As part of the Vanda Pharmaceuticals Mallorca Women’s Championships presented by ecotrans Group, the Mallorca Country Club hosted a padel exhibition on Saturday featuring top names from the worlds of sport and society. The event quickly became one of the weekend’s highlights and most entertaining moments.
The tournament ambassador, Gabriela Sabatini, partnered in the first match with legendary German coach Jürgen Klopp. Opposite them was an equally high-profile duo: Toni Nadal, sporting director of the men’s Mallorca Championships held in June at the same club, and professional padel player Denise Höfer.
Klopp, playing his first match alongside Sabatini, was thrilled with the experience: “She’s an incredible woman. I met her yesterday and never imagined I’d one day be on court with Gabriela and Toni, and also with Denise. Three former tennis players and a former footballer on the same court… that only happens in padel. What’s lovely about this sport is that anyone can play it. It’s growing fast in Germany; I play because it’s fun… and because afterwards I don’t feel any pain!”
Sabatini also praised her teammate: “Jürgen is famous worldwide. I’m a big admirer of his; I love football and everything he has achieved. Having him by my side on the court was a great honour. We only met yesterday, and he seemed very kind and charismatic. I had so much fun.”
Other notable figures also took part during the day, including Jagoba Arrasate (RCD Mallorca coach), influencer Raul Bonsi, former footballer and coach Bruno Labbadia, former tennis player Charly Steeb, as well as German actors Uwe Ochsenknecht and Mark Keller. All were invited by the tournament organiser and CEO of e|motion Group, Edwin Weindorfer, contributing to a day in which sport, fun, and a great atmosphere took centre stage.
The Mallorca Country Club, the tournament venue, recently unveiled four new AFP padel courts in collaboration with Padel FC, a company founded by the Klopp family, further cementing its role as a reference point for sport promotion in Mallorca.
The exhibition got off to a delayed start due to rain, but the rest of the day was relaxed, with matches full of laughter and camaraderie. Sabatini and Klopp showed great competitive spirit, though they eventually lost 19-21 to Nadal and Höfer.