Padel Power Sweeping the World 8/25

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UK

• Playtomic and Babolat Join Forces as Co‑Title Sponsors of the Inaugural Anglo‑American Padel Cup

• John Terry Joins Star Names to Launch Hexagon Amateur Padel League

  

• Padel’s Status as “the new golf” arrives in London with UK’s First Ever Corporate Padel Cup

ITALY:

Michele Farinelli: Building the Future of Padel, One Court at a Time

USA:

• RacquetX Secures Playtomic as Title Sponsor for 2026 Edition

• “Padel in the U.S. won’t be just a sport — it will be a cultural phenomenon.”

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Padel Is Not the Next Pickleball and That’s a Good Thing

Inside the push and pull behind padel’s growth

Guest Column by Will Persson

I’ve spent the past year on courts across the East Coast, playing padel, meeting the people behind it, and watching the sport try to find its footing. There’s a lot to be excited about. But there’s also a growing gap between what’s happening on the ground and the story people keep telling — especially when that story tries to frame padel as the next pickleball. It’s a compelling headline. It’s also misleading.

From Manhattan to Miami, you constantly hear padel is the next big thing. Investors say it. Influencers post it. Operators are betting on it. Some call it the next pickleball, the heir to America’s fastest-growing sport and a rare early-mover opportunity. It sounds bold. It also sounds off.

I say that as someone who plays regularly and has spent the past year inside clubs across New Jersey, New York, and Miami. I’ve watched the sport spread, and I’ve watched the narrative move even faster. From what I’ve seen, we’re overestimating how many people actually play, misunderstanding how communities grow, and forcing comparisons to a sport with completely different economics. Calling padel the next pickleball is like calling squash the next ping pong. Different games, different dynamics, different worlds.

The Illusion of Mass Adoption

People often point to Miami (for good reason!) as the center of padel in the U.S. But one of the most common misconceptions I hear is that “everyone is playing.” Step inside one of the clubs they’re referencing or scroll through padel Instagram, and you’ll see a familiar mix: athletes, celebrities, influencers, and a wave of young professionals.

That visibility creates the illusion of scale. In reality, most cities have a small group of dedicated players rotating through the same leagues and courts. Even in Miami, padel isn’t part of the city’s cultural fabric. It lives in a more selective layer shaped by time, access, and disposable income.

The contrast is even sharper in New York and New Jersey. Many courts sit empty during the day. Setting up games can be a challenge. Outside a few evening time slots, bookings are thin. The padel community isn’t mainstream; it’s niche, highly visible, and clustered. If we’re serious about growth, we need to stop conflating it with exposure.

Clubs Are Not Printing Money

Another common myth is that padel clubs are wildly profitable. A few standouts may appear that way from the outside, but their stories aren’t typical. Most newer clubs are already adjusting expectations and looking for more sustainable models.

Discounted leagues, open play sessions, and daytime freebies aren’t just community perks. They’re essential tactics for keeping courts from sitting empty. Many clubs are rethinking their original pricing models not because demand is rising, but because it’s softer than projected.

In the early stages, it’s easy to assume court bookings will carry the business. When that doesn’t hold up, the model shifts toward clinics, social events, and anything that builds repeat participation. It’s a smart pivot, but it also underscores a deeper point: bookings alone aren’t a strategy. Growth depends on structure, creativity, and a real understanding of how to build community.

Adding Courts Doesn’t Create Demand

You’ll often hear that padel needs more courts to meet rising demand. But in most cases, that demand is overstated and highly localized. Just because Ultra is full on a Tuesday night doesn’t mean a six-court facility five miles away will thrive. Affluent players tend to prioritize premium environments and familiar locations. They’re not likely to drive farther or downgrade just to play. And for players looking for lower-cost options, padel still isn’t cheap enough to play often.

A better way to measure real demand isn’t by looking at peak hours in elite clubs — it’s by seeing whether smaller, no-frills facilities are drawing consistent traffic across the week. In many markets, they aren’t. Building a new club in a cold market, even with multiple courts, doesn’t guarantee growth. Without community depth, expansion just leads to emptiness.

