MLB Hall of Famer Derek Jeter and Reserve Padel founder and CEO Wayne Boich explain how Reserve Padel came to be and share a vision for the team’s growth in ‘The Claman Countdown.’
Derek Jeter will always be the captain, but, this weekend, it’s a different part.
Jeter was the captain of the New York Yankees for the final 12 seasons of his 20-year Hall of Fame career.
Now, Jeter has received the title of captain of the padel team in the Reserve Cup in Miami this weekend.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH ONE OF THE GAMES ON FOXNEWS.COM
Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees celebrates after hitting a game-winning RBI in the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles in his final game at Yankee Stadium Sept. 25, 2014, in the Bronx neighborhood of New York City. (Al Bello/Getty Images/Getty Images)
The Reserve Cup, founded by Wayne Boich, is an annual event where the best padel players compete in a tournament.
“I’m here to support Wayne. I’m not a padel expert, he’s a panel expert. He first told me about his idea, and I’m proud of what he was able to build here,” said Jeter in an interview with Fox Business.
The first Reserve Cup in Miami was just two years ago, and stars like Jeter, David Beckham and Serena Williams showed their love for the game that includes tennis, pickleball, racquetball and squash. The prize money is around $600,000 with over $2 million in funding.
“For me, it came from loving the game first. I didn’t know anything about padel in 2013. I played at a wedding,” Boich told Fox Business. “And I said, ‘Wow, this is an amazing game.’ I didn’t know what it was. Then I started playing with a group of old tennis players in Miami, and there were no courts in the United States. I think less than 10 in the entire US, but there were three in Miami.
“We started playing a lot, and then when I went to Spain and played with the pros, we were like, ‘Wow, this is a cool game to watch live, and playing against these guys is amazing.’
Jimmy Butler, Wayne Boich and Derek Jeter pose for a photo at the 2025 Reserve Cup. (Reserve Cup / Fox News)
YANKEES SIGN ALL-STAR OUTFIELDER CODY BELLINGER FOR $162.5 REPORTS: REPORTS
Boich then started bringing pro players to Miami, built a court in his house and “it became a party.”
“It’s very fascinating. … I noticed how men and women who are about 75 years old can fit into the same routine. I found that to be true,” Boich said.
“What we have with the Reserve Cup. It’s not a tourist event, but it’s a high-quality lifestyle event that people go to for good padel but many other things,” added Boich. “Whether it’s communication, watching padel, the events we do on site, the people they’re exposed to. Above all, I’m very humbled and proud to see all these people getting into this game and it’s obvious the role we played in it.”
The Reserve Cup is no show, as some of the best players in the world compete for the prize.
“That’s what draws people here. Anytime you watch a game, when you have the best players in the world — look at the World Series and the Super Bowl — people want to go see it,” Jeter said. “This has made it an event to get the best players in the world here.”
For Boich, it means the world to have the support of someone like a 14-time All-Star and five-time World Series winner.
Derek Jeter is inducted during the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Clark Sports Center September 8, 2021, in Cooperstown, NY (Photos by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
“I’m just lucky that I’ve had games for a long time, and those people have been my friends for a long time. And I’ve found them in padel, they both enjoy it a lot. Jimmy is an active player when he can play, and Derek really likes it,” said Boich.
“So they’re helpful, right? And I think they appreciate and believe in what we’re building at the Reserve, and they’re excited to be a part of it. And I’ve been very fortunate before that. It’s been great.
“And I think, on the Reserve Cup side, it’s been great to see corporate money start to come into it. We’re in a position now where we have major sponsors in the Reserve Cup to help make the event a success. We’ve probably provided about 20% of the courts sold in the United States. It’s the tip of the iceberg.”
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on Xand register at the Fox News Sports Huddle.
