PPL Tour Stop Los Angeles

On August 13, I spent an interesting afternoon at the legendary Barker Hangar at Santa Monica Airport. The Professional Padel League had rented that hangar for a press conference and 4 days of matches for the Los Angeles stop of their tour.

I was surprised to find this to be such a big production. The venue, the staff, the sponsors, the court- you could see that PPL has raised $25 million in total funding since 2023 (backed by prominent investors including Charlotte Hornets Co-Chairman & Governor Rick Schnall and venture capital firm Left Lane Capital).

The New York Season Opener saw the DC Matrix capture the men’s championship and the San Diego Stingrays claim the women’s championship after four days of intense competition. Teams will look to build momentum in Los Angeles as they continue their push toward December’s City’s Cup Championship.

The 10 teams competing in Los Angeles:

(Scroll down for results and exciting match videos)

During the press conference, PPL CEO Mike Dorfman (center) was supported by the LA Beats team (left) and the Mexico Waves team (right). I found it funny that the Mexican team members answered reporter questions in English and the LA team needed their answers translated from Spanish to English.

“The New York season opener was a great way to begin our 2026 season, showcasing the level of competition and excitement around professional padel,” said Dorfman. “Making our LA debut at Barker Hangar is another important milestone for the league as we continue our presence and connect with new fans through world-class competition.”

Mike mentioned there are over 100 Padel courts now in Southern California. (I’m adding that at Conga Sports, we counted another 188 Padel courts south of here, at the northern tip of Mexico, in Baja California.)

Answering a media question about Padel’s affordability, Mike replied that the sport will be more affordable over time. His best example was Spain, where Padel is reportedly very affordable already.

The 35,000-square-foot hangar features dramatic ceiling vaults to an impressive 43 feet at the center, providing an arched steel truss over a 150-by-234-foot cement floor.

Mike Dorfman listed the biggest obstacles for Padel in Los Angeles right now: Awareness, exposure, infrastructure. “There are countries where Padel is already more popular than tennis, like Spain.”

I was quite surprised to look at the PPL team rosters and find so few American players. Here’s the breakdown of nationalities:

Spain 61%
Argentina 17%
USA 7.5%
All Others 24.5% (Italy, Chile, Venezuela, Portugal, UAE, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia)

Overall, it was a fabulous afternoon at the Barker Hangar. Mike Dorfman answered questions; the venue shined in all its humungous glory, and match play was exciting to watch.

RESULTS

results

Day 1
Women’s: Toronto Polar Bears - Las Vegas Smash 2-0
Men’s: Toronto Polar Bears - Las Vegas Smash 2-0
Women’s: New York Atlantics - Los Angeles Beat 2-0
Men’s: Los Angeles Beat - New York Atlantics 2-1

Day 2
Women’s: Mexico Waves - Houston Volts 1-2
Men’s: Mexico Waves - Houston Volts 2-1
Women’s: Las Vegas Smash - Florida Goats 2-1
Men’s: Las Vegas Smash - Florida Goats 0-2
Women’s: DC Matrix - Miami Padel Club 2-0
Men’s: DC Matrix - Miami Padel Club 2-0
Women’s: San Diego Stingrays - Toronto Polar Bears 2-1
Men’s: San Diego Stingrays - Toronto Polar Bears 2-1

Day 3
Women’s: Miami Padel Club - Houston Volts 0-2
Men’s: Miami Padel Club - Houston Volts 2-0
Women’s: Los Angeles Beat - Mexico Waves 1-2
Men’s: Los Angeles Beat - Mexico Waves 0-2
Women’s: Florida Goats - San Diego Stingrays 2-0
Men’s: Florida Goats - San Diego Stingrays 2-1
Women’s: New York Atlantics - DC Matrix 1-2
Men’s: New York Atlantics - DC Matrix 2-1

Day 4

Women’s 3rd Place: Florida Goats - New York Atlantics 1-2
Men’s 3rd Place: DC Matrix - Toronto Polar Bears 1-2
Women’s Final: Houston Volts - DC Matrix 1-2
Men’s Final: Mexico Waves - Florida Goats 2-1

Women’s Champion: Houston Volts
Men’s Champion: Mexico Waves