Padel Is Not Pickleball… and That’s a Good Thing

The most persistent — and most misleading — idea is that padel is following the same path as pickleball.

Pickleball took off because it’s accessible. It’s inexpensive, easy to learn, and played on public courts across the country. Padel is none of those things. The courts are costly to build and maintain, need more space, and attract a smaller but more premium-paying audience. Free padel courts are virtually nonexistent in the U.S., and there’s no realistic path to public funding.

Even the mindset is different. Most pickleball players won’t pay more than $10 per person to play. Padel players in top-tier clubs often pay four times that — and don’t blink. That gap isn’t a problem. It’s part of what defines the sport. Lowering the price point too much not only risks weakening the brand, but makes it financially undesirable for the real estate footprint padel requires.

Founders Make or Break It

One pattern that’s hard to ignore: the clubs that succeed often have founders who are deeply embedded in the sport. They’re not just investing capital; they’re investing time, energy, and personal belief. These are the people who are on the court themselves, building relationships with players, troubleshooting problems in real time, and setting the tone from the top.

Padel is not a gym. It’s not a franchise you can copy and paste. It’s a community-dependent business where trust and culture drive participation. A founder who loves the game brings an energy that trickles down to their staff and members. That team becomes the glue — helping fill in last-minute games, making new players feel welcome, and teaching the sport with genuine enthusiasm.

When that leadership is missing, it shows. The environment feels transactional. The courts sit empty longer. The momentum never quite builds. A passionate founder isn’t just a nice-to-have; in padel, it’s one of the strongest competitive advantages a club can have.

Bookings Alone Are Not a Launch Strategy

A lot of new operators assume that once the courts are open, the bookings will come. But that’s not how community sports take root in the U.S.

The clubs that succeed don’t just open the doors and wait. They start with drop-in events, social mixers, charismatic coaches, and founders who are actively part of the scene. They build trust and energy first. And when that sticks, growth follows.

Slower Is Smarter

Padel is a beautiful sport — social, strategic, and visually sharp. It deserves to grow. But that growth has to come from clear thinking, not borrowed hype.

It won’t rise by copying a different sport or chasing quick wins. It’ll grow because enough people cared enough to build it right.

Written by Will Persson

Mostly in tech. Often on court. Views are from my own racket sport experience. [email protected]

More content from Will Persson:

Challenger Wild Cards: Solution Not Spectacle

As tennis debates one wild card for a little-known tournament, the real issue is how Challenger and ITF players — the “minor-leaguers” of tennis — survive.

How Customization Drives Success in Padel Clubs

What Padel Clubs Can Learn from Gen AI Success Stories

Padel Racket Race: Tennis Giants vs. Padel Specialists

Exploring how specialized padel brands and well-established tennis giants are vying for dominance in the growing US padel market.

Pickleball, Padel, or Platform Tennis: Which Is the Toughest Racket Sport?

By Pedro Bautista, Co-Founder, SLC Padel Club, on LinkedIn

I’ve been wanting to post more often on LinkedIn, and I couldn’t think of a better way to start than by talking about how SLC Padel club started and how it’s going.

The idea to open SLC Padel Club started in November of last year. I was talking with my dad about doing something together that we enjoyed, was new but most importantly, that we could build a community around. We explored different ideas until we realized that opening a padel club was the best fit for our vision. We had played before and enjoyed watching it, but we had never opened a club before or anything similar.

I would be lying if I said it wasn’t scary (it still is), being the firsts in Utah and getting asked every single day: a Padel club? You mean pickleball? Doesn’t help at all.

One thing I wasn’t expecting was the support from the padel community. I’ve gotten calls, DMs, and emails from almost 20–25 people outside of Utah who are excited to see padel grow here. From all over the U.S., like Austin Edwards, Patricio Misitrano, Diego Campos, and Max Grauer, from the UK, like Ben Nichols, and from Argentina, like David Groener. I’m truly grateful to you for taking the time to share your expertise and give me advice on how to be successful in this industry.

There are so many things I never imagined I’d be learning or struggling with these past months (yes, especially permits and contractors). But having the support of the padel community and my family has been encouraging. I can’t wait to face new challenges and learn from them.

Follow along as we build the first Padel club in Utah.