Why Racket Sports Need Better PR

Racket sports are booming. Tennis participation is at record highs, pickleball has become a cultural phenomenon, and padel is emerging as the next global growth story. Yet, despite this surge, mainstream media coverage continues to lag behind. Outside of niche media, the industry’s most compelling stories rarely break through.

That’s a missed opportunity.

The Storytelling Gap

The market has never been more competitive for brands across the racket ecosystem, from paddle makers to apparel lines to training technologies and even facilities. Take pickleball, where dozens, if not hundreds, of paddle brands are battling for shelf space and customer attention. The reality is that not all will survive. The difference-maker isn’t just product performance or price point. It’s storytelling.

The right narrative can turn a new brand into a category leader. It resonates with media, builds credibility, and connects with players in ways specs and features can’t. Yet many companies in racket sports still treat PR as an afterthought, ultimately leaving important growth on the table.

Why PR Matters Now

The racket industry has extraordinary stories, like:

● Entrepreneurs building new equipment lines from scratch

● Athletes who turn passion into product innovation

● Programs that democratize access to sports, once seen as exclusive

● Community leaders building facilities for all to enjoy

But too often, these stories stay confined to trade media or small circles. In a crowded market, visibility in mainstream outlets and across digital channels isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s the path to awareness, adoption, and long-term staying power.

I’ve seen this firsthand through my work at Golden Slam Marketing, a PR and marketing agency dedicated exclusively to racket sports. In just two months with a targeted media strategy, we generated broad awareness and credibility for one of our clients and positioned the brand for accelerated growth. The lesson is simple: when a story is told strategically, momentum follows quickly.

Expanding the Playbook

What’s exciting is that the PR landscape is broader than ever:

● Podcasts give brands a chance to tell long-form stories directly to broader audiences

● Substacks and newsletters create engaged communities around racket culture and other important verticals

● Influencers and content creators provide authentic reach, especially with younger players

These channels are often overlooked in favor of traditional print or broadcast coverage, but they’re proving at times to be just as effective at driving brand identity and consumer trust. That’s one reason I launched Racket Sports Weekly, a podcast dedicated to talking about the top stories in the industry and spotlighting the people and ideas shaping racket sports. It’s one way I’m working to help fill the storytelling gap and give industry leaders a bigger platform.

A Call to Action

Racket sports deserve a bigger slice of the media and influencer pie. The growth is here, the audiences are hungry, and the stories are ready to be told. What’s missing is a collective industry push to embrace PR not as an accessory, but as a core driver of business strategy.

If the industry invests in storytelling now, racket sports brands won’t just ride the wave of popularity; they’ll secure a permanent place in the mainstream conversation.