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It’s Tennis vs. Pickleball vs. Padel. Or Is It?

SAN DIEGO — The official name of the facility is the Barnes Tennis Center, but once through the front doors, it quickly becomes apparent that it might want to consider expanding its branding.

“What are you playing today?” a receptionist at the front desk asked of a father and his adult daughter dressed in what could pass for traditional tennis clothes.

“Have you tried padel yet?” asked the receptionist.

“No, but it’s on the list,” she said. “I hear it’s addictive.”

Such conversations and choices, which have been standard in other parts of the world for several years, remain rare in the United States.