
It’s big in the USA, South America, and also popular in Sweden. And that’s where the two founders of Tio Tio, Niko and Felix, got their passion for padel. During their studies in Stockholm, they couldn’t get enough of the backstroke sport — a mixture of squash and tennis — now they’ve opened Berlin’s coolest padel facility in Lichtenberg. Five courts on the roof of a shopping center — there are also two Czech kiosks serving kombucha and other refreshments, and you can rent rackets or buy Tio Tio merchandise in the repurposed shipping container. They immediately won me over as a volunteer testimonial. After my first match, it became clear padel would be the new tennis for me. I know, I know, true tennis fanatics tend to be skeptical about padel, but playing tennis outdoors in Berlin is notoriously difficult if you haven’t been in a club for many years. In other words, the will is there but the tennis court is not.
At Tio Tio, you can simply book a court and take a few friends with you (who don’t need previous experience playing the game). Thanks to the smaller court and smaller rackets, it’s easier to hit the ball (sounds paradoxical, but it’s true) and, as with squash, you can use the walls. So if you come along with your playing friends — whether experienced in backstroke sports or not — you are guaranteed to have a lot of fun here. After the game, enjoy the magnificent view — in the evening, you’ll be rewarded with a sunset scenario.
Text: Nina Trippel / Photos: Ben Fuchs, Dino Schneider
Tio Tio, Marktstr.6, 10317 Berlin–Lichtenberg; map
@tiotio.social