An anniversary with period rackets
The tenth anniversary of the International Cup of Padel Clubs runs from 8 to 11 October 2026 at Club Manantiales in Alhaurín de la Torre, in Málaga province. One item stands out in the programme: an exhibition devoted to padel of the 1980s and 1990s.
It is scheduled for Saturday 10 October, within the sequence beginning at 7pm with flamenco. The current programme announces vintage rackets and Argentine PSA players, followed by an aperitif at the club. At publication, the exhibition has not taken place.
Objects back in motion
A period racket tells a limited story on its own in a display case. On court, it regains a grip, a movement and a relationship with the ball. The exhibition’s interest will be in seeing equipment used rather than simply displayed.
The programme specifies that serve-and-volley is prohibited. That detail belongs to the announced rules for this session. The current programme does not list the participants’ names or the racket models.
Remembering through play
Padel has a material history: racket shapes, surfaces, clothing and ways of moving. Putting older equipment back into play offers a concrete point of comparison with contemporary images of the sport.
The session also belongs to a social weekend: flamenco, exchanges with period equipment and an aperitif. Padel’s history can enter conversations between club members, including those who remember these objects and those discovering them.
An announcement, ahead of the exhibition
The appeal of this proposal lies in letting objects and players tell the story. The exhibition itself will show how the equipment is selected, how the session unfolds and what conversations it prompts.
The official programme linked below remains the reference for timings and practical details. Our editorial graphic illustrates the announcement; it does not depict a scene from an exhibition that has already happened.
Padel has a material history: racket shapes, surfaces, clothing and ways of moving. Putting older equipment back into play offers a concrete point of comparison with contemporary images of the sport.