out of three, depending on which tournament you are in. We also play sudden point or golden point, so the scoring is pretty much the same,” says Estrada.

What is striking about this sport is the plexiglass wall that surrounds the playing field.

“You have these glass walls behind you and you can use these walls to defend yourself,” says Redondo. “You can hit the glass wall to make the ball go back, similar to squash.”

“If the ball bounces on the court and then hits the wall, you can play it off the wall, but if it hits the wall directly, it’s out,” says Dubins.

If you look at the court from a distance, you might think you’re watching a pickleball game. However, the games are very different.

“It gets confused, and that happens a lot,” Estrada says. I can say for myself that while people get angry, pickleball is a game and paddle tennis is a sport. I believe paddle tennis will make it to the Olympics.”