Hello dear readers, friends, and racket sports enthusiasts.

Welcome to the August 2025 edition of Racket Business, where the worlds of tennis, pickleball, padel, and the broader racket sports industry continue to intersect, evolve, and inspire. This month, our issue is packed with updates, insights, and a few reflections that will have you thinking about where the industry is today—and where it’s headed tomorrow.

In Rich’s much loved ‘Publisher’s Notes’, he highlights new partnerships and collaborations that are driving innovation. Whether it’s brands aligning to support clubs and coaches, or industry players coming together for initiatives like INTENNSE and RacquetX, there’s no shortage of momentum. This is also a month for opportunity, with a high-profile racket retail business now for sale in Los Angeles, signaling potential growth for entrepreneurs in the space.

In industry insights, we feature Gary Horvath’s analysis of the 2025 Tennis Participation Report, where the outlook is broadly positive—though not without its cautionary notes. Participation trends are key indicators for everyone from manufacturers to club owners, and this report offers both reassurance and challenges as we look to the next cycle. Meanwhile, Dave Miley’s proposal for multi-match and placement match formats on the ITF World Junior Tour offers a thoughtful, cost-conscious approach to making the path for junior players, coaches, and parents far more user-friendly.

Our technology and trends coverage continues to expand this month. Ashley’s Tech Blog explores innovations like Tennis Social AI, Playbypoint, and the Tennis IQ app, all of which are redefining how athletes train, track, and connect. Alongside this, the Mantis brand relaunch signals a fresh era for precision performance products designed for clubs and coaches—a nod to the growing importance of equipping the professionals who keep our sport thriving.

Beyond tennis, padel and pickleball continue to claim their share of the spotlight. In “Padel Power Sweeping the World”, we explore the latest growth stories and shifting dynamics in this fast-rising sport, while “Pickleball Buzz Beyond the Kitchen” keeps you updated on the ever-expanding pickleball universe. Both are reminders that the racket sports ecosystem has never been more diverse—or more competitive.

We round out this issue with Rod Heckelman’s coaching insights, including a clever feature on returning serve like Andy Murray. For those managing facilities or thinking about wellness initiatives, our Facilities-Supplies-People section offers practical strategies to improve the player experience. Finally, Susan Nardi’s “In the Trenches” provides a heartfelt look at Sweden’s community-first approach to racket sports—a model worth watching as we consider the future of our own local programs.

So whether you’re reading for business intelligence, coaching ideas, or just a spark of inspiration, the August 2025 issue of Racket Business delivers a full spectrum of updates. Dive in, stay curious, and as always, keep the conversation going at racketbusiness.com.

And that’s a preview of just a few of the 20 in-depth features we’re delivering for free to all you rackets sports industry folk, so settle down with a glass of something cold and enjoy the August issue of Racket Business.

At the foot of this month’s newsletter are links to all previous issues of Racket Business from 2025 plus a link to our industry events calendar. The only guide you’ll find to all the most useful racket sports industry events with links to register for each event.

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From inside the lines…

An exclusive series of short features, only available to newsletter subscribers, from the owner’s of Racket Business. This month…

‘Building Padel and Pickleball for the Long Game’

The boom in padel and pickleball has been nothing short of electric. Courts are popping up in repurposed warehouses, sports parks, and country clubs around the world. Investors smell opportunity, and in the short term, they’re right: participation is skyrocketing, memberships are selling out, and social media is awash with videos of trick shots and celebrity players.

But here’s the challenge: today’s rush for quick returns risks undermining the long-term health of these sports. Most padel and pickleball facilities are privately financed, and private money almost always comes with a clock attached. A new club must deliver profit swiftly to satisfy investors, often leading to choices that favor immediate revenue—premium court fees, high-intensity programming, and constant upselling—over the slow, steady cultivation of a community.

Contrast this with traditional tennis. Around the world, countless tennis clubs are run not by shareholders but by volunteers—passionate players who sit on committees and make decisions with no personal financial upside. They can think in decades, not quarters. When a committee decides to resurface courts, plant trees, or invest in a junior program, they do it knowing the payoff might not arrive until long after their term is over. The reward is not a dividend but a thriving, enduring club.

This structure creates a quiet but profound advantage. Member-run clubs make choices that aren’t in their own immediate self-interest because there’s nothing for them to gain personally—only the satisfaction of leaving the club better than they found it. That mindset is the foundation of sustainability.

So, what can padel and pickleball learn from this? We believe the future belongs to clubs that adopt hybrid governance models, blending entrepreneurial energy with community stewardship. Here’s a framework to consider:

• Start with a community stake - Even in a privately funded club, create a membership tier with voting rights or a community advisory board. When members feel ownership—not just access—they advocate for the club’s long-term interests.

• Separate capital from operations - Investors will want their returns, but a clear firewall between the financial backers and the programming committee ensures that day-to-day decisions—like court allocations or youth development—serve the sport, not just the spreadsheet.

• Bake in a legacy plan - Require that a portion of profits be reinvested into the club annually, earmarked for facilities, coaching, and community initiatives. This mirrors the “maintenance and mission” mindset of member-run tennis clubs.

• Measure success beyond revenue - Track retention, local partnerships, and player development as seriously as you track profit margins. Healthy communities drive sustainable businesses.

Padel and pickleball are at a crossroads. They can remain the fast-burning darlings of the sports investment world—or they can grow roots that last generations. The clubs that find a balance between entrepreneurial drive and community-driven governance will define the next chapter. As players, organizers, and investors, we have a choice: chase the quick win, or build the kind of clubs we’d be proud to hand to the next generation